What do you do in a virtual internship? : How virtual or remote internships work and why they are a great option in current pandemic circumstances
It wasn’t just studies that needed to be redesigned during the pandemic. Internships and practical work experiences too, especially if that’s the only thing standing between you and your degree.
While it is not yet possible to do a traditional internship, there is the option of doing a virtual internship. Did you know that? While not as widely known or available, it does exist.
What is an online internship?
The virtual internship can be done from home. Learning takes place remotely, without the need to be in a physical professional environment. Communication with the employer is all online, with the help of different resources such as Skype, Microsoft Teams, email, webinar, Zoom, Slack, Whatsapp and many others.
The intern will have a series of jobs and defined deadlines that he must carry out satisfactorily, with the virtual monitoring of a supervisor.
Virtual internships have different formats: paid or unpaid; from 10 hours a week to 40 hours a week; from four to 24 weeks in length, etc. It all depends on your goal.
One of the main advantages of the virtual internship is the flexibility to work part-time or even full-time remotely from anywhere in the world. You can work for a foreign company without moving abroad and gain professional skills and industry knowledge on an international basis from the comfort of your own home.
What kind of virtual internship is available?
Obviously, not all types of jobs and industries make a virtual internship possible. Some functions only actually happen with the physical presence of the professional. However, there is a huge range of job options that are easily carried out in virtual environments, with the support of the internet and technological resources.
See some examples:
- Marketing and public relations: virtual marketing;
- Journalism and social media: web content editing and social media management;
- Virtual businesses and NGOs: campaign management, project management and data analysis;
- Finance and accounting: consulting, risk analysis or technology analysis;
- Human resources: headhunting or talent acquisition;
- Information technology and computer science: programming, web development, quality assurance testing, game development, user experience design;
- Translation and localization;
- Publishing market: proofreading, copyediting, layout.
- Design and arts: illustration, interior design, fashion design.
As you can see, the options are numerous. In several of them, in addition to access to a device and a good connection, specific programs and software will be needed to carry out their work. Depending on your virtual internship, you may be able to use the hiring company’s professional account without having to purchase them at this time.
How to get a virtual internship?
In general, there are two ways to get a virtual internship: on your own or through a specialized agency.
You can get in direct contact with companies in your sector asking about the possibility of doing remote internships, especially in this time of pandemic, when several sectors have had to adopt the home office indefinitely.
Or you can use the services of a specialized agency that connects the intern with a selection of partner companies and organizations with open positions. Sometimes they also maintain programs with universities around the world to serve as a network between university students and employers in search of qualified young professionals.
You complete an application form with all your details and objectives (for example, an international focus or a professional focus) and your profile, if approved, goes online for employers to view and get in touch with if they think you are the right intern for their vacancy. In other formats, someone from the agency works individually with each interested party in order to find the best virtual internship option for both the intern and the employer.
The job interview is also done virtually.
The benefit of using one of these services is that you can be guided through the search process and find a variety of job opportunities in one place. The disadvantage is that, almost always, the service is paid.
Get to know some options of agencies or database of virtual internships:
- Virtual Internships
- The Intern Group
- Chegg Internships
- WayUp
What do you need to do a virtual internship?
As we mentioned above, you may need specific computer programs, website accounts or software to perform your remote role, such as:
- Photoshop;
- Access to social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok;
- Microsoft Office suite;
- Canva;
- Notepad++;
- CorelDraw;
- Adobe Illustrator;
- Trello;
- Hootsuite.
These are just a few examples and they vary by industry and job. In the case of international virtual internships, you must prove adequate proficiency in the foreign language.
Advantages of the virtual internship
With a virtual internship, you learn a job and develop professional skills and knowledge in your industry without leaving your home. You save time and money by not having to commute to the company every day. In addition, he develops time management and independence, to deliver his work on time without having someone “on his toes” all the time.
Being remote means you can work for a company from anywhere in the world, broadening your global perspectives and, who knows, paving the way for an international career. This will definitely add weight to your CV.
And, under current circumstances, this is a way of not delaying your professional and academic plans and completing your degree on time, if an internship is mandatory for your course.
Disadvantages of the virtual internship
One of the most important characteristics for the success of a virtual internship is communication with the hiring company. If your supervisor is not available, if the rules and objectives of your work are not well defined, if the guidelines are not straightforward or if you do not receive any feedback, all this can make it difficult to perform your role and hinder learning.
On the intern’s side, you need to stay motivated and very well disciplined to get all your tasks done on time with all the distractions your home offers. If contact with other people and experience in a real work environment is very important to you, this might not really be the best option.