While we may think that the responsibilities of a software engineering intern are only fixing your computer when it freezes, or helping you log back into your email after you forgot your password, there's more to the role than just helping someone log back into their computer.

A remote internship in software engineering may look like working on code, debugging, running tests, collaborating with developers and joining meetings. Software engineering is more than just sitting in front of a screen all day.

Benefits of Working in a Remote Software Engineering Internship

Many computer science graduates are shifting to remote work, with 59% of software developers reporting being fully remote, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics. Software engineers are well versed in industry tools such as Git, Jenkins, and JIRA.

• Many software engineering interns are moving to remote work for the comfort of working from home; you could set up your home office however you want and work wherever you want. Working remotely gives you the flexibility a normal in-person internship wouldn't give you.

• If you’re somebody who works well at night or in the early mornings, you can set your working times to what suits you best. This creates a better work-life balance, as working at night frees up your time during the day; your schedule for the day opens up, meaning there's more time to run errands or go to the gym, like walking. Many industries are seeing the benefits of remote work.

• When you’re working remotely, you're travelling less and staying home more, which means you’re spending less on travelling or buying food. This is another reason why people are shifting to remote work and remote internships.

• Working from home will make you an independent problem solver. At some point, you may run into technical issues, which will force you to think outside the box and be resourceful, this in turns builds confidence.

What Does a Remote Software Engineering Intern Actually Do?

A remote software engineering intern's daily routine may look like attending short morning meetings where you'd be expected to share goals for the day and any blockers you may be experiencing. Or spending their time writing, testing and debugging code. Software engineers also meet with product managers, data scientists or designers to test and plan features.

A Software engineer would also be expected to modify and test existing code, test software, communicate with senior developers and document work. The exact responsibilities will depend on the company, team and the intern's skill level.

Common Projects Remote Software Engineering Interns Work On

A remote software engineering intern's role and responsibilities would differ based on the type of company, department and skill level of the intern; for example, some may be good at solving problems and finding solutions to streamline work, while some may be good at building an entirely new system for the company.

Streamline existing systems

Take working for a social media company; there are always ways to improve the app and bring in more users. A software engineering intern would be tasked with improving user traffic. When users click a function on the app and the input slows the app or takes a long time to load, users may become impatient and lose interest, closing the app entirely.

To fix this problem, the intern would be expected to create a faster and more efficient way to load the page or get users to interact longer with the app. The goal here would be to keep users' attention and streamline the application.

Adding Shortcuts

If your remote internship is based with a company that sells a product or service, the interns may be expected to create a shortcut to keep track of stock, inventory, or customer engagement. You may be expected to work on front-end development, which is the interface that engineers and technicians see and use. Or you might be expected to work on back-end development; this section consists of gathering information from big databases. These shortcuts are important as they help make work for the rest of the team easier.

Adding a search function

Another responsibility a software engineering intern may be tasked with would be adding a search function to an application or to the company systems. These functions can also help in streamlining productivity by making it easier for your team to find functions, stock or settings within the company systems.

Systems Software Engineering Interns Use

As a remote software engineer intern, you will learn and develop skills in multiple different software languages such as:

• Javascript

• Java

• SQL

• HTML/ CSS

Beyond programming languages, software engineering interns may also encounter tools that automate repetitive tasks, streamline testing, and improve development workflows. Understanding how these tools fit into the software development process can help interns work more effectively with experienced developers. This overview of automation tools for developers explores some of the technologies teams use to make development more efficient.

What Skills will You Develop During a Remote Software Engineering Internship?

Like any remote internship, you'll develop skills during your time with a company. There are two types of skills you'll most likely develop: hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills

Hard skills are skills which are unique to your role in the company and are crucial to your ability to do your job. For a remote software engineering intern, you will learn and develop skills like:

• Programming

• Debugging

• Version control

• Testing

• Working with APIs (Application Programming Interface)

• Database management

• Software development workflows

For aspiring developers looking to apply their hard skills in a professional setting, internship providers like Capital-Placement can help bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical workplace experience. The company secures guaranteed internships for the candidates with top employer partners across the world. These opportunities can help aspiring software engineers collaborate with experienced teams, and better understand how it works in practice.

Soft skills

Soft skills are the skills you develop that can be used in any work environment; they're skills that are essential when working remotely or in-person. Some skills include:

• Communication

• Problem solving

• Time management

• Collaboration or teamwork

• Working independently

• Asking for help effectively

• Managing deadlines

How Much Responsibility Does a Software Engineering Intern Have?

Depending on your skill level, your managers or superiors may trust you with more responsibility, depending on how well you perform and show your capabilities. Your managers may assign you smaller tasks at the start of your internship, but as you continue working for the company, your roles and responsibilities may increase.

As a remote software engineer, you would be expected to work on real company projects under supervision from your managers. The level of responsibility may vary from company to company.

Conclusion

A remote software engineering internship can take you into many different fields depending on where you'd like to work. Working remotely gives you the freedom and flexibility to work how, where and when you want. You would be working on real software projects that will be guided and supervised by more experienced developers.

Remember, a software engineering internship is not about sitting in front of a computer all day and writing code; you would be expected to work on real projects that have an impact on whichever company you work at. It's about learning how professional software teams test, communicate and maintain a company’s software. This internship type is one of the most suitable internships for working remotely while still gaining valuable skills and knowledge.