The advent of the internet and increase in digital communications has changed the way we learn. Many of us take classes online and talk with our classmates and teachers through email and social networking. The benefits of technology for learning are obvious- rapid communication and instant answers mean we can learn anywhere at any speed we want. What you may not have stopped to consider are the benefits of completing a virtual internship. Today’s startups (and established companies, too) are foregoing the idea of an office all together, and instead ask their employees to work from home (or work from Starbucks, the library, or wherever there’s wifi.) Social Media, marketing, and design industries are cited as fields in which many people work from home. Online College writes about the pluses of virtual internships in their article The Invisible Office: A Guide to Virtual Internships.
Some of the pluses include no commute, a broader range of opportunity, independent experience, and practical skills learned from your tasks. The downsides include less training, no insight into workplace culture, and less face-time with executives. Virtual internships are not for everyone, but will definitely give you a leg up professionally proving that you are independently motivated. Check out Online College for more great tips on maximizing all the digital world has to offer.