Everything I Learned from Remote Interning

Though we are all still currently facing a global pandemic, people have been affected by this virus in ways unimaginable. During the lockdowns at home and quarantine, we have all been getting into new hobbies, learning some new cooking recipes, and of course online shopping and ordering stuff from Amazon we don’t need. All depending on your own point of view, quarantine could have been seen in a negative or positive way. In the beginning, everyone was doing something different with their time and by the end of it all, we had either given up, became lazy, grew as a person or lost interest in our new hobby. This is something that I am guilty of because I had started several new small side projects and never fully invested any more time into it since then.

This blog was started during the quarantine within the months of April and May, published in June, and has been going strong ever since. But besides working on this blog and continuing to allow it to grow, I have also been part of several remote internships. I learned about remote internships back in January 2020 and have been doing them ever since. Read on for all tips and my personal advice if you’re just getting started, don’t know where to begin, or want to find some places hiring.

When Did I Start Online Interning?

In December of 2019 which was only 7 months ago, I went in for my first internship interview in Manhattan. I was extremely excited and it was help in a showroom with photoshoots, inventory, styling, and more. Although I didn’t get the internship because my school hours conflicted with their hours, I was still happy to have experienced going in for an interview. This rejection didn’t discourage me though because it made me realize that there were so many other opportunities out there for me to take advantage of.

I immediately went on Youtube and started watching videos on how to get your dream internship in the fashion industry and I will never forget the one video that changed everything for me. I can’t remember who the girl was but it was her own tips on how she got internships which were in person because this was before COVID-19 and ever since that video, my entire mindset on making it in this industry changed. I made a LinkedIn and Indeed account and immediately started trying to network and apply to as many remote internships as possible.

In January 2020, I received my first acceptance for an internship as a Content Writer for a small magazine and it was completely remote! Being a senior in high school at the time, this was perfect for my resume in terms of building it up. Ever since watching that video and receiving that internship, I have completed 4 in total learning so many great skills for my future without even being in college yet!

5 Things I Learned From Online Internships

You need to be organized and set aside time for work related to your internship.
1. Not being organized with my time is something I am extremely guilty of and although I am a neat person, I have a tendency to procrastinate until the very last minute. Working from home is something that can be difficult for some especially if you don’t have an office or designated space where you know you are going to be working from. I spent so many nights staying up late trying to finish articles I had due and sometimes I even would go over the deadline because I would start so late. Since then I have obviously been way better with my time now that I have my own blog and have created a strict schedule to stick by, I apply this routine to my internship lifestyle as well.
2. Especially if you’re doing multiple internships at one time like how I did, it is very recommended that you buy a calendar or download an app where you can keep track of when certain assignments are due or meetings you need to attend. One of my internships required us to have weekly meetings on Monday mornings and sometimes I would forget due to not having an organized schedule. Since buying a physical calendar and having it on my desk, it has helped so much with being able to see what I have to do on certain days compared to viewing it on my phone which can be annoying.
Do internships that are in different fields compared to what you want to do.
1. Although I am going to be studying Fashion Business Management in the Fall, I have done internships which don’t relate to my current major. The reason why is because not only do I love fashion journalism, but it gives me more knowledge in areas that are not just restricted to business just because it’s what I’m going to study.
2. I have also done an internship for Social Media Marketing. I am not going to be studying social media in college, but since I have so much experience using it for so many years I thought it’d be a great opportunity to learn how to market from it. All of these skills that I learn from the internships, I can apply to my personal life and grow from there.
Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone.
1. In May 2020, I was doing a lot of research before I published my blog so that I can be prepared. While watching so many Youtube videos on blogging for beginners, how to come up with original content and more, one common theme I noticed all the people talked about was SEO and how important it is in a blog. SEO is something that I would have loved to take interest in and learn more about which is why I then went on Indeed, looked up SEO internships, and within the next day I had gotten an email back after applying and then went right into the interview process that week. Of course I was very lucky to have found an internship so fast but sometimes this can take weeks for people including myself. I just so happened to get lucky this time.
2. This is an internship that I am still doing at the moment but it goes to show that even though I am studying fashion and it is a huge passion of mine, I still love to explore and branch out onto other topics. This will also benefit me in the future if I ever want to apply for an internship and they need someone with SEO experience. The more you know not just within your field, the better it is going to be for your future. Don’t restrict yourself to just stay in one box when there is so much you can learn about out there.
Keep track of all the work and assignments you do for a portfolio in the future.
1. Having worked two content writing internships, I have done a lot of writing which needs to be organized and kept together. This is so important because if you are going to apply for a job in the writing field or you simply want to apply for another internship in the writing field as well and they ask for your previous writing samples, having them in a folder or in your Google Drive will be so beneficial.
Do at least two internships at one time if you can handle the work.
1. I have worked about 3 internships at the same time and while it was super crazy, I did get a lot of enjoyment out of them and learned so much. I did Social Media Marketing, Content Writing, and as a PR Editorial Intern. These all differ from each other but I did struggle when it came to finding the time to balance everything if we’re being honest. If you can do at least two then it will not only be good for your resume, but you just need to look at the workload that both of them will give you. Make sure to ask questions and how many hours you are going to need to put in for every week.

Where Can I Start?

If you want to fix up your resume or don’t know where to start, you can check out my other blog post which will give you everything you need to know for a resume.

What To Put On Your Resume: Beginner’s Guide

If you want the more detailed version of how to get an internship in the fashion industry, staying organized, where to apply, and how, you can check out my other blog post for the ultimate guide.

How to Get an Internship in the Fashion Industry: Ultimate Guide