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We asked Trainee Beth Gill for advice she would give to interns completing their MHC Summer internships from home. Beth completed her internship in 2021 and is now completing her traineeship with us.
Although we could not attend our internship in the office, Mason Hayes and Curran worked very hard to make sure there were plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in the department, network and socialise with your fellow interns.
A typical day in my internship
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest advantages of working from home is the commute/lack thereof. I would try to get outside for a walk before starting my working day, but, if I’m being honest, I’ve never been a “morning exercise” person (I’m not ashamed to admit it) and this happened about once a week. The rest of the week I just enjoyed a cup of tea and listened to the radio.
The working day would start at 9am with a team meeting. This helped me integrate with the fee earners and understand the structure and functioning of the team.
The morning was for department work, this involved various research tasks, drafting memos for the team and clients, and much more. Even though I was working from home I never felt like I was working alone, the team were responsive to emails and were at the other end of the phone if I was struggling with a certain piece of work.
Often the morning would be broken up with various Zoom sessions. These were very informative and provided us with a great insight into the workings of the firm.
In the afternoon we worked on our group projects. This was a mix between individual study and Zoom calls with our team. The group project not only allowed us to exercise our research and presentation skills, but it gave us the opportunity to get to know our fellow interns.
Advantages of working from home
The first day at an internship can be nerve-wracking, but when you’re working from home you have your home comforts to put you at ease. As I mentioned before, there is no commute, so you have more time to wind-down in the evenings after a hard day’s interning. And let’s not forget the money you save on lunches and coffee!
Advice
You may be working from the comfort of your own home, but it’s still important to dress the part (even if it’s just the top half!) and show up on time. It’s also important to have a work-home divide; very few people have the luxury of a home office, so make sure you turn your laptop in the evenings and tidy away your notes so you’re not glancing at them throughout the evening.
Working from home does not mean working alone. Pick up the phone to your team and join all the meetings you’re invited to. Don’t forget to take the time to socialise with the other interns! I’d advise scheduling Zoom coffee breaks or even arrange to meet up after work.
Head over to our Graduate Hub for more information.
