With the paradigm shift to remote work as a kind of new normal, working-from-elsewhere has increasingly become a desired feature of any job, it’s worth taking a look at some of the ways that this massive transformation has affected things associated with work – like internships. The necessary shift to virtual internships for many companies cleans the slate and allows for an intriguing slate of possibilities to take advantage of this ever more common way of working. Here’s how these companies have revised their programs over the last few years.
Tell us about your virtual internship program.
Farmers Insurance® is proud to offer career-building experiences with an industry-leading brand through our paid summer internship program. Over the course of 10-12 weeks, interns at Farmers® have opportunities to work remotely with accomplished professionals and gain hands-on experiences by helping to develop meaningful solutions to help address real business challenges. The structured program allows interns to explore roles in their desired career paths while gaining exposure to other facets of an innovative enterprise. Farmers interns spend time developing skills in various areas of the business, including claims, finance, marketing, underwriting, sales and IT.
What are some of the different ways virtual internships can be beneficial, as opposed to in-person internships?
At Farmers Insurance®, we are committed to offering a robust internship experience that allows participants to explore career paths while networking and nurturing professional skill development regardless of where interns work. Since successfully transitioning most of its employees to a virtual work environment, Farmers has adapted its summer internship program to occur remotely in 2022 as well. To help extend Farmers culture to interns participating remotely, Farmers offers formal and informal professional networking sessions, volunteer activities and ways to give back, as well as opportunities to connect with leaders and explore departments outside of their assigned team.
Check Out Farmers Insurance’s Careers Page Here!
Tell us about your virtual internship program.
RingCentral offers 12-week internship programs three times a year (summer, fall and winter) to give new and soon-to-be graduates hands-on experience and a sense of our unique work culture. We have been offering our internship program virtually (remote) for the past 2 years and have found the experience to work extremely well for students and their mentors. As we come out of the pandemic, we will look for ways to give students exposure to our office environment as it’s a great way to experience our work culture. RingCentral is committed to a “work from anywhere” culture, so remote work will remain a core part of our experience.
What are some of the different ways virtual internships can be beneficial, as opposed to in-person internships?
Offering a virtual option to any internship program is nothing short of a smart idea. The time and location flexibility a virtual internship offers allows us to match great talent with amazing opportunities. RingCentral is a cloud-based communication and collaboration company, so doing things virtually is second nature to us. We are seeing that virtual internships foster more inclusion and greater diversity in the people who are able to participate. We are expanding the reach of our internship program and seeing the level of talent rise. It’s truly an ideal situation as we continue to experience hyper-growth as a business.
Check Out RingCentral’s Careers Page Here!
Tell us about your virtual internship program.
Nextdoor offers full-time, paid software engineering and data science internships that last 12 weeks over the summer. Interns are matched with a team based on their interests and are paired with a mentor who supports their professional and personal growth. Over the course of the internship, interns have the opportunity to work on meaningful, impactful projects and gain hands-on experience while getting immersed in Nextdoor’s vibrant company culture. From attending fireside chats with our leadership team to participating in various events, interns create lasting friendships and memories as they build connections with employees across the company!
What are some of the different ways virtual internships can be beneficial, as opposed to in-person internships?
Virtual internships provide a unique opportunity to use different technology in order to amplify the experiences of interns and a team. There is more flexibility and creativity when planning events in order to cater to interns in different parts of the world and learning styles. We’re excited for our program to be a hybrid of in-person and virtual, offering the flexibility for interns to work from the comfort of their home or visit our new office in San Francisco.
Tell us about your virtual internship program.
IZEA internships are 12-week-long experiences for college credit during which interns get the same tools, information and training as full-time employees, attend any all-company meetings/trainings, and participate in company culture-related activities, such as virtual events. Managers do regular one-on-one meetings with their interns and offer regular feedback and mentorship to make it a beneficial learning experience. Internships also offer flexibility for interns’ spring break plans, finals or other responsibilities. Many interns have become full-time members of the team and we encourage interns to keep in touch with IZEA to apply for future opportunities. Interns can also do multiple internships to get a feel for different departments. Those who are interested can check out IZEA careers page.
What are some of the different ways virtual internships can be beneficial, as opposed to in-person internships?
A virtual internship offers flexibility for students who need to juggle classes and the internship by eliminating any commute time. It also gives IZEA the flexibility to offer internships to more students from almost anywhere in the U.S. Interns can also get experience working remotely and using the various tools and software programs that facilitate virtual work to help prepare them for full-time employment.
Check Out IZEA’s Careers Page Here!
Tell us about your virtual internship program.
We have a best-in-class virtual intern program. It has grown from 7 interns in 2019 to a projection of 50 in 2022. (2021 had 34 interns). Our program runs from 10-14 weeks and many of our interns have successfully added part-time work during the school year and about 20-25% return to full-time jobs when they graduate
What are some of the different ways virtual internships can be beneficial, as opposed to in-person internships?
The key is to keep the interns engaged with their teams and one another because they are all remote. It also teaches them independence and how to project and time manage. When everyone is in an office it is easy to “micro-manage” your intern but when you are remote, you have to manage yourself and demonstrate your ability to be productive and provide value. So we do several things:
First, we hold weekly intern team meetings where they share what they are all working on with one another; second, we host a virtual “show and tell” at the end of the program where everyone is invited to learn what the students have done over the summer and their contribution to the company”. Third, we do meetings with each of our senior leaders with the interns which is easy to do when everyone is remote and it allows the interns to get to know and ask questions of our senior-most leaders, including our CEO and President. Last, I hold weekly 1:1 with each intern to ensure they they are well integrated into the company