The Virtual Internship: Education in a Digital Age

Photo Courtesy of Patricia F Anderson, Art by Philomena Meechan

By Jim Ernst, Emerging Leader

Remember your college days? You had at least five hours of class time, a part time job, six hours of homework, plus the clubs you were in, not to mention the two you served on as a board member. Your day was busy, but the one thing every “real world” person tells a college student is to make sure they take multiple internships.

True, it’s great advice for any college student because the knowledge gained from an internship gives a deeper toolbox to draw from, but trying to fit a “scheduled block” of ten hours a week into your schedule is almost impossible. That is where the benefit of the virtual internship comes in.

What are Virtual Internships?

Virtual internships are internships reformatted for the way business is moving. Students are able to gain the experience that is beneficial to their career, but they can accomplish that on their own time. Typically, the student meets once a week with their supervisor to discuss tasks and set goals for that week, just like the traditional internship. The only difference is the actual work is done at home on the student’s time. There is no pressure to sit at a desk for 6 hours twice a week when the same work can easily be done in the comfort of your own apartment. Students can have the ability to get work done and gain the experience in a schedule that fits best into their time.

The virtual internship concept is not only working for interns but employees. In the past two years there has been a rise in people who work at least one day from home. Nearly eight million people now spend one day at home instead of the office. This blending of bricks-and-mortar office and life outside it provides the flexibility the emerging Gen Y workforce prefers.

Employer Benefits

The virtual workplace also benefits employers. What businessperson in today’s economic climate has the time to take even an hour out of their hectic workday to make sure an intern is using their time effectively. Most people don’t have time to spend on the non-essentials especially when everyone is trying to maximize their own potential.  If there isn’t anything for them to actually work on one week, do you really have the time to create busy work?

Treating your intern like an employee, giving them a few tasks with a deadline, allows you to get what you need to get done, and allows you to gain from the skills of your intern without having to babysit. This also requires the intern to show results. Since they aren’t there by your side, they have to work harder to prove they know what they are doing and accomplish the tasks at hand. As an employer, you are able to focus on the actual work that was done instead of the appearance of perceived work.

A New, Emerging Business Format

What about the employer that doesn’t have that desk or even that office? Most new and smaller companies are working out of home or the local coffee shop. This new format works for both groups and now lets students tap a new source of knowledge and gives smaller companies a closer look at the talent that soon will be in the workforce.

Challenges

Most people would be concerned with the lack of communication during the week. With tools such as twitter, Skype, and every other social network you can imagine, there is the ability for constant communication between the groups. The virtual internship is growing in popularity in the US but still receiving criticism from academia due to its perceived lack of personal connection. In Europe, however virtual internships have had major success. Students are not only interning with companies located within driving distance, but they are interning in other countries, gaining an experience far greater than they may have received in their locale.

The Take-Away

If you are a student looking for a virtual internship, I would suggest going about it like a normal internship search. Look at all the places you would want to intern and mention the possibility of a virtual internship if they seem to be lacking the space or it might overall be the best solution.

If you’re an employer and this idea sounds great to you, just mention it to students who apply. Most students aren’t going to turn down a great opportunity. Knowing that you want to help and prepare them for the real world will just show them how much you are ahead of the curve. If you haven’t had much interest from students, just send out a few messages to the department heads at your local colleges.

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