Starting an Internship During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Starting an Internship During the COVID-19 Pandemic

It is undeniable that the Covid-19 pandemic has posed many challenges for businesses globally and for any employee, remote working presents its own unique obstacles.

Our two current interns at Heneghan, Kevin and Aveen describe their own individual experiences of how they have adapted to turn these potential barriers into new and exciting opportunities.

Aveen, a final year student from Ulster University describes her experience as an intern at Heneghan while studying for her dissertation: "Starting a remote internship with Heneghan in March has presented me with a world of opportunity that would have been otherwise inaccessible to me before the pandemic.

As a current remote student at Ulster University Belfast and based in Newry, I have been afforded the flexibility to work from home while also studying for the final semester of my degree.

In my experience at Heneghan so far, I have gained valuable experience and practical knowledge to apply to areas I am studying at present within Communication Management and Public Relations. Learning from my colleagues and settling into my first role in PR without the stress of a daily commute are among the other advantages presented by the pandemic.

Despite the setbacks we all have faced in adapting to the 'new normal', many opportunities have prevailed in the past year."

Kevin, a current undergraduate student from Cork describes his experience of finding an internship as part of his course placement: "In terms of looking for and undertaking in an internship during a pandemic, it has provided both opportunities and challenges. Firstly, finding an internship initially proved to be difficult as so many businesses have had to close their offices in the last twelve months and deal with the tough financial conditions imposed by the pandemic. Despite this there was also numerous opportunities presented by the pandemic especially the opportunity of working remotely.

Remote work has enabled me to undertake an internship with Heneghan, who are based in Dublin, without the need for me to relocate from Cork. As a third level student this provides numerous advantages such as cost savings on rent, no commuting and allows me to also continue with my part - time employment.

There have also been some challenges posed by the pandemic and working remotely such as not being able to meet colleagues and everyday issues such as trying to explain tasks and communicate online, rather than in person. However, despite this my internship at Heneghan has allowed me to develop a wide range of skills and knowledge all while gaining valuable experience."

By Aveen Moore and Kevin Maher