A virtual internship is a work experience placement that students can do from home. During the internship, students communicate with their employer through a range of resources, including Skype, Microsoft Teams, email, webinars, and Slack.
“At Virtual Internships, we’ve curated programs that are four, eight or 12 weeks long and require 20 to 30 hours work per week. The projects set by host companies will be built with this minimum standard in mind”.
Virtual internships are offered by a wide variety of companies. “We partner with organizations across 18 different career fields” said Holroyd Pearce. Virtual Internships work with both entrepreneurial startups and big as well as larger well-known companies.
Here are a few other benefits of a remote internship: Save money and time, Enhance your resume, Broaden your cross-cultural and global perspectives & Gain a sense of community and boost your connections
If your boss hasn’t set you clear objectives, you don’t have access to regular feedback or you feel unable to answer a question, then the internship won’t be as straightforward as you might’ve hoped.
In short, yes, they are. Employers will recognize that virtual internships prepare students for the future of work, where working from home might become the norm.
This ultimately depends on the company. Although many larger firms will pay students for their time, some NGOs and start-ups may not be able to afford to do this but will offer a unique experience that can jumpstart students’ careers.