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Though traditional internships may have changed, here’s how one É«ÇéÊÓƵ graduate student found a chance to gain some professional experience from home.

Hello all! My name is Shweta Chiplunkar and I am a second-year MBA student specializing in information systems. This summer I am interning for the Government Affairs (GA) team of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Qualcomm.

Qualcomm is a multinational corporation known for manufacturing semiconductors and wireless communication products. It believes in the power of sustainable innovation that can change lives in the underserved communities of the world. GA works towards implementing Qualcomm technology in these communities by partnering with nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and I am so glad to be a part of it. I came across this internship through a LinkedIn connection on the CSR team and thankfully my skills and qualifications matched their requirements. So, here is my day-to-day schedule at this amazing company!

7 a.m. - After hitting the snooze button multiple times, I finally wake up at 7 a.m.. During this pandemic, I have tried to include a workout as part of my morning routine as this keeps me focused and energized all day. Post workout, I get ready to begin my day.

9 a.m. - I generally log in by 9 am. While having my breakfast and a cup of coffee, I check my emails and any messages I might have. 

9:30 a.m. - After responding to emails, I check my to-do list and add new tasks. This is very helpful as I work with four different teams on multiple tasks, each having its own submission date. Currently, I am helping one of the teams with the 5G narrative on education and health care which talks about the latest technologies supported by 5G and how it might help bridge the gap between urban and rural areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

12:30 p.m. – I take a 30- to 45-minute break to eat my lunch. My meals are prepped the previous night, so I don’t have to do a lot. 

1:15 p.m. – On average, I have at least two calls a day with my team members to discuss progress of a project, talk about any issues, or present any tasks completed. All my team members are so helpful, supportive, and do not shy away from showing appreciation or giving constructive criticism. I have realized that the environment is very accepting of new ideas and suggestions from me as an intern. 

4 p.m. – I attend my first yoga session conducted for the summer interns. Qualcomm has great initiatives to virtually engage interns and help them have a well-rounded experience. 

4:30 p.m. – At the end of the week, I send a ‘weekly tasks completed’ email to my manager that lists all my activities for the week, big and small, and my plan for the next week. This will be helpful at the end of my 12 weeks during performance review and final presentation of my work. I highly recommend this habit! 

5 p.m. – Once every two weeks, I have a team meeting late in the evening as GA is a global team but usually my workday ends at 5 p.m.

I am very grateful to be a part of this team and for this opportunity as I got the chance to witness the use of technology in amazing ways that benefit society. Thank you for reading!