With a pandemic worldwide, students and gradates have had to use their initiative in gaining new opportunities and skills in a time of the unknown. In the gap between finishing my undergraduate degree in BA Hons English Literature and starting my PGCE in Secondary English with QTS, I have taken it upon myself to be proactive and engage with multiple virtual internships, all from the comfort of my own home!
Through the student and graduate mission, Bright Network, I was fortunate in successfully applying and completing four different virtual internships alongside thousands of other students and graduates worldwide.
The Bright Network internships that I attended were as follows:
- Technology
- Business, Operations and Marketing.
- Consulting.
- Commercial Law.
All four internships were three days longs in duration and involved opportunities to engage with top graduate employers. These included Google, Accenture, Alpha FMC, Lloyds, Ofcom and P&G, just some of the many businesses present throughout the internships I attended. The internships were made up of lectures from experts in specified fields, networking sessions with fellow students and graduates, individual work sample tasks and CV workshops.
The internships in Consulting and Commercial Law were particularly challenging for me, mainly due to not having much knowledge about either sector beforehand. However, that is exactly why I signed up for them – to challenge myself! All four internships were fantastic opportunities for me and I have a vast amount of new connections and friendships because of them.
Certificates can be added to portfolios and make excellent evidence for job applications!
So how do you go about seeking remote opportunities during this time?
A key piece of advice is to make great use of search engines and the professional social media platform, LinkedIn. By using block phrases such as ‘Virtual Internships’, ‘Remote Work Experience’ and ‘Student Opportunities’, you will be able to uncover valuable information for opportunities currently being advertised. Making social media posts that ask for advice and direction is also a valuable step in finding a new opportunity.
As expressed by networking guru, Kelly Hooey, during my virtual internships, there are three key aspects of networking: People, people, people!
I hope that this post is of value to you all in further expanding your personal and professional development as a student and future graduate!
Stay safe,
Rhianna. 😊
Twitter: @LittleRhiRhi_
Linkedin: Rhianna Levi
Worcester Student Life 