1 What is a virtual internship?

A virtual internship doesn’t involve a virtual reality headset – at least not yet! Also known as remote, online, micro- or e-internships, the key difference between a virtual internship and a standard internship is that you don’t attend the premises of the employer. Instead, you work for them online or remotely, usually from home (or close to home, e.g. in a coffee shop or library).

Typical communication methods include online conferencing tools such as Skype, Zoom or Google Hangouts, instant messaging, telephone conversations, email and various project management tools.

Virtual internships are already popular in the US and growing in availability across the UK. Typical sectors where you might currently find them include IT, sales, journalism, marketing, and software development, but other areas of employment are starting to offer them too (Loretto, 2019). The breadth of opportunities has the potential to be huge.