The Covid pandemic has resulted in a distinct shift in work culture. Organizations are now hiring from a global pool of talent, and interns are working remotely at various reputed companies. Virtual internships are pretty common these days, with several companies offering remote work facilities.
Students and young professionals are increasingly enrolling in virtual internship programs. The remote placements are also helping them acquire valuable technical experience in real-time and learn new skills on the job. With companies now offering the flexibility to work from anywhere, virtual internships have as much credibility as full-time jobs.
Hence, listing virtual internships on your resume will increase your chances of landing your dream job.
You can either apply for remote positions or also for in-house positions as well. This is because, for most jobs, it doesn’t matter whether you are working from a desk at your office or a sofa in your living room. It is the skills that matter, and virtual internships can also offer you lots of them. Listing them on the resume and highlighting them correctly will increase your chances.
Is it Wise to Add a Virtual Internship to Your Resume?
Unless you have had a thriving career where you have worked in stellar positions, it will help if you add a virtual internship to your resume. This is mainly meant for students and young professionals who have just embarked on their careers and might not have yet spent much time in the industry.
Including the virtual internship in the resume will show that you have the necessary experience even though you might be fresh out of college or are a novice in the industry. It shows you are disciplined enough to work with passion even when you are not coming to the office every day. Since many organizations also offer certificates or recommendations after the internship, that will also help you during your job search.
Reasons to Include Remote Internship in Your Resume
Including your virtual internship in your resume will give you an edge over other graduates looking forward to getting hired. Here are some reasons to consider including your online or virtual internship in your resume.
Fill in Gaps in Your Resume
It helps when you do not have to explain gaps in your resume to your prospective employers. You might be opting for higher studies or could be pursuing a passion and do not want to get tied down with an office job. Hence, without your virtual internship, you would have been left with a gap in your resume, trying to explain what you were doing in that period.
A virtual internship shows that you had used that time productively and had not let your career take a backseat despite your other obligations or interests. Or, you could have also opted for an internship over the summers, which would open doors for you in the industry rather than simply doing odd jobs in the neighborhood. This shows your dedication and farsightedness, and your recruiters would appreciate it.
Shows Your Time Management Skills
Remote internships are not as easy as it sounds. While the interns have the opportunity of working from their homes or any other location, it requires tremendous dedication and time management skills to stay on track. With a remote position, you will not have a supervisor constantly monitoring you, as would have been the case in your office. Any assistance that you need will also be provided remotely.
Much will rely on your dedication, discipline, and time management skills. This will be reflected when you list your virtual internship on your resume. Working all by yourself at the beginning of your career can be challenging but also very fulfilling. It will be a great learning experience that the recruiters are sure to consider.
Bonus Read: 10 List Of Strengths For Job Interviews.
Working with International Companies
You can show that you have experience working with international companies and their global teams by including a virtual internship in your resume. Thanks to the emergence of remote and hybrid work cultures in the last few years, recruiters are hiring talents from all across the world. It is a great way to add international work experience to your resume without traveling.
International internships broaden your horizons by exposing you to different work cultures, even when you are working remotely. You learn about different approaches and often come across new technologies in other countries. Most importantly, it helps you build an international network and get to know a diverse group of people.
It shows that you are adaptable, and if you have to learn a foreign language to do your job, that will be an added feather in your cap. Your recruiters are sure to be impressed. You will have much better chances of getting recruited by global giants at a later stage if you have interned with an internationally renowned company and listed it on your resume.
Bonus Read: How to Write Cover Letter For Internships With No Experience?
Enhances Your Communication Skills
While working virtually might seem like you are working alone from the comforts of your living room, it requires powerful communication skills. You have to make presentations and explain them online. You have to be in constant touch with your colleagues and ensure that you are on the same page while collaborating online on a project.
You need to be vigilant about timings and deadlines if you are located in a different time zone and communicate accordingly at any time of day. After all, you cannot simply walk into your mentor’s cabin when you feel stuck! You will develop a strong sense of team ethics and become adept at using various online tools to enhance your communication channels. Including all this while listing your virtual internship online will increase your prospects.
Bonus Read: Answering “How Would You Describe Your Communication Skills?” (Examples)
Things to Remember When Adding Virtual Internship to Your Resume
Since virtual internships differ from regular ones, you should take special care while listing them. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Use Data to State Achievements
It would be best if you highlighted your successes while discussing your virtual internship. List the projects you were a part of. Use numbers to show how your contribution helped the team complete the project in less time.
If you have increased sales or brought in more clients, highlight the percentage of profit the company enjoyed. How many tasks did you complete within a given period? How did they help you move on to the next project? State the metrics based on which your success was determined to attract your recruiter’s attention.
Talk About the New Skills
Any internship will teach you a lot, both in terms of soft skills and hard skills. While soft skills will mostly mean your communication skills and use of body language, hard skills would include the technical acumen you gathered on the job.
List the new skills that you acquired during your internship. Did you learn to edit videos? Did you know about using new software programs? Did you remember to organize your tasks better using new project management tools? Talking specifically about your unique set of skills will work in your favor.
Bonus Read: In-demand Digital Marketing Skills in 2022.
State The Impact of Your Projects
When you are assigned to a project as an intern, you have a great onus to make a difference. Good managers do not just make interns do the menial groundwork but also help them learn and grow through the process by considering their ideas.
Highlight the projects you have been a part of and how they managed to create an impact. List the assignments you completed and how you managed to influence a competitor or a new client in favor of the company. In other words, show how and why your internship mattered.
Talk About Your Unique Experience
Your resume will become even more enriching if you discuss at least one reason why your internship was so unique. While several young professionals are also opting for a virtual internship, try to state what makes your experience unforgettable. Or, even if it was the same as everyone else’s, try to express it from a different perspective.
This will enable your recruiters to see the more personal side of you. Organizations today place great importance on the kind of employees they want on their team. While being driven and motivated about one’s career, it is equally important to be humble and professional. Talking about your unique experiences creatively will reveal that side.
Do Not Miss Out on Crucial Information
Listing all the critical information is crucial while including your virtual internship. This should include the name of the company, the location of the company, the duration of the internship, the dates of your internship, whether you received any certifications or recognitions at the end of the internship, and details of the project you completed during the period, the skills you acquired and other relevant information.
If you do not have any prior work experience and the internship was your first or second job, then being comprehensive would make a big difference.
Details to Include While Writing About Your Remote Internship in Your Resume
Here are some details and formatting you need to be mindful of while including your remote internship in your resume.
- You can include your virtual internship under the “Work Experience” section of your resume if this is your only experience.
- Additionally, you might create a different subheading for “Internships” if you have interned under multiple companies and list them individually.
- If you have interned under multiple companies, list the most recent work experience at the top and proceed in descending chronological order.
- Be sure to include details like the date, location, and duration of the internship, and of course, your internship title.
- List the key responsibilities that you handled as an intern and how they made a positive impact on your team.
- Highlight any achievements or certifications you received at the end of the internship.
- Keep all the points crisp yet include all the main points.
Example to List Virtual Internship on Your Resume
Here is an example to list your virtual internship on your resume. You can customize it based on your work portfolio.
Title:
Business Development Intern
Nature of Internship:
Virtual
Company:
Greenmarch Infotech Limited, Houston, Texas
Duration of Internship:
10 months
Date of Internship:
March 2021 to January 2022
Critical Skills Acquired During Internship:
•Use of new business and project management tools like SEMRush and Canva
•Use of virtual platforms to hold online meetings and presentation
•Enhanced communication to collaborate with team members
Projects Handled:
•Worked in the team to leverage marketing automation for a paint manufacturing company
•Focused on enhanced customer experience to increase sales by 35% in three months for a global healthcare company.
Awards and Recognition:
Received a certificate for completing the internship. Chosen as one of the top three interns by the project supervisor.
Conclusion
Virtual internships are as helpful as regular, in-office internships. They can be instrumental in giving the much-needed push to your career. Interning with leading companies adds greater credibility to your work experience. Whereas earlier you were just a novice, you will emerge as a professional by the end of the internship.
It can be a great stepping stone and provide invaluable experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life. And hopefully, one day, you will be passing down the same skills and knowledge when you mentor interns of your own.
