Covid-19 had its impact on human society and work. However with time, we had adapted to the challenge and have made changes to how we work. Working from home has now become the norm, which can be seen as a blessing for students looking for work. Why? Because now you can apply for internships across the country and even abroad if possible. In this blog we lay down the steps of how you can land an amazing online internship.
Guidelines
During a traditional internship, a student is being taught by a professional particular in the favorable career field. Weekly meetings and video conferencing are also provided for daily mentoring of the student. Projects are provided to students to complete and enrich them with educational values and make them familiar with the workspace. Supervision, quality training, and evaluation are provided by a mentor.
Now, it is hard to maintain traditional internships for the time being as we need to prioritize the health and safety of every member of the campus. To maintain academic excellence, the educational and research development of the campus is also important. Meetings with the internal and external stakeholders should be organized for better communication about reopening plans.
Check out your school’s policies about internship during COVID-19. Some schools may provide students with an on-site tour, or others may prefer remote internships.
Virtual Internship Programs
Virtual Internship Programs are developed to help students with distance barriers provide internship during COVID-19. Here, the host designs remote projects, and work responsibilities suited for the student and provides them with mentor-ship through online meetings and telecommunications.
The student is required to complete the given projects within the time provided. Efficiency is a key point on which the student is judged. Completing projects efficiently and within time would provide more points and experience, thus increasing the chance.
For successful Virtual Internship Programs,
- Clear expectations:
The goals should be set and the projects should be completely clarified in the interns’ minds.
- Frequent communication:
Communication between managers and teams is required for a firm relationship. Daily discussion about the projects and upcoming works will keep students motivated and enthusiastic.
There are several student friendly internship sites, like Internshala, LinkedIn, Fiverr etc, that may give you the chance to gain the precious experience.
Build Your Network
Having a good reputation among the professors has its perks. They might recommend the most favorable students to companies for internships, thus, helping them gain experience.
Micro-Experience
Opportunities are everywhere. They just need to be fetched. Full-time internship during COVID-19 are difficult to achieve now, provided the situation. But some companies provide internships for a short time and are equally helpful in building experience. They help the students to explore their career options and build their resumes.
Companies like Inside Sherpa provide virtual internship options by collaborating with other companies. Big names like Apple INC, IBM, Google, Mahindra Group, Sony Corporation, etc., are also available here. Experiences like software design, data analytics, consulting, and human rights are namely a few that are provided here. Also, this platform is free.
Companies like Parker Dewey offer paid experience for a limited time. Here, micro internships are sorted for easy access and full details about them like, the particular projects to work on, the time, and payment are also clearly mentioned. Experiences range from social media marketing to API script writing.
Volunteering
Volunteering can be a great way to build experience. There is no competition here, unlike an internship, but it comes at the cost of no payment. For students with no work experience, volunteering is an essential step towards landing a good internship in the next semester or year.
Monster, Naukri.com, Indeed, Idealist, and VolunteerMatch are a few websites that help to find a company, suited for the student to gain experience in any particular field.
Independent Projects
If you had something in mind to build up from scratch, I guess you start doing it. Nothing excites recruiters and managers more than independent projects.
You can build your own website, or start coding for a particular software, or you can always build something sophisticated like robots. Even if you lack the fundings to build something sophisticated, maybe you should keep it ready in a design software, and that will go in your portfolio!
Crafting a Resume
After gaining proper experience in the required fields, now, creating a resume is important. A strong resume will get attention. Your soft skills, including the different experiences you gained, should be mentioned.
A cover letter should include all the points about why you want an internship with the company, what you aim to provide the company, and how this internship will affect your future goals. Moreover, your school’s Career Development Office may help you build your resume and cover letter.
Necessary Clearance
If you land an internship abroad or in a specific, you might need to obtain certain clearances. However, your employer ideally will help you get these clearances as part of the hiring process. For example, you might need to achieve a child abuse clearance and federal criminal background checks if you aim to work with children.
Most of the clearances are available online, and some might not cost at all. Make sure to achieve all the necessary clearances as you don’t want the company to prevent you from attending internships due to a lack of clearances.
Contacting With Potential Agencies
Now, as you have prepared a cover letter and a resume, it’s time you start digging for agencies. Prepare a short script mentioning your experiences in a minimalist approach. Always send an email with your cover letter and resume attached.
Now, you need to wait for the agency to reply. Keep in mind that it is standard for a company to take one week to get back to you. Send a reminder 2 days after your interview thanking the interviewer and reiterating your interest in the position.
Additionally, a lot of agencies are still recovering from the covid-19 impact. Keep checking in with the agency to make them aware of your presence and let them know that you’re still interested. This hard work that you put in building your experience will surely pay you off.
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