Caroline Zody
The Best (and Worst) Things About a Telecommuting Internship
Caroline Zody
Summer 2015
I was surprised at the beginning of my summer when I learned that I would be telecommuting for nearly all of my internship. It wasn’t what I expected or wanted at the beginning, but it’s certainly been a great learning experience for me. Here are some of the pros and cons of what telecommuting has to offer:
Making my own hours gives me more opportunities to explore DC during the day, even though it’s usually scorching outside (like it was here).
You don’t have a dress code.
Pro: It feels pretty nice being able to trade uncomfortable blazers and pencil skirts for tank tops and shorts. And it feels even nicer being able to walk around in flip flops instead of those annoying heels that give you the worst blister on your left pinky toe. There’s no office to dress up for and no one to impress except yourself, so feel free to do your work in pajamas, a ball gown, or anything in between.
Con: It’s sometimes easy to forget that you can’t wear pajamas everywhere. Seriously – put a dress or a button-down on every once in awhile. I find that dressing the part, even though I don’t need to, helps me to think in a more professional mindset, and I tend to get more work done.
You don’t have specific hours.
Pro: As long as you get it done, you can work at literally any time of the day – or night. This ROCKS if you’re a night owl like I am. I’m not a morning person, so I would much rather work from 11am to 7pm than from 9am to 5pm. So that’s what I do. I also love having the freedom to schedule things like coffee dates or museum tours into my days. It’s great being able to mold your work hours however you need to.
Con: If you like to do your work at night like I do, it’s easy to fall into a somewhat backwards sleep schedule. That’s fine for now, but it can be dangerous when your 8am classes begin in the fall. Also, having this much freedom requires self-discipline. No one’s around to make sure you’re not starting late or being inefficient. It’s important to find the right balance between a personalized schedule and a productive schedule. If you tell yourself you’re going to work from 11 am to 4 pm and 7 pm to 10 pm tomorrow, then commit to it.
You can avoid rush hour.
Pro: Are you kidding? Have you SEEN the metro at 8:30 am and 5:30 pm? Stay away, unless you enjoy a serious lack of personal space including (but not limited to) a man’s elbow continuously bumping into your nose and a woman’s purse jabbing into your thigh. Also, you can save some money by not using the metro during rush hour pricing.
Con: I guess there isn’t much of a con to this. But I guess you could consider experiencing metro rush hour as some sort of “right of passage” for interns. It’s also probably something you’ll have to deal with at some point in your career, so it can’t hurt to get used to it early on.
You have much more independence over projects.
Pro: You can get things done in your own style. For administrative tasks in my internship, I’m able to figure out methods of execution that work for me. I don’t have any specific instructions to follow or a supervisor looking over my shoulder, and I like that.
Con: There have certainly been a few moments this summer where I have stared at my laptop and just thought, “How in the WORLD am I supposed to do this?” Emails and phone calls to supervisors are certainly valuable, but sometimes it really is helpful to have someone right next to you to give you some instruction or answer a quick question.
You don’t have much interaction with coworkers.
Pro: If you’re more of a loner, this is really an awesome perk of telecommuting. Personally, I enjoy being around people, but I am mostly limited to email and conference calls when it comes to coworker interactions. However, I’m most productive and do my best work when I’m alone, so I like having my own space.
Con: You’re basically guaranteed to be in an office environment at some point in your career, so you’re missing out on gaining experience with face-to-face coworker interactions. Also, it can get lonely – make sure you’re comfortable hanging out alone for most of your day, especially if your friends work in offices from 9am to 5pm.
Caroline is a rising junior majoring in public relations and minoring in psychology.
