Building Meaningful Relationships Through a Screen

One of the most valuable outcomes of a practicum should be the professional relationships you develop. A strong relationship with your preceptor can lead to mentorship, job references, career advice, and connections to broader professional networks. Relationships with other staff members can expand your understanding of different career paths and provide support as you enter the workforce. In remote practicums, however, building these relationships is significantly more difficult, and students often finish their experience without the connections that make practicums so valuable.

Why Virtual Relationships Are Harder

Human connection typically develops through a combination of shared experiences, repeated casual interactions, and gradual accumulation of personal knowledge. In an office, you learn about a colleague's interests through decorations at their desk, overhear them discussing their weekend, and share spontaneous conversations in the break room. These small moments build rapport over time without requiring any deliberate effort.

Remote work eliminates most of these organic relationship-building opportunities. Interactions become transactional, focused on specific work tasks rather than general connection. You may go weeks without learning anything personal about your preceptor or colleagues. The relationship stays professional in the narrowest sense, lacking the warmth and depth that makes working together enjoyable and that opens doors after the practicum ends.

For students especially, this limitation is acute. You are new to the professional world and may lack confidence in initiating relationship-building. You are temporary, which can make staff less invested in getting to know you. You may feel that taking time for personal conversation is inappropriate when you are supposed to be working.

Creating Space for Personal Connection

Building relationships virtually requires making explicit what would happen implicitly in person. You must create opportunities for the kind of interaction that offices provide naturally.

Start meetings with a few minutes of non-work conversation. Ask your preceptor how their weekend was, mention something interesting happening in your life, or comment on something you learned about their background from their LinkedIn profile or organizational bio. These brief exchanges build familiarity over time.

Share appropriate personal details that help your preceptor see you as a full person. Mention your interests, talk about why you chose public health, share your career aspirations. Reciprocate when they share similar information with you. This mutual vulnerability is how professional relationships deepen.

Look for shared interests or experiences that can form the basis of connection. Perhaps you both have young children, both enjoy hiking, or both came to public health from other fields. These commonalities give you something to discuss beyond immediate work tasks.

Finding Informal Interaction Opportunities

Beyond your scheduled meetings with your preceptor, seek out other ways to interact with people at the organization. Ask if you can attend staff meetings, even if you are mostly observing. Request introductions to colleagues whose work interests you and schedule brief informational conversations.

If the organization has virtual social events, such as happy hours, coffee chats, or interest groups, participate when possible. These settings are designed for the kind of casual interaction that builds relationships. Your presence signals that you value being part of the community, not just completing your hours.

Participate actively in any communication channels available to you. If there is a Slack workspace with casual channels, engage there. Comment on organizational social media posts. Contribute to email threads where appropriate. Each interaction, however small, increases your visibility and helps colleagues feel they know you.

Demonstrating Reliability and Value

Strong professional relationships are built not just on personal connection but on respect for each other's competence. In a remote setting, you cannot demonstrate your abilities through visible presence and quick conversations. Instead, you must prove yourself through the quality and reliability of your work.

Meet every deadline without exception. Deliver work that is polished and complete. Respond promptly to communications. Follow through on every commitment you make. These behaviors build trust and make people want to invest in your success.

Go beyond minimum expectations when you can. Anticipate questions and address them proactively. Offer to take on additional tasks when you have capacity. Bring ideas and suggestions rather than only executing what you are assigned. Preceptors remember students who made their lives easier and contributed meaningfully.

Share your work broadly when appropriate. If you create something useful, ask your preceptor if it would be valuable to share with the broader team. Presenting your work, even briefly in a staff meeting, helps colleagues understand your contributions and see you as a capable professional.

Maintaining Relationships After the Practicum

The end of your practicum is not the end of your relationship with your preceptor and colleagues. Maintaining connection over time is what transforms a practicum contact into a lasting professional relationship.

Send a thoughtful thank you note when your practicum concludes, acknowledging specific ways your preceptor supported your development. Connect on LinkedIn with people you worked with. Express genuine interest in staying in touch, and then actually follow through.

Check in periodically, perhaps every few months, with a brief update on your career progress or a message when you see something that reminds you of them. Share relevant articles or opportunities that might interest them. These small touches maintain the relationship without being burdensome.

When you need something concrete, such as a reference or advice, reach out directly and specifically. By then, you will have established enough connection that your request is welcomed rather than awkward. The relationships you build during your practicum can support your career for years to come, but only if you invest in maintaining them.