Chelsea Jackson, Author at Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More

6 Ways to Stay Productive During a Remote Internship

Though remote opportunities give you the freedom to work on your terms, they can still be just as challenging as working in-person.

The lack of physical management can cause a learning curve in a lot of interns. On top of learning during your internship, you also have to learn vital lifelong skills to manage your work independently. For first-time remote interns, it can be exhausting to stay productive when nobody is watching. Nevertheless, this is not an impossible task.

While it may seem unlikely and stressful at times, you can do this, and here are some helpful tips that’ll help you stay on track.

1. Make a Separate Work Space

Separating your work area from your bedroom can keep you from doing other unproductive activities, such as taking a nap or binge watching Netflix.

Likewise, having a designated work space, even if it is your kitchen table, allows you to associate that area with productivity. Association of a workspace can put you in the mood to work more easily than working in a space that is associated with sleep or relaxation.

2. Use a Specific Scent or Chew Gum

Studies show that chewing gum can increase productivity. While this study was conducted on test-takers, the same principle can be applied to studying and even working. Pick your favorite gum, preferably a long-lasting one, and stick to it. Once you walk into your workspace, pop a piece of that gum, and over time you will have a more auspicious working environment.

If you aren’t a gum person, you can use a specific scent in the same way. Choose your favorite soothing candle or incense in the same way you would gum. No, don’t ingest it, just use it near your workspace and reap the results.

3. Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself for all of your hard work can create some positive reinforcement, which will make you work smarter (and not just harder). Create a system so that you take a 15-minute break after 45 minutes of working. Why should you break after working for 45 minutes? This system allows you to track yourself on an hour-to-hour basis, which allows you to easily schedule your work and play time. Plus, working for 45 minutes at a time can help reduce the chance that you will feel overwhelmed by your tasks.

Most importantly, it’s important that your break consists of mindless activities that should be conducted in a different location than your workspace. Eat a snack, or if you aren’t hungry, go for a walk or exercise for a bit. Better yet, you could color a page in an adult coloring book. After all, coloring can reduce stress, which will make you feel reenergized to start working again when your 15 minutes are up.

4. Practice Wrist and Hand Exercises

Repetitive motions, like typing and writing, can cause some serious issues with your hands and wrists. Most commonly, repetitive motions and lack of motion can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Above are some helpful exercises to make sure your phalanges stay in fine working conditions.

5. Organize Your Desk

Maintaining organization on and around your desk will not only declutter your workspace, but it can also declutter your mind. Plus, an effective organization plan will make it easier for you to find important documents. While organization limits distractions, it is also important to make your workspace comfortable and fun.

6. Decorate Your Office

Although the point of having a tidy desk is to reduce clutter, it is also relevant that you refrain from exterminating clutter entirely. Decorating your office can make your work more comfortable.

Speaking of comfort, splurging on a cozy faux-leather office chair, or even a recliner, might give you enough incentive to sit down and get to work. However, if you want to ensure you get active while you work, you can trade in your stationary seat for an exercise ball. After all, some light exercise can make you more alert, among other helpful benefits.

Though these tips also apply to traditional in-house internships, they can help remote novices do great work from anywhere (even a dorm room!). As basic as these tips may seem when you implement them, they will ensure that your remote internship is anything but basic.

Want to find out more about National Intern Day and how you can win a cash prize? Head over to nationalinternday.com to get the scoop.

7 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Applied for My First Internship

Whether you land your first internship in high school, as a freshman in college or just after graduation, applying to your first internship can be immensely stressful. When you have limited or absolutely no previous internship experience, it can seem like an unattainable process.

After over half a dozen internships, I have grown confident in my capabilities as an intern and as a dedicated worker. However, my confidence stems from years of mistakes, dozens of interviews and tons of trial and error. If I could switch places with Barry Allen (i.e. the Flash) and travel back in time, I would tell my freshman year self not to become defeated by the hundreds of rejection emails.

So, what can I tell you about applying to that first internship? Here’s what I wish I’d known.

1. Rejection Is Normal

It took me nearly six months and over two dozen applications before I received my first interview invitation. Don’t let a few (or a lot) of rejection emails prevent you from applying to more internships. It’s important that you don’t take this rejection personally, because that will reduce your ambition significantly.

Stay strong and learn from these rejection notifications. Sometimes hiring managers will even offer comments as to why you were not chosen for the internship position. If you continue to try and put your application material out there, companies will understand exactly why you are proud of the highlights on your resume.

2. It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

Internships are an extension for you to learn outside of the classroom. Because you are still learning, it is important to understand that you will make mistakes. Likewise, it is important to know that your coworkers know you might make mistakes every so often.

Instead of trying to deny these mistakes, own them. Once you admit to your error(s), you can learn from your fellow coworkers on how you can fix it. You can gain insight even from your smallest gaffes, and from that, you will become a better professional.

3. Apply to Internships You’re Not Entirely Qualified For

While you may not get hired for an internship that you aren’t qualified for, a company could be willing to give you a chance based on your work ethic. More and more companies are realizing that skills can be taught, but strong work ethic is a quality that should be embraced.

During my sophomore year of college, I applied to an internship for juniors and seniors. I worked with one of my professors, who was familiar with the internship program, and he helped me create a strong portfolio of work and a resume for the application. After a lot of work, I was accepted into the internship program. I was and still am grateful that my professor put me through an illustration boot camp prior to the internship. Because I took a risk and applied to an internship that I was not qualified for, I was able to immerse myself into a competitive learning experience.

4. Have Someone Review Your Resume

Resumes are tricky, especially for inexperienced applicants. It is just as easy to put too much detail in your resume as it is to not include enough detail. Instead of stumbling over hundreds of edits and variations, get someone to look over your resume.

If you don’t have someone who is willing to review your resume or you are a perfectionist, change the font of your resume. At times, a font change can make grammatical errors easier to notice. Typically when you need to think more clearly, you change your physical setting. Well, alterations in your font choice can change the setting of your resume to reveal some glaring errors.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Write Cover Letters

During my first round of internship applications, I avoided any job posting that required a cover letter. I had no idea how to start a cover letter, let alone write a successful one. Even if a job application does not require you to submit a cover letter, submitting one could determine whether or not you are offered an interview. Cover letters serve as an extension to your resume, and they can help highlight specific projects and tasks you spearheaded in the past.

When dozens or even hundreds of applicants apply for the same position, a cover letter can show employers how dedicated you were to your past employers and your desire to work for their company.

And if you need help, we’ve got resources in the WayUp Guide for how to write a cover letter.

6. You Don’t Have to Accept the First Offer You Get

It is incredibly exciting to receive your first internship offer; however, you should always keep your options open. Like buyer’s remorse, internship regret exists. It is not uncommon to ask for a week or two to decide on an internship offer. Most hiring managers factor in one to two weeks into the hiring process to accommodate for this exact situation.

7. Remember to Relax a Little Bit

This might seem like unconventional advice for internship newbies, but it is vital to a successful career. It’s important to feel comfortable with your body and the way you look, and this confidence is vital to be comfortable with yourself before any interview. Although you should look like the best version of yourself on your interview day, you shouldn’t stress over one wrinkle in your dress pants or if you have one or eleven pimples.

When I was invited to my first interview, I’d just cut off all of my hair. No, I didn’t just have a cute pixie cut; I had completely shaved off all of my hair. Though I had committed to the buzzcut in order to donate my hair to a great cause, I was worried about what the hiring managers might have thought about my choice. I was tempted to buy a wig for my interview, but I instead chose against it. I went brave-faced and bald-headed into that interview, and I nailed it.

Although I felt more exposed without my luscious locks, I was able to relax and focus on my qualities and skills during the interview. I was able to persevere beyond that interview, and I continued the cycle and applied to every internship opening in the Ames area.

After all of those months of applications, I only had one interview, but it was the only one that mattered, because I was ultimately offered the internship. Although it took me several months, multiple applications and dozens of pep talks, it was ultimately my confidence and persistence that landed me my first internship. During my first internship, I grew a lot and learned a lot, which has helped me become even more intrepid in my current and future endeavors.

7 Ways to Channel Your Inner Leslie Knope When Preparing for an Interview

No matter how many of them you have been on, interviews are a nerve-wracking experience for everyone. Though you might not be able to rid yourself of the jitters entirely, you can make any interview less stressful with ample preparation, and who better to use as a preparation role model than Parks and Recreation’s Leslie Knope?

Even though Leslie can be extremely tenacious, she did get the job at the Pawnee Parks Department even after yelling at the hiring manager and future boss, Ron Swanson. Here are seven interview tips from Leslie Knope that’ll help you land the job.

1. Research, Research, Research

It is never a good idea to go into an interview and wing it. Researching a company and its work environment can make any interview more enjoyable. It can be awkward when a hiring manager gives you time to ask questions and you have no questions to ask, and likewise, it can be off-putting if you do not have any company or industry-specific inquiries.

A brief analysis of a company’s website and social media handles can inspire some questions about the organization. Don’t be afraid to write these questions down in a notebook. If you find something about a company that could be completed more efficiently, or if you have an idea for a new company product, scribble it in your notepad. If you’re prompted, hiring managers will be impressed by both your knowledge of the company and enthusiasm to work.

2. Stay Organized

You can’t leave a good impression if you’re shuffling through papers when you enter the conference room. A lot of hiring managers request applicants to bring copies of their resume, portfolio samples and even supplemental application materials. It would be embarrassing to hand out your resumes to the hiring manager after they have been wrinkled or bent in your bag.

Getting organized for an interview can take quite a bit of time and effort. Take a tip from Leslie Knope and get a professional folder or padfolio to organize all of your interview materials (and your notes). A “padfolio” will help keep your papers flat, plus it looks super professional. Take it from Leslie, who always impresses with her detailed binders.

3. Treat Yo’self

The best way to ease your nerves is to enjoy one of your favorite meals the night and/or morning before the interview. Giving yourself a small treat can boost your self-confidence. Just make sure it’s something light that won’t make you feel gross while you’re talking to a hiring manager!

4. Prepare With Friends

While your bestie can’t come to your interview with you, he or she can help you prepare for your big day. Hiring managers can throw you a lot of curveballs during an interview, so instead of stumbling on your own words, have your friends ask you some tough questions about your past jobs and internships. While it is important to practice answering difficult questions, it is more important to cultivate answers to a variety of questions.

Consider answering questions about your weaknesses, strengths, specific projects and about your hobbies. A lot of candidates get caught up when hiring managers ask them to talk about themselves. The question is very open-ended, so it can catch anyone by surprise. It’s important to test different answers from what you like to do in your free time and how it relates to your past jobs or even your dream job.

If you want to conduct your mock interview in true Leslie Knope style, you could even wear your go-to interview attire. If you don’t have a favorite interview outfit, your friends can judge your professional wear during an informal fashion show.

5. Give Yourself a Pep Talk

Some self encouragement can go a long way. Along with aiding in relaxation, pep talks can also help kickstart your endorphins and dopamine levels. Rehearsing your best motivational speech to yourself could be the key to landing the job.

As corny as it might seem, pep talks in front of a mirror can boost your confidence before an interview, a meeting and even a presentation. Tell your reflection how you would be a valuable member to that company. Don’t hold back; tell yourself how your superb scrapbooking can increase your future employer’s revenue.

Even if you aren’t comfortable talking to yourself in front of mirror, you can still give yourself a pep talk. Try writing some skills that you have mastered or attributes that make you a good employee and team player. Jot down some adjectives and adverbs that describe you and your work. Read this list back to yourself, or have a friend read it back to you.

6. Stay Optimistic

The days leading up to an interview can give any qualified candidate a healthy dose of doubt. Nevertheless, it is important to channel Leslie Knope’s enthusiasm, so you can stay optimistic. Think of how many jobs and internships you’ve accrued and how you have learned from them. Focusing on how far you have come since your first job can give you a positive mindset.

Even if you’ve never had a job before, try to think of accomplishments you’ve acquired through your extracurricular activities or even your hobbies. You can also use any examples of your accolades and attributes to talk about yourself during an interview.

7. Get Some Sleep (Just Not Too Much)

Being well rested for an interview is arguably the most important preparation tip. Although everyone yawns, hiring managers can view yawning as a sign of boredom or disrespect during an interview. Getting between eight and nine hours of restful sleep can make you feel more alert. Just make sure you do not get too much sleep, because excessive sleep can have the same effect as sleep deprivation.

Most importantly, don’t forget to celebrate after a successful interview. Even if you don’t feel like you aced your interview, you should still rejoice. Practice makes perfect with interviews. There is always something to be learned from each interview experience, so pat yourself on the back for continuing to grow and learn. Now, channel your inner Knope and party on!