Field Notes: The Media School Travel Blog

Working virtually for a London employer has been much different than I expected. I had a small fear that my boss would ask me to wake up at 4 a.m. every morning so I could start work at 9 a.m. London time like everyone else. Luckily, she understood my situation as a remote intern, and I start at 9 a.m. every morning on Eastern Daylight Time.

As a virtual intern, I have learned that communication is key. I have a Zoom call with my boss almost every morning, and we have traded numerous emails about social media and edited pieces. It’s tricky, because when the workday in London ends, I still have three or four more hours of work to do. For that reason, I send a progress report to my boss at the end of my workday, so she knows what I accomplished that day and what needs to be edited. If I send her a draft of a piece at 4 p.m. EDT, she will be able to look at it the next morning. And by the time I start my workday at 9 a.m. my time, it’s usually edited. I would recommend that virtual interns send their boss a progress report or even little updates throughout the day.

I’ve also learned that you need a quiet environment, especially when working from home. I work from my childhood bedroom, which isn’t super glamorous and isn’t how I pictured my first internship going down. I make sure to let my family members know when I’m on a call, and I’ll often use headphones to eliminate background noise. 

Since I’m in my bedroom, that means a lot of my beauty products and all the things I had to move from my dorm room are in the background. Before you go on a call, double check your camera background. Can the person on the other side of the screen see your laundry hamper? While I may not be in an office environment, it’s important to keep the setting professional.

My first internship was not what I pictured in the slightest when I first started college, but I have gained valuable knowledge, and it was a good way to find some experience in the media field outside of The Media School.