Working from home is now an important flexibility consideration for many candidates, but when Remi Wiseblatt joined us at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t a matter of choice—she was part of the first cohort of students at Johnson & Johnson to intern 100% remotely.
Since then, we’ve extended the option to work from home on a part-time basis to many interns, so it’s worth asking: What seems different about the internship experience—about collaborating, learning the business, networking and so on—when you’re working remotely? What doesn’t? And what stood out to Remi?
Making it all work while working remotely
Sure, meeting your team for the first time in person is probably more exciting than logging into Teams, but Remi doesn’t recall feeling remotely left out.
Instead, as an intern specializing in video production—and contributing to our online video series “The Road to a Vaccine” about the scientific community’s efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine—Remi remembers “a firsthand glimpse into everything that was happening in terms of innovation to develop the vaccine. And this was at a time when, like everyone else, I was basically just stuck at home, so it was really exciting!”
As for getting to know her new colleagues entirely through the screen, Remi says it wasn’t a major obstacle: “I felt like I was really connected with everyone on the team from day one. Even if we weren’t all physically together in the same space, I still got to know everyone personally.”
During calls and meetings, for example, the conversation was seldom 100% about work, as Remi points out: “We all shared what we’d done over the weekend, what we were going through, what was new in our lives.”
Looking back, Remi credits her manager Lauren Ruotolo, Director, Creative Partnerships, Global Content Lab, for going the extra mile in helping her get acclimated.
“Lauren and a bunch of other people reached out to me from the very beginning to set up 30-minute one-on-one video calls, independently of what we had going on at work, so that they could get to know me,” she reflects. “It made a difference and definitely helped make me feel like I was a valued member of the team.”
Remi continues, “In my previous internships, I was essentially told at the beginning of each workday, ‘Okay, this is what you’re going to be doing.’ Interning with Johnson & Johnson was different. I felt like I had a lot of freedom and a lot of responsibility. People trusted me and relied on me—the whole thing was way more hands on. And even though I was working remotely, I felt like I had the opportunity to carve my own path.”
Long-term lessons from an all-virtual internship
What else did Remi learn in the course of her uniquely all-digital summer internship? A lot, from the sound of it.
Remi called attention to her growth in one area in particular: “Entering into new work environments in the past, I felt uncertain about how to integrate with the team and make an impact, to the point where I was the kind of person who always just said, ‘Sure, I’ll do that'—the kind of person who’s afraid to put her foot down.”
Thanks to Lauren’s help, Remi was able to take a different approach during her internship at Johnson & Johnson.
“Lauren took the time to ask me, ‘What do you like? What do you want to do?’ It finally got to the point where I was able to say, ‘Hey, Lauren, you know what? I’d really like to join that PR call later today’ or ‘I’d like to be in the brainstorming session, because I have a lot of ideas to share.’ By the end of the summer, I felt like a different person. I said to myself, ‘Wow, my opinion is really valued, my voice is heard and I have a seat at the table.’”
Proof of the change came toward the end of Remi’s summer internship, when she proactively asked to stay on for the fall term—a request which Lauren and the team happily said “yes” to.
“In the past, I never would’ve dared to ask for something like that,” Remi says, smiling.
Intern with our team today
Want to help tackle today’s most serious health challenges? To contribute your ideas, take on real-world challenges and be challenged to grow?
Learn more about internships at Johnson & Johnson, and take a moment to explore out all of the different ways you can join us. Plus, you should sign up for our global talent community if you want to stay in touch and get updates about opportunities that may interest you in the future.
