Before the pandemic hit in 2020, I had just landed my first relevant summer internship within the energy industry. Due to my location at the time I was fortunate to not lose the job entirely but rather be one of the first ones to have a fully digital internship experience.

The company asked whether or not I was still interested in the job and I thought why not? A digital internship was not at all going to be the same as that feeling of walking into the halls of a company but I was extremely fortunate to still have this opportunity. Seven weeks, 8:00-16:00 weekdays sitting on a chair on either ZOOM or Teams took its toll but the experience was nevertheless enriching. The social aspect of it all was dampened but I still connected with several of my colleagues who were seated across the country and have even gone on to meet them physically after the internship. Needless to say, I am grateful and humbled to have had such an experience in the height of the pandemic, especially considering how it has been for many.

Fast forward a few months and I had to do my interview and at the same company’s entire “recruitment day” online. I found myself extremely prepared for it as the skills acquired during the internship prior had prepared me for such a day. Be it the online presentation, the working together with others on Microsoft Teams, or the social queues of working online picked up during those seven weeks. I got the job and will be starting in August in 2021, where hopefully I won’t be able to blame my slow internet for my delayed response!