Interns
The Ultimate Remote Internship Guide For Parents
Remote internships can raise a lot of questions for parents. So, allow us to clear the haze for you with this ultimate guide for parents.
Remote working setup has gained popularity all across the world, making virtual work a global experience. In fact, in the wake of the pandemic, according to a recent study, work from home or remote work is most likely to become a permanent setup. With the virtual world becoming the new reality, remote internships have gained recognition unlike before! Since most employers are now hiring remotely, they also realize the significant benefits of remote internships. This is why it’s high time for students or recent graduates to enroll in remote internships to notch up their resumes and become attractive to employers!
Why It’s Time to Embrace Remote Working on a Virtual Internship
As employers all around the world switched to a virtual working setup, they’ve come to realize the importance of remote work experience. This is why as a student, you need to make sure you’re doing (or have done) a remote internship to boost your resume!
In this post-pandemic world, a remote internship is a safe way for you to develop a skill and gain some practical experience during your studies. Adding to this is the convenience of doing a remote internship from the comfort of your home (or dorm room), which saves a lot of travel time.
Above all, virtual is the new reality – and as a student, you can adapt to the ever-evolving job market by getting some hands-on experience with a relevant virtual internship.
Benefits of Remote Internships
If you’re wondering if remote internships are worth it, rest assured, remote internships have endless benefits, including:
- You Gain On-The-Job Professional Skills
- You Get To Work With The Company’s Founders
- You Get To Try A Career Before Committing To It
- You Can Become a Digital Nomad
- You Can Enjoy Intercultural Exposure Through Global Experience
- You Get Access to Professional Development
- You Get Flexibility
Read on as we dive deep into each of these benefits and what it means to your future career.
1. You Gain On-The-Job Professional Skills
Among the many benefits of remote work is the fact that you get real-world working experience. While you may be theoretically and technically equipped with the knowledge through your education, a remote internship allows you to gain practical experience.
Some of these skills include:
- Time management
- Coherent communication
- Adaptability
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Networking and rapport building
- Trust-building with superiors and colleagues
- Confidence
As you apply your knowledge to real-life work situations, you’ll gain the core skills you need to show employers you’re a good hire.
In addition, employers love to see a student or graduate with previous experience. If you have industry-relevant experience through a credible internship, you’ll naturally be more attractive as an employee to a recruiter than an identical candidate who doesn’t.
2. You Get To Work With The Company’s Founders
Working with the founder or CEO of the company is a dream for most students. But when it comes to large corporations, the extensive hierarchy doesn’t let interns have a close relationship with managers, let alone founders.
On the other hand, a benefit of remote internships at small and medium-sized (SMEs) companies is that you’ll have a higher chance of working directly with the founder or a c-suite member (over 70% of our interns do).
These innovative start-ups or mid-sized companies are thriving in the current economy, constantly growing and adapting, on their way to success. Getting the chance to work under the supervision of one of their founders is exposure that some people don’t get in an entire lifetime of work!
Working under C-Suite members of SMEs is great because you get to learn:
- Strategy development
- Teamwork and team management
- Time management and staying efficient
- Applying knowledge to critical situations
- Dealing with crises
3. You Get To Try A Career Before Committing To It
A remote internship gives you an insight into what a day in your chosen sector would look like. On an internship, you’ll also be exposed to different departments and stakeholders within the business throughout your projects which will enable you to see if there’s something else that interests you more.
You can think of a virtual internship as a career-trial period, where you can actually know how you feel about your chosen industry or role and re-evaluate if need be.
It’s never too late to switch up your field, especially after realizing that it may not be what you initially thought, or that you just don’t feel passionate about it.
With a pre-job internship, you’ll have some experience working in the industry you chose and decide whether you’d like to pursue it as a career or switch to another field.
4. You Can Become a Digital Nomad
One of the greatest advantages of doing a remote internship is that you get exposure to a vast array of opportunities across the world. In fact, you can work for employers from anywhere in the globe, which gives you a taste of what the digital nomad life could be like.
Many people choose to work remotely now as it affords them flexibility in their day-to-day life. However, there’s another portion of people who choose remote work as it allows them to simultaneously travel and work, from anywhere in the world.
If that’s a path you see yourself on, gaining remote work experience through a virtual internship is much more likely to get you in the door of remote-first global companies looking for fresh graduates!
Not only do you get to experience the work culture of different countries, you also get to interact with people from diverse backgrounds, which cultivates your interpersonal skills.
5. You Can Enjoy Intercultural Exposure Through Global Experience
A remote internship gives you a platform to interact and connect with people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. You get the chance to learn more about their values and how their background impacts their work ethic, and perhaps even apply some of them to your own operating rhythm.
Another great benefit of getting global experience through a remote internship is the ability to improve your language skills. Knowing languages other than English such as Mandarin, French, and more, is important as they allow you to interact with locals – a great skill to have if you wish to work in a different country later.
6. You Get Access to Professional Development
During a remote internship, you have the chance to increase your skill set through additional courses and coaching.
When you step into a job that you may have studied for, things can look a lot different on the practical side. There are a ton of technical complexities involved that a degree may not prepare you for. This is why it’s best to invest in professional development and luckily for you, over 12 courses are included in our virtual internship program.
As an intern, you get a chance to transform yourself into a valuable asset for your future employers by:
- Learning from industry experts
- Working under the supervision of founders and C-suite members
- Building your skill set through professional development courses alongside your internship
This way, you’re ‘job ready’ before even starting one!
7. You Get Flexibility
There are numerous remote internship benefits and a flexible schedule is definitely top of the list! As a student or recent graduate, flexibility is one thing you most certainly need. Whether you’re doing an internship during term/semester time or your summer, a flexible schedule allows you the leniency of managing your studies, work, and social life all at once.
You don’t have to waste time traveling, relocating, or commuting. With a remote internship, you can simply log on and get started – wherever you are!
Where To Find A Remote Internship
One of the main reasons students overlook internships is because they can be a hassle to find. You can spend hours searching numerous job websites, applying for internships that you never hear back from, and scanning the internet for opportunities.
There’s also the additional concern that if you do find an internship, you don’t know if it’s going to be of good value or spent bringing coffee to someone.
At Virtual Internships, we partner with over 11,000 host companies in over 70 countries who have all been screened, pre-approved, and required to submit an internship project plan before they can even begin to match with interns.
With opportunities across 18 career fields, you’ll be guaranteed a remote internship in your choice of career field and country within six weeks of application.
In addition, you’ll be supported throughout your internship by our intern experience coach, a career coach, and access to our hub of professional development courses.
If you’re struggling to find an industry-relevant internship or don’t want the headache of trying to find one, apply now for our remote internship program!
