Hi there! My name is Jenna, and I am one of Arcurve's first interns based in Halifax! For those of you who do not know, Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. On top of that, we are three hours ahead of headquarters back in Calgary! Not only is this my first completely remote internship, but it is also the first time I have had to work with a time zone difference. If you want to gain insight into what it is like to be a first-time remote intern and learn tricks I have discovered along the way, keep reading!

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FROSH Week

It is the first week of your brand-new summer internship at Arcurve, and due to the time difference, you get to start at 12 PM and sleep in! Even though it is great to be included in all the fun activities that come with FROSH week, signing off at 8 PM can be a little tough. Some tricks that I have learned to help settle the mind and prepare for bed are as follows:

1. Go for a jog – release all that nervous energy and excitement through exercise!
2. Have supper prepared ahead of time (trust me, you will not want to cook a full meal at night!)

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Start your Workday!

If you are like me in the sense that you are not a morning person, remote work in Halifax might just be the thing for you! Though you may need to discuss this with your project team, aiming for a clock-in time of 9:30 AM can do wonders. None of your meetings will be in the morning, and you will usually have 3 hours to dedicate to your work while everyone else is asleep!

One amazing thing I have discovered since working from the East Coast is the beauty of hour flexibility. Had a crummy sleep the night before? That is fine! Sleep in a little and get that well-needed rest to put in a good day's work. Of course, you will need to work later into the evening, but that just gives your team in Alberta more time in their day to collaborate with you!

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Make Time for Meeting People!

One of the most important things to do if you are out in Halifax is taking the opportunity to meet people. Due to the time difference, making use of the second half of your day is critical! Some things I have learned:

1. If an Arcurvian finds themselves in Halifax for work, have a coffee chat with them!
2. Do not skip out on that Nova Scotia Arcurve employee lunch.
3. Try to go to meetings that are not necessarily related to your project. This will help you feel more part of the Arcurvian team!

If you are as lucky as I am, Arcurve will fly you out to Calgary, and you will be able to meet everyone in-person! Forming these bonds early makes for better in-person meetings!

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At the End of the Day...

At the end of the day, this is only my experience. However, I do believe that a meaningful internship can happen, even if you are on the other side of the country. In fact, I would provide this internship as proof of that.

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