Field Notes: The Media School Travel Blog

When you listen to someone speak about their time as in intern, they often emphasize the experience of working in a professional environment. Not only are internships valuable for job-specific skills, but these positions offer useful lessons for any career. 

I recently learned one of these lessons when I was asked to create a pitch presentation for a potential client. 

I am interning with a social media PR agency, so the presentation needed to outline a general strategy for each social media platform, as well as the benefits the client can expect. 

As someone who has not worked for an agency before, the concept of creating a pitch presentation from scratch was rather daunting. 

Several questions kept nagging me throughout the process: Is my presentation too long? Too short? Will it excite the client? Are the statistics persuasive enough, or should I search for stronger evidence? 

After far too much worrying, I ultimately realized my self-doubt was holding me back from producing my best work. 

I think it is more difficult to confidently approach work when you are a virtual intern. 

In general, being an intern can feel overwhelming — you’re doing something new, trying to learn as much as possible and hoping you bring value to your supervisor. But when you are working virtually, the lack of a normal office environment only compounds the other hurdles.  

So, my rather cliché advice to anyone pursuing a virtual internship is this: Be confident. 

Be confident in the skills you have developed in class. Be confident in the fresh perspective you bring to a project. Perhaps most importantly, be confident in your ability to adapt to a new environment. 

If you are confident in what you have produced and you believe in your work, it is more likely your boss – and later, a client – will also believe in your work. 

My journey to confidence in this internship has also relied on a lot of open communication with my supervisor. Fostering strong communication and asking questions is important. I have learned that people do not see questions as a sign you are unqualified, but rather as proof you want to put your best foot forward for their company.

Being honest with a supervisor about tasks you are struggling with is also vital. It will likely start a dialogue that benefits both parties in the end. 

As I prepare to officially begin my career, I am sure I will reflect upon this lesson often. No matter the position I find myself in, confidence and communication skills will be valuable.