Learn as much as you can about a company or organization before your internship begins so you can understand company expectations, culture and communication style.
If you have programs and platforms to log into, consider doing it before your first day or as soon as you have the information ready, along with completing any important paperwork.
Being part of the company culture can be a challenge when working remotely instead of in person. You can engage with colleagues, leaders and fellow interns through employee resource groups, virtual events and other company offerings.
Whether through email, message chats or social platforms, connecting with fellow interns is a great way to give and get support, engage and promote company culture and grow your professional network.
Remote jobs often have a lot of email, chat and conference call communication rather than in person and it is important to know what method your internship supervisor prefers.
Even though virtual internships don't require going into an office, it is important to keep the schedule of a work environment. Your official office hours may be flexible or differ from standard business schedules, like working 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for example.
Virtual internships and remote work often see colleagues in different time zones, countries or shifts. Consider this when waiting for online communication replies or assignments and be patient, flexible and understanding.
Internships provide lots of networking opportunities, whether with colleagues you work with or vendors, clients and others. A virtual internship is no different and there are still ways to connect with people digitally to grow your professional network.