COVID Has Made Virtual Internship Opportunities Easier Than Ever

As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, attending internships is more important than ever, as they assist young graduates to get a first-hand experience of the primary steps which will be needed in their career in a very challenging and stimulating economic environment.

By providing a chance to students to develop their technical and soft skills, internships play a vital role in bridging the gap between University and Industry learning and ensures the self-development of students during their studies.

Traditionally, internship programs offered an in-person opportunity to familiarize students with their work. It could have been in a real industry-like environment, a manufacturing unit, or an office space.

What Are Virtual Internships?

However, financial, geographical, and time constraints can limit student attendance and potentially the right talent as well. With the advancement of technology, students are now empowered to have a measurable impact on companies without physically being within the office vicinity, meaning interns can work remotely from home with just an internet connection. The physical barriers which existed earlier have slowly been diminishing. All thanks to technology and of course, the pandemic that has increased the demand for virtual internships rather than the traditional office work norm.

As the COVID pandemic continues to exist, it’s no surprise to hear that several employees are working remotely from home rather than in the office. Corporations like Microsoft, Twitter, Square, and many others are already discussing the idea of permanent Work-from-home staff.

A virtual internship is simply like that. These internship programs allow participants, also referred to as interns, to achieve work experience in a very remote setting because the internship is solely completed online, candidates aren’t physically present at the worksite. Generally, remote internships are taken by students and graduates to assist them to gain and develop their skills within the career sector they require to pursue.

It’s also an excellent opportunity to explore an industry or role that you just won’t be 100% committed to yet. It allows them to get the first-hand experience with companies on a worldwide scale while acting from the comfort of their chosen location.

Work From Home Trend

Various studies have revealed that a person experiences more joy and happiness when he or she is working from the comfort of their home. These findings are definitely a benefit for organisations as they will concentrate on the employees’ health and wellbeing, increasing employee retention.

Work From Home (WFH) surveys by organisations reveal that employees prefer working from their home rather than having to commute to the office five days of the week. This is the reason why multi-national corporations are planning to allow the non-essential staff to WFH even after things get back to normal.

The fact that our lives have shifted online is now quite established. COVID has accelerated the longer term and brought it to our doorsteps, radically changing the way we work and learn.

This summer, unsurprisingly, saw the increase of virtual internships. WayUp, a jobs-site for faculty students and up-to-date graduates, 33% of employers are hiring virtual interns, and 71% of scholars are hospitable to the concept of holding a virtual internship. It’s the new way of working – in your home, as it’s slow and on your schedule.

The globe is moving towards a fluid working model and virtual internships fit right into it. Also, the very fact that this model of an internship is location-agnostic reveals a world of possibilities – literally, you’ll be sitting half-way across the world from the organizations you’re working (or interning) for. Also, for college students the nice thing is that virtual internship allows them to intern while studying – so, it’s not nearly finding the correct summer internship, but also about finding one that may fit into your study-schedule.

Some Great Benefits Of Interning Virtually:

It’s all about networking: Virtual internships enable you to make networks across the world, as you connect with people from diverse cultures and places. This can prove to be helpful in your future career journey.

Self-discipline and time management: Whether it’s your summer internship or the one you’re seizing while still studying, remote working trains you to manage some time well. By the time you complete the internship, you’ll have mastered self-discipline yourself.

Remote working skills: In an exceedingly post-COVID world, remote working skills are critical. Organizations are now actively seeking these skills during recruitments, so a virtual internship experience is definitely going to boost your employability.

More Accessible: Virtual internships equals fewer expenses. Unlike a standard F2F internship, you’d not have to worry about the rent cost or travel cost for that matter. All you would like to concentrate on is getting the project done diligently and perfectly on time.

As the coronavirus lock-down continues, a variety of companies are choosing virtual or remote internships, honoring the commitment made to candidates before the covid-19 outbreak. Internships became a crucial system to bring students, companies, and universities closer. It’s also become one of the primary preferences of scholars when it involves complementing their education.

The graduates who were tensed and all-hectic about their internship placements in an office when the COVID outbreak happened are now cherishing the remote work experience from the four walls of their home. Apart from all the pains that came along, COVID-19 has definitely taught us that digital technology could be and must be leveraged to make things simpler, faster, and efficient.