Meet Greta and Wiktoria, two local students who have embraced a remote internship with CampusConnect
When Wiktoria and Greta first found out about their internship with us here at CampusConnect, plans were underway for them to work alongside the team in the office as is the norm. When lockdown changed everything, the internship became a remote one. We asked them to share with us a how they have found the experience so far.
Greta. 16 years old. Irish. Loves basketball and is learning to play the ukulele!
Wiktoria. 16 years old. Polish. Loves art and music.
Tell me about your internship.
Wiktoria: I heard about the opportunity from my teacher after Declan visited my school. I was really interested in working with the company and especially with international students because I know what it’s like to be from a different country.
Greta: It’s been really good so far. Our main task is to get people connected on the app and send out welcome messages. We track how many people are on the app from various subjects and try to connect them with other people studying the same courses.
Wiktoria: There’s some Excel work involved too, such as counting how many subject ambassadors, prospects and students and currently active on the app for a particular university.
Are you enjoying the experience so far?
Greta: Yes, I’ve loved it. It’s been amazing and I’ve really enjoyed doing everything! My favourite part is working on the blog and using Squarespace. It’s really fun and quite journalistic.
Wiktoria: I’m really enjoying it. It’s keeping me busy and I’ve learned lots of new things about how to run an app and the way the technology works, as well as the design.
What’s it like not sharing an office with the people you work with? How do you still feel like a team?
Wiktoria: We mainly stay in touch via calls or on social media. We share a Google calendar too, so we know when people are available to communicate.
Greta: It is a little bit strange not being face-to-face, but I’m getting used to it now. It’s not as hard as I thought, which is thanks to
technology!
Do you feel like you have more responsibility working in this way?
Greta: Yes, it makes you more independent. Sometimes you know how to do things on your own, but there’s also a teamwork aspect. I like getting to choose between the two.
Wiktoria: I like the feeling of responsibility, for example when we’re putting students into groups. It makes me feel more independent too.
What have you learned from the internship?
Greta: To have a good time whilst doing it! It’s not all work, work, work – it’s actually easy to enjoy when you’re interested in the job.
Wiktoria: I’ve learned how to approach different situations that you don’t have an answer to. For example, if a student asks me for help with accommodation, I’ll use my own knowledge and research skills to help them rather than passing them on.
Company director Declan commented: "Greta and Wiktoria have been exceptional and have contributed so much to CampusConnect since they started with us. They have both adapted so well, especially given the circumstances, having to learn new skills quickly while operating remotely. We regularly take on interns and dedicate time to working with them to develop important skills that are mutually beneficial. It's really very rewarding for us to see Greta & Wiktoria really surpass expectations and excel in what they do. Well done guys!"