Traditional internships have become problematic for many students and job-seekers in the past fe
w months. At the same time, many employers have discovered that it is possible to have staff working remotely, as part of distributed teams.
These two trends have combined to usher in a new era of e-internships in some industries - internships that defy geographical boundaries, help to give graduates a competitive edge, and maintain a valuable pipeline of potential new staff for business.
While they may require some additional resourcing and more structured intern support from employers, I believe e-internships are here to stay.
So what exactly are e-internships?
E-internships are similar to traditional placements in that students or potential employees work on real-world tasks, except they don't step foot in the workplace. The skill-based learning, development of theoretical knowledge and understanding of practical processes occurs via desktop applications, meeting applications and webinars. Most communication is through messaging services, social media or interactive software.
The main difference is in how the internship is organised and managed. E-interns need more structured support, by virtue of being physically distant from their supervisor.
Who can offer e-internships?
They are not suited to every industry, but are typically offered by employers in areas that are highly technology-dependent, such as IT, marketing, journalism or design. Since COVID, more businesses with freelance roles are also offering e-internships.
What are the main advantages of e-internships?
- Workplaces are no longer location bounded, so students or potential employees can take advantage of a greater number of work placements and those peculiar to their interests. This is particularly important for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, students living with a disability, or students with family or carer responsibilities, making internships more accessible and equitable. Effectively, the world is an intern's oyster.
- Employers can access a far bigger, previously untapped talent pool, across national and international borders. Recruiting less orthodox candidates helps to maximise an organisation's cultural diversity and knowledge, and even provide opportunities to operate across geographical locations and time zones.
- No additional facilities or physical adjustments are needed to accommodate an e-intern, and the arrangement significantly lowers the cost of participation for the intern. This opens up e-internships to those with limited financial means.
What are the main disadvantages of e-internships?
- They require a degree of technological competence, confidence and infrastructure on the part of the intern.
- Unless the organisation is informed and supportive, it may lack awareness of the learning opportunities that exist for the intern and how to deliver them. Equally, the employer needs to invest time and resources in establishing the necessary systems.
- Without the traditional "water-cooler conversations" or social interactions, e-interns may find it more challenging to develop an understanding of the organisation's professional attitudes and values.
How to make an e-internship work
The success of e-internships will depend somewhat on the organisation's culture. Supervisors need to establish regular check-in times with the intern and to be proactive in asking whether they need support.
Not all interns will be suited to e-internships either. During the recruitment phase, supervisors should assess the candidate's technical competence, and their ability to work in a self-directed fashion, in isolation. This may also help to determine the level of support they will need.
So, in summary ...
E-internships have their shortfalls, and may not replace traditional internships entirely, but in the current circumstances they are a great opportunity for interns and employers alike. And they do enable some experiences that a traditional internship does not - including internships in specialist areas, internships with well-known international employers, and the relatively simple creation of multicultural project teams.
I have every confidence e-internships will contribute to the workplace readiness and employability of future graduates, and provide opportunities for an increasingly diverse student population.
There is no doubt that workplaces of the future will include some remote working arrangements, so I feel we have a responsibility to ensure our students will succeed at that and be competent using the systems and workflow management tools an e-internship entails.
Some people see e-internships as a stop-gap measure, but as the months progress, I think they will become part of the normal internship options available. We need to prepare organisations and graduates for it, and focus on the advantages it delivers.
