Starting a Year’s Internship in the Midst of a Pandemic: What I’ve Learned So Far

Let’s admit it, working from home for the first time because of lockdown can be unsettling.

All the anxiety that comes from working at home and the thought of going back in has turned into the ‘new normal’ because no one really knows what will happen. Not being able to physically see your colleagues for a chat as you get lunch together or being in the normal work environment can have its challenges. Especially for those, like me, who have started a new job virtually.  

But, we must remember that during this time of uncertainty, looking after our mental health has never been more important. It has been shown that people work on average two extra hours when at home and experience increased fatigue, which can contribute to the anxiety we feel. 

New Beginnings

Being a new marketing intern, I started the onboarding process during lockdown remotely from my room, which so far has been an interesting and positive experience. My initial worries were not being able to have face-to-face contact with my team and not getting the benefits of working in a corporate environment. To familiarise myself with people and make a good impression, I thought these aspects would be key, not to mention making connections with the other interns at SAP.

How did I overcome these obstacles? Being proactive is key and I booked in time with as many people as I could for introductory chats to learn more about themselves and their role. The interns also did a similar thing to get to know each other and I believe I have met more interns virtually than I could ever have physically in the office. Even though COVID-19 has prevented the social side of interacting, I have noticed my peers have put in the extra effort to make sure that contact is not lost. The main piece of advice I got from my team was to network and grab every opportunity with both hands and I’ve already found ways to get stuck into team projects from the comfort of my home office.

Working from Home

As I’m studying psychology, I’ve been particularly interested in gathering insights about how others are coping with working from home and thoughts about going back to the office. It comes as no surprise that at first, the change was challenging because of family responsibilities, constant screen time and tiredness – Zoom fatigue is a real thing! But being almost six months into lockdown, people seem to have mostly adjusted to this new normal of working from home. This pandemic has taught us that people can work just as efficiently at home, so those anxious about entering the office again can take their time.

I will share some techniques I’ve picked up along the way to make working from home more manageable. Firstly, it’s important to use a framework to help manage your workload so you don’t burn out and experience overload. A framework is an accepted approach to working that is beneficial for you, your team/manager, and the company. It is all centred around communication, setting expectations, and making a healthy environment for successes and failures. For example, when you set it for yourself, it can be about regular breaks and setting tasks for the day. When you do it with your manager, it is setting expectations of when work tasks can get done, how you measure successes, and taking ownership of those tasks, all while communicating your limits and mental wellbeing. This will also help to decrease stress and anxiety. Secondly, using the framework to balance home and work life can be really helpful. For example, it’s important to take time off and to have important, honest conversations about office life and anxiety. Some people have loved working from home as they can spend more time with their kids, but they end up not clocking off and taking care of themselves, which could lead to trouble sleeping or concentrating.

Another tip I have learned is to always ask why? To avoid any confusion or assumptions going into a conversation, start by asking why to get clarity and build better bridges. You can also try booking in 25-minute slots for meetings instead of 30 minutes to ensure people have time to relax and collect their thoughts before the next meeting. 

Overall, my experience so far has taught me to be open to try new things and not to hesitate to ask any questions because everyone is always willing to help. I am excited for the year ahead – whether at home or in the office – to see how I will grow and develop as a person, making the most of this incredible opportunity.