Internship: Global Pandemic Edition

My internship with Schneider Downs has definitely been different from many internships anyone has had in the past, due to working during a global pandemic. Typically with an internship, you are surrounded by other employees and gain a personal connect with each other, from conversations that naturally occur while working in the same space, along with being able to grab coffee or lunch with staff to get to know one another and see how other employees have experienced the company. However, this summer of interning has been all working remote, which makes it harder to get those normal intern experiences. Workers at Schneider Downs try to make this switch to remote working easier on interns by having weekly calls for the interns to get to know one another.

As well, I, personally, have had the opportunity to have a “coffee break” with some of the staff members. One staff reached out to me explaining how they felt that the interns were really missing out by not getting to meet others and go out for a coffee/lunch break. Since she had those experiences, she felt like reaching out to another staff and setting up a call with me so I would be able to meet two people that remember what it was like being an intern. There are many instances where people reached out and just caught up with the interns. Even though it may not be how internships in the past have worked, it is a nice gesture that Schneider Downs employees do still try to make connections with the interns.

Working remote is a difficult transition for anyone. But the people at Schneider Downs made it seem that much easier: by people reaching out, calling to show you how to work through work papers, and just reassuring you that it is okay to reach out and ask questions as well as giving advice.