Although the rest of my team was also learning with how to work (from home) during the pandemic, they were still very accommodating to me and my mentor was really on top of making sure that I was achieving my goals; she was always asking me how I'm doing, pushing me out of my comfort zone, and making sure that she's completing all mentor tasks that are required by Alverno for our Intern Seminar (reviews, time logs, etc.).
Aside from that, I really enjoyed my experience (and still am, as I got hired to continue to be part of the team!) and everything I have learned. Although I didn't get to shadow my team members to learn things such as software and computer programs, I was always kept in the loop by being included in emails with outside partners (even when they didn't include a task that was directly related to me), and regular weekly zoom meetings (with team members and with outside partners, often more than once a week). I have made valuable connections and even though I am now employed with the organization, the people I have connected with within the org are truly committed to helping boost my career path, even if it isn't with HPGM. Working on a small team means I was able to try my hand at various different tasks, which can be helpful when deciding on a career path (as communication is such a broad field).
I have loved being a part of this team and seeing how much they care about their mission and the community they serve. This has been a great opportunity and I am thankful for the career center (Megan Anderson), who passed the opportunity along to me.
What I wish was different
The only thing I wish was different was that I could work in the office, but this is nobody's fault specifically; our office hours got cut because of the pandemic. I wasn't able to shadow my team members as I would've liked, or get to see firsthand how things were done, but like I said this isn't a reflection on my mentor, the team, or the organization.
Advice
I would say that working from home in any internship, not just this one, takes a true commitment to time management right off the bat. Because working from home during a pandemic was so new to us when I started in the spring, nobody really knew how to efficiently handle it, or what to expect. Now, I have saved various articles and online tools regarding time management and working from home that I am learning from, but all of these resources weren't as available before as they are now. If someone were to take on a work-from-home internship or job, I would definitely say take some time beforehand to find resources (I have found some on Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Chegg) to find tips on time management and effective working from home, and to set goals and/or schedules for themselves. If they try to just do things "when they have time," even if they get things done by their deadline, after a while it can be incredibly overwhelming (I found this with school, also; not just the internship) and they can spend their work time being stressed over deadlines instead of actually retaining the skills and learning opportunities. Organization, time management, honesty, and communication are all key skills.
For this specific position/organization, I would suggest that even though you're an intern you should make sure you really introduce yourself to all outside partners; make sure they really know who you are and what your skills/strengths are. This organization works with so many leaders in the community and, should you move on from the organization, many of these outside partners could be connections that greatly impact your future career path.
