The rise of virtual internships
2 May 2019
Director International Brett Berquist explores the rise of virtual internships, ahead of the Global Internship Conference 2019.
‘Will an experience learning abroad help me stand out when I graduate and look for my first big job?’ This is the question that many students ask themselves, in New Zealand and around the world.
Recent technology developments are enabling some universities to expand access to global internships without the expense of travel. At the upcoming Global Internship Conference (GIC) at the University of Auckland July 2–5, several papers will focus on developing practice for virtual global internships at Swinburne, Birmingham and Aston Universities – along with a start-up, Virtual Internships.
The GIC gathers education abroad and career services professionals as well as third-party providers that help place students in internships. At this year’s conference, traditional internships are being ‘kicked into the 21st century’ to address access challenges – a traditional Achilles heel for the overseas learning community – where time and funding often restrict participation to more affluent students. The new approach also recognises our rapidly changing world where working remotely, in project-formed teams, is frequent.
The power of virtual internships
Virtual Internships was launched last year by CRCC Asia, a third-party provider of internship opportunities overseas. Daniel Nivern, CRCC co-founder explained, “we’re addressing the biggest barriers to undertaking an internship overseas: time and funding.”
Luke Peak, CEO of the new company, believes this format will increase access for students who wouldn’t have considered an internship previously, whether international or in their home country.
Interns are placed with company projects to work remotely 10-12 hrs/week. Similar to a full-time summer internship, the virtual project involves 250-300 hours of work. Students can complete the equivalent of a full-time summer internship, working part-time alongside their studies over two semesters. The company provides appropriate matching of interns to work opportunities, learning support before and during the experience at a cost of USD995 – significantly less than the average cost of an overseas internship.
While I was studying, I had to fit work experience around university. I could only really work from a company's office over the summer vacation, giving me limited slots to fit in a traditional internship. Why bet everything on a couple of spins of the roulette wheel? So, I started a virtual internship that let me work remotely and fit around my studies. I learnt how to prioritise my time and effort, and how to make the most out of contact time with my manager. These are skills I have used time and again through my subsequent career as a consultant.
Global Internship Conference 2019
Watch the video below to learn more about the Global Internship Conference 2019 at the University of Auckland from July 2-5.