Starting Your Career With Remote Internships Everything You Need to Know

In the evolving landscape of the job market, remote internships have become increasingly popular. These opportunities allow you to gain valuable experience from the comfort of your home, working with companies worldwide.
Remote work is on the rise in every field and every country around the world. Major corporations all the way down to startup companies are offering location flexibility to their employers, as well as offering remote internships.
Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic changed a great deal about the way we work, and the expectations we have for professional settings. It also changed how we attend classes, travel, and socialize. But while school, vacations, and family reunions go back to normal, remote work is here to stay.
The world’s top experts and researchers agree that flexible working conditions aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, remote work is predicted to grow in prominence. Predictions estimate that nearly 25% of workers in the United States alone will be remote in the next few years. Globally, surveys show that more than half of workers say they work remotely at least part of the time.
So, what does this mean for students and young professionals looking for work experience? It means remote internships, also called virtual internships, are among the most valuable experiences available in today’s professional landscape. Not only do these placements offer increased flexibility and access to companies and experiences, but they present the chance to develop the skills necessary to succeed in a virtual work world.
What are remote internships?
Students and young professionals in every career field know how important prior experience is. Of course, that experience helps you stand out when applying for universities, programs, and scholarships, but it’s absolutely essential when it comes to finding a full-time job in your field. And what’s more, internships are the best way to open professional doors for yourself by making key connections and finding mentorship.
Now, remote internship programs offer that same experience and benefit in a virtual setting, allowing you to boost your resume from anywhere in the world.
Companies of all shapes and sizes, from consulting agency PWC to machinery giant Caterpillar, are offering remote internships. That just goes to show that no matter your field of interest – whether it’s finance or mechanical engineering – there are endless options for you to get that experience in a remote environment.
How do remote internships work?
Thanks to today’s technology, remote internships can be conducted pretty much seamlessly, even if you never set foot in an office. Many remote internships are conducted on a variety of platforms, including video and phone calls, as well as communications platforms like Slack. That being said, most companies have their own internal methods of tracking tasks and scheduling, and these are likely to vary from internship to internship.
But, no matter which platforms your organization uses, they all serve the key purpose of ensuring interns understand what’s expected of them and also know what the rest of their team is working on.
Of course, one of the main reasons to choose a remote internship is to fit in professional experience alongside classes or other responsibilities. For that reason, remote internships sometimes operate on a slightly different schedule than traditional in-office placements. Remote placements often have more flexible hours, and interns can work on their tasks after class, or in a different time zone from their manager. Most internship programs make sure that interns meet with their direct manager or teammates at least once a week so that everyone is on the same page.
One element of a virtual placement that looks different at every company is networking and socializing. At bigger organizations, interns might attend regular events with other interns, getting to know each other and even doing virtual games and challenges together. At a startup, interns are likely to attend regular remote “all hands” meetings, to get company updates and even share about their work.
When it comes to networking, obviously in-person events are out, but that often makes it even easier for interns to build one-on-one connections, through meetings and virtual coffee chats with company leaders where the focus is just on them.
Who can do a remote internship?
If you’ve never done a remote internship before, you might be wondering who exactly can apply for one. The short answer is: anyone can do a remote internship! Remember – internships aren’t just for university students on their summer holidays.
No matter where you are in your education or career, there are virtual opportunities that fit your profile, especially if you apply through a professional internship program like The Intern Group, which has an immense variety of partner organizations looking for every type of candidate.
An internship, especially a virtual one, is an excellent option for mid-career professionals looking to make a career change. The flexibility of these placements ensures you don’t need to quit your current job to start making your future plans happen. Virtual interns get to test out the field they’re considering pivoting to and can develop the skills they need to do so on their own terms and schedule.
And of course, if you’re wondering “how do I get an internship as a high schooler?” you now have your answer! Virtual internships work perfectly with most high school schedules and are a great chance to develop transferable skills. As a high school student, you might not know yet exactly which field you want to work in later. In fact, you’ll probably change your mind several times over the next few years! But don’t worry. Remote internships are perfect for students who have no professional experience and are just looking to test the waters of the work world.
Of course, depending on your career field of choice you might be wondering whether a remote internship is even a possibility. The answer is an easy one – virtual placements are available in every career field you can think of.
What are the benefits of a virtual internship?
The benefits of a hands-on professional placement can’t be denied. Interns have the chance to apply their academic backgrounds in a professional setting, honing their existing skills and rounding out their skill set for a particular field.
A virtual internship allows you to experience a particular company or field before making the commitment to devote your career to it. And of course, it’s the very best way to ensure you receive a competitive job offer. Not only do internships enhance your resume and show potential employers you’re capable, but they’re also a chance to make valuable connections who can vouch for you when you apply for full-time roles.
There’s no doubt that individuals who have internship experience will have an easier time landing a job than those without that hands-on time.
Now, in addition to the undeniable career benefits, remote placements have the added benefit of flexibility. As a virtual intern, you can complete the internship from anywhere in the world. On vacation to a beachside paradise? No problem. As long as you’ve got an internet connection, you can still get that valuable professional experience.
Many remote interns today take advantage of that flexibility and pursue travel opportunities, language immersion, or even combine an internship with studying at home or abroad.
Are remote internships good for my career?
Remote internships might be on the rise as far as prominence and popularity, but they’re still a fairly new concept for many people. There’s no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic had an enormous impact on internships. The pandemic changed the way we think about professional experience and jobs as a whole, not just internships.
Today, a large number of companies globally are hiring remotely, and a majority of professionals across all fields report that geographic flexibility is extremely important to them. That data makes it clear that remote work is here to stay, and how better to prepare for a remote or flexible job than one or more remote internships?
Keep in mind that remote placements have all of the same career benefits as traditional placements. And we know that an internship is a fast pipeline to a full-time role at the same company or elsewhere in the industry. The even better news for prospective interns is that these professional placements involve serious and impactful hands-on work experience. The days of making copies and picking up coffee are in the past, and today’s interns spend the majority of their time on work that involves problem-solving and project management skills.
How to get remote internships
As you might expect given their exciting benefits and travel opportunities, remote internships are very competitive. And of course, there still aren’t quite as many remote placements available compared to in-office placements (though as we know, that’s changing!)
The extremely high demand for virtual internships means candidates need to stand out from the crowd and have a plan of action. There are several ways to enhance your professional profile before you apply for a virtual placement, to ensure the company knows you’re a good candidate.
Make sure your resume or CV is free of typos and highlights your most impressive and relevant experience. Don’t worry if you’ve never had a job or internship before. Think about relevant courses you’ve taken or projects you’ve completed. If you have volunteer experience or are on a team or part of a club, make sure you include it. Have you ever had a part-time job or a summer job? Those might not seem like professional experiences, but they all demonstrate relevant transferable skills, such as teamwork and communication. Of course, if you have any leadership experience, even as captain of a sports team, make sure to include that on your application as well.
In addition to your CV or resume, make sure that your LinkedIn profile is also updated. Today, most professionals (across industries!) use LinkedIn to look for jobs, share professional updates and successes, and to hire for new roles. Make sure you have an appropriate headshot, and that your experiences and profile are up to date.
Once your application materials are ready to go, it’s time to find an internship. Everyone knows that a referral is the very best way to land a job. Internships are a little different, but networking goes just as far! Meeting people in the field you’re interested in can go a long way. After all, references can help you land an internship just like they can help you land a job.
Consider attending networking events or speaking panels at your school, or seeing what’s happening in your local community!
Keep checking also career websites for different companies and international organizations like the UN, ActionAid etc they often post some remote internships for all professional levels
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