An internship with a company is an important and valuable learning experience for any tertiary student out there. I had been looking forward to experiencing the office life of reporting in, getting to know my new colleagues. However, the pandemic struck. Instead of the in-person office life I was expecting, many of us were suddenly whisked into our study chairs and tables, and had to gear up to work from home.
My internship with the ODM Group is even more unique. The head and regional office are all overseas! Thus, my remote internship started. And it was nothing that my wildest imaginations could dream up of. Hi everyone! I am Rhea from Singapore, and in this short blog, I will share with you my remote internship experience.
Initial Impression:
At first, I was considerably worried about how this remote internship would work. After all, I wanted to do my best for the company. My worries were quickly dispelled. There was great communication with the senior staff and the previous batch of interns who trained us via Skype.
Despite the fact that we worked remotely, we were still able to have an on ground experience by looking for our own real life case studies to blog about. I learnt to keep my eyes peeled whenever I go out for any interesting promotions that will make good case study materials!
Some Things I Love:
Clear Training Manuals and Tips
There was a series of training manuals with detailed instructions on how to utilize the digital workspace of ODM. Each department had a specific training manual filled with detailed information that really helped the other interns and myself. We were able to learn our roles and responsibilities quickly and get to work. We were also very lucky to be the second batch of remote interns, where the previous batch was able to provide many useful tips and advice. I took in what they said and set up my study table to be as neat as possible!
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| My Table Setup |
Constant Communication
Communication played a crucial factor in making remote internship work out well for everyone. Every morning, we will start off the day with a staff meeting call. Personally, this has helped my out immensely with getting into the work mindset, and I will have a clear plan for the day ahead. In the afternoon, we have another staff call to check in on our progress and clarify any problems we may have ran into during the day. I love how involved the senior staff is with our work while giving us the freedom and independence to plan our own schedule. This has made everyday an enjoyable one.
Sharing this experience with 4 other interns:
Humans are social creatures. I am very glad to be sharing my remote internship experience closely with 4 other interns. With each other around, we definitely settled into our roles easier. Working with them has been a blast, and it is great knowing that we are not alone in this unique position. We have had a gathering to boost our relationship, and there are plans for more in the future. I certainly can't wait!
Concluding...
It is already halfway through my internship, yet time flew by as if it was nothing. All the interns have learnt so much already, and I am still learning new things everyday. This remote internship is definitely a unique once in a lifetime experience I will remember, and makes a fun fact to share about myself to others!
