Csdrhrt

I accepted a +6 months paid internship offer 600km away from School
I am a student and the timeline between the end of the semester and the beginning of the semester is too short for me to find a replacement for my apartment and a place to live in the new town.

Could I ask to start a bit later?

Secondly, I don't have enough cash to move, knowing that the coop job is mostly about developing apps, how would the company perceive if I ask to work remotely and travel to work on site a few days a week?

EDIT: Thank you all for your comments. When I had in mind to suggest working remotely, I hadn't thought about the "interns need more supervision and care" nor about the company's needs. I don't even know if regular employees are allowed to work remotely.

I came to the conclusion that I will only ask about starting two weeks later and I will embrace the idea of working on site. I am also accepting the idea I might not be allowed to start two weeks later. Temporary housing is possible. And I could certainly commute on weekend to solve any unresolved issue related to my former apartment.

Could I ask to start a bit later?

Yes, no problem with that. Be precise though, tell them which start date would work the best for you. If they accept to let you start later, be sure you can make it work, because if you ask them twice it won't be appreciated at all.

how would the company perceive if I ask to work remotely and travel to work on site a few days a week?

Do you know if they let other employees work remotely ? If not, no, they won't want you to either, so I wouldn't bother asking.

Interns need more supervision and care in general. That's why teleworking is rare for interns (that I know). You're new to the work world, you need to be managed/trained/supervised more closely. Even for regular employees, if they start at a company with the expectation of working remotely, they often don't telework the first month or so, because there's so much to learn it's better to be at the office for a while. And as an intern, you also don't have a record of working well with other companies, or demonstrate a strong work ethic, so asking to telework in those conditions is a huge ask.

So if you really want to ask them, frame it as such. Don't just mention it as something casual, tell them you know you're possibly inconveniencing them.

Another thing : I disagree with "there's no harm in asking". You're already asking to start later. It would be a red flag to me that after you accepted a position, you seem to have all these problems to be able to work with us. Didn't you do your research before ? Weren't you enough prepared ? Did you know you would have all these problems and waited for the last minute to ask those things from us ? Was this your plan all along, or didn't you think things through ? Both of these things aren't good. They probably won't pull the internship because of this, but there's a good chance the good impression they had of you will degrade. You'll have to work harder to make up for it.

Or not. It does depend on the company and the manager, but I don't want you to think there are no possible downsizes to asking them something that's out of the norm and in combination with asking them another favor. So tread lightly, and ask them only of not working remotely is really important to you.

But I want you to think also about your own experience. Working remotely might not be best for you. Part of an internship is to learn how to work in an office setting. This is valuable experience. You'll learn a lot about working with others, handle interpersonal problems, adapt to a work culture...

1. You can ask for anything you want. They'll assess your request, reasons for the request, etc. against their guidelines and with their management and make a decision.


2. Only the company can answer that. I can say that remote internships haven't been looked on very favorably in companies that I've worked with, but it's up to them. The process will happen just like #1.

Good luck bud!

Could I ask to start a bit later?

Sure you can.

I see nothing wrong in exposing your situation to the company (as you did here) and asking for a later start (or for any other solution they can think of).

Keep in mind that you could also start the process of seeking replacement and new place to live now, without having to wait until the time between semesters.

Of course you can't close the deal on a home remotely, but you could narrow down some options that you can then visit and decide, saving you time and perhaps saving you from having to ask for a later start date.

In most of these scenarios, the answer most likely to be right is "you lose nothing for asking".

Just ask it directly, stating your reasons and making your points. Explain how it is beneficial for both you and them