Have you qualified for a Virtual Internship recently? Well, congratulations on this achievement; a new journey awaits you.
Internships are the pathway to a successful and exciting career journey. Remote internships might be an alien concept for most of us. But in a post-pandemic world, where everything is going remote, what do you have to do to make it a successful one?
Are there any student-specific guidelines that have been handed out? How can you make the most out of your remote internship sessions as a student?
Everything you will get to know after reading this blog today.
Why are Virtual Internships Important for Students?
The best part about a remote setting? No day-to-day tasks; generally, these internships are flexible.
Despite the ultimate flexibility, a structure still needs to be followed. Virtual internships have their own benefits: hours of work, assignment timelines, and connecting with people beyond the borders.
- Time-Saving & Affordable: Unlike old, traditional internships, there is no requirement for commuting, and you can learn, work, and interact from anywhere in the world.
- Saving a whole lot of money on travel costs.
- Give Yourself A Resume Boost: By building up time management skills and self-discipline, you will gain work experience that will make your resume look good.
- Cross-Cultural Interactions: If you’re attending a global internship opportunity, you will get to interact with people worldwide.
Recommended Read: How Virtual Internships Can Make Your Resume Stand-Out
The Student’s Guide: Virtual Internship Best Practices
If you are going to take up your next internship, then you might consider these things in mind.
Dos
1. Embrace Remote Environment as Quickly as Possible
Start your preparation even before applying for the internship. Be prepared to interact, feel free and be comfortable with learning in a remote setup and get along with people very well.
2. Always be on Time
It is excellent that you’re getting an opportunity to learn and gain work experience in your pajamas. But that doesn’t mean you miss out on the deadlines or approach the internship with a laid-back attitude. People won’t necessarily be checking up on you on an everyday basis- so make it your responsibility to keep a personal calendar.
3. Be Patient With the Process
Yes, online communication may seem difficult at times, but other students like you will be attending and working on the same stuff as you. Working in a virtual world has its own challenges, you might lose patience every once in a while- it will only create problems in the learning path.
4. Learn About the Institution & its Culture
Even though the internship is virtual, you still need to know how things move around. Learn as much about the organization before the internship. Understand their culture, expectations, values, and communication style- you will learn a lot about the real world of work with these observations.
5. Prepare Ahead
Collect all the materials or tools provided to you in one place. Set up a space to ensure maximum productivity. It is smart to prepare for lessons, projects, and tests way ahead of time.
6. Maintain Submission Deadlines
Always keep a good eye on the due dates. Be aware of your deadlines. If you want to make the most out of your remote internship then you must adhere to its timeline. Too much delay from your end only means that you are not serious enough and you will be falling behind your friends.
7. Interact With Fellow Interns
You guys are well acquainted with the virtual mode of communication. To enhance your experience get connected to your peers via email, message chats, or social platforms.
Give and get support, and engage professionals to build your network early.
8. Set Personal Goals With a Schedule
Connect to your supervisors to get an outline of the project scopes and frameworks. You may have to pursue the virtual internship along with your school/college being in session. So a proper schedule will always save the day with setting up personal learning goals.
9. Share Your Ideas
In order to grow as a professional, and be a team player you need to get out of your comfort zone and share your ideas. Be bold enough to share your personal opinions and thoughts with others.
10. Ask For Feedback
During your internship get connected to your virtual program director and ask for regular ongoing feedback. Virtual internship best practices will help you in keeping track of your learning experience and growth.
Don’ts
1. Overcommitment: Take on More Than You Can Handle
The phrase ‘Only bite what you can chew’ applies here perfectly. Only take on the tasks that you can handle. Earning an experience certificate or impressing your supervisor – yes those are important but not at the cost of burning yourself out.
2. Afraid of Communicating/Asking Questions
Put your best foot forward to ensure you get maximum earning experience. Do not hesitate to ask your questions. You will end up learning more about the job role than anyone else.
3. Compare Yourself With Other’s Pace
Being unfamiliar with particular knowledge or technology does not make you wrong or a stupid person. Everyone has their own learning pace, so do not compare yourself to other interns.
As you have your weaknesses and bad days, so do others. Instead, put all the focus on improving yourself.
4. Informal/Unprofessional Behaviors are No-No
Do not suddenly assume you can communicate casually. In a professional setting, you must not take things personally but professionally.
5. Miss Out on Virtual Events
Virtual internships usually come with a handful of events: orientation, fun sessions, felicitation ceremony, and a lot more. Make sure you are present in all the panel discussions and virtual events that are going on. It is essential for you to be there to experience the internship in totality. It also means you will connect with many people from different demographics without stepping out of your home.
Recommended Read: How to Boost Your Resume Through Virtual Internships?
Conclusion
A virtual Internship seems like an excellent way to start your journey in the professional world. Not only adding to the work experience but also learning about real-world scenarios. The hands-on learning approach has proven to be successful for students of the future.
At Mindler Immrse, we have tried and tested methods to elevate the internship experience.
Our short-term Virtual Internship Program (VIP) happened to give you real-world job experience for your chosen career. Visit the website to get real-life experience for your dream career!
