I was so excited when I found out I had a remote internship opportunity with NVISION. It was a huge opportunity for me to learn about the digital marketing industry and see how it works first hand. But, I had never had an internship before and there was so much, yet nothing, to prepare for. I didn’t know what to expect or what I needed.
With COVID-19, the internship was going to be completely remote. So, I knew I was going to need some online resources to stay productive and on top of my tasks. After working remotely for over a month, I have come across 5 tools that have aided me during my internship. From organized note taking to open communication lines, check out the 5 tools I use to maximize productivity during my remote internship.
Google Calendar
Since my internship was going to be remote for the entire summer, there was no way for me to tap a co-worker on the shoulder and ask a question. All meetings and one-on-ones would be booked and take place virtually. I had never used Google Calendar prior to my internship, but I will never not use it in any future endeavors from now on. It allows me to see when I have meetings, who they are with, what the topic of discussion is, and what time and day it will take place. I can also see my coworkers and bosses calendars to see what they are up to and what time would work if I booked a meeting with them. It’s amazing!
It’s a great organization tool as you can plan your weeks around meetings. You can see exactly when you will be in a meeting and plan tasks around that. Additionally, you can adjust your schedule so co-workers or clients cannot book a meeting with you outside of your work hours. For example, if you set your work hours from 9am-5pm, no one can book a meeting with you at 6pm. It’s pretty handy. I would recommend this tool to anyone who needs to keep track of weekly meetings or needs a visual of what their week looks like.
Microsoft OneNote
Being a Western University student, I was familiar with Microsoft OneNote. It is a tool used for note taking and keeping all notes in one place. You can organize your notes into sections and pages, with a search option to find any note you are looking for. Having OneNote has helped my remote internship since I can organize all my notes and record all training I receive. It is so important to learn as much as you can from an internship opportunity. As I continue to learn and participate in new tasks, I do not want to forget any takeaways that come in return.
Microsoft OneNote allows you to insert photos, highlight important notes, and make any point form notes. It is almost like Microsoft Word but in a note taking form. You can navigate throughout OneNote without having to open other documents, like you would with Microsoft word. It is very handy to have open during meetings in case you need to reference points. It is also a great tool for drafting out any emails, blog posts, or social media captions. This application has made note taking for me so much easier and efficient. Honestly, it has made it quite fun, believe it or not.
Google Drive
When I write documents, I always found it challenging to find them all over my computer. Google Drive was never something I used during school but it has changed my work life tremendously. You can upload documents of all types, images, create folders, and do almost anything within your drive. You can share documents with other co-workers and organize all documents into files. For example, for all of your company’s clients, you could have separate folders for each one with all corresponding documents in it.
It has helped me so much and made my work very well-organized. I am able to make documents, excel sheets, and powerpoints, with all of which being in the same designated area. I find Microsoft OneNote and Google Drive go hand and hand with each other. Microsoft OneNote holds all my notes from meetings, information from training sessions, and any drafts. Google Drive holds all of my finalized documents that would go to my boss for approval or fully completed projects. Google Drive is a great way to keep all of your documents in one place. It definitely has helped me maximize my productivity by keeping me organized in my remote internship.
Asana
Even if you write out all of your tasks, due dates or recurring due dates can be troublesome to keep up with. Being remote, I have to make sure I am on top of absolutely everything so I do not miss anything. This can be challenging since I am not in an office where there are reminders. Asana has been a huge help in keeping me on top of tasks. It is an online platform that allows you to create, manage and organize tasks. I can check off tasks when done and if i have a recurring task, it’ll reappear even if I check it off! It is a great way to make sure you stay on top of your work and maximize your productivity.
With Asana, you can see all of your clients, your co-workers tasks, and everything that has been completed. It is a great managing tool especially if you need help from other individuals. You can see what is on their plate and if they may have time to help you. One of my favourite features in Asana is the ability to change your task status. You can say that it is in progress, ready for review, on hold, and many more. There are also options to comment on tasks, show your appreciation through gifs and stickers and share them with co-workers. It has definitely helped me stay on top of my work and due dates. I would highly recommend this online platform to anyone!
Slack
Doing my internship remotely, I unfortunately do not get the in person interactions I would have had in an office environment. I was a bit nervous going into my internship as I wanted to do my best to still develop professional relationships with my co-workers. Thankfully, Slack allows me to do that. It is a downloadable application that is more efficient than email and similar to texting. You can communicate in group chats with multiple individuals or have one-on-one conversations. In my opinion, it’s essential if you are working remotely.
Slack allows you to react to messages with gifs or emojis, start a thread to a comment, and keep communication lines open. It has been an amazing way for me to communicate with and get to know my colleagues. It is also great if you need to ask simple questions and do not need to draft an email. You can keep it professional and fun with Slack, making it a great communication tool.
My remote internship from home is amazing. I learn so much on a day-to-day basis about digital marketing and all it has to offer. It is important to stay organized and ensure you are getting work done on time and to the best of your ability. The tools that have helped me maximize my productivity are tools I will use in all my future endeavours.
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