How a Remote Internship Can Improve Your Resume was originally published on Firsthand.
If you’re a student or a recent graduate and you’re ready to take on an internship in your field, you’ll want to keep your options open. In today’s professional world, there are many opportunities for hybrid or remote work, which of course includes internships. These experiences help build unique skills that can be very valuable to you as you start your career. Here’s how a remote internship can greatly improve your resume.
International Experience
Remote work and internships have opened up the possibility to work abroad—without ever having to leave the comfort of your home! Yes friends, you can now gain international experience with ease, eliminating the expensive costs of travel and relocation. There are many benefits to an international internship.
First, international internship experience gives you a new perspective on the industry you’re looking to get into. Having that worldly mindset will be incredibly valuable moving forward, and it will be a serious advantage for you when start applying to jobs. From a potential employer’s point of view your international experience will set you apart from the rest of the talent pool, since it demonstrates your ability to adapt to new environments, along with your proclivity to take on unfamiliar challenges.
A Bigger Network
This entry sort of goes along with the previous one, as it can benefit anyone regardless of their location. We talk a lot about how the opportunity to network is one of the most important aspects of any solid internship program, but remote internships take networking to the next level.
Let’s say you live in the U.S. and you’re participating in a remote internship program that hires international students. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to build network connections in your industry with people all over the world. A strong professional network in your own city can lead to all kinds of opportunities in the future, so just imagine the enormous benefits of having all those international connections!
A Stronger Candidate
Working remotely, whether it’s a job or an internship, requires you to be able to think and work independently. You’ll have to be very organized, and you’ll quickly realize that learning how to manage your own time is extremely important, as you’ll be operating under much less supervision. Of course, your boss will still be there to help you and guide you, but you’ll be mostly on your own when it comes to how you get your work done.
This higher level of autonomy looks great to potential employers, as it demonstrates that you’re focused, disciplined, and motivated. Additionally, successfully completing a remote internship will show that you’re able to develop your own methods effectively, and prospective employers love candidates who can come in and get started right away with minimal time spent training.
Valuable Communication Skills
Nowadays, many companies are hiring entirely remote or hybrid roles, which means communication between team members and management often takes place online. This type of communication requires higher degrees of efficiency and organization, along with the ability to speak clearly and concisely. Remote work also teaches you how to collaborate in a virtual setting, which can be a bit tricky when compared to in-person work.
With a remote internship, you’ve already dealt with communicating via platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, so you’ll stand out from other candidates who haven’t had that experience. Remember, a strong resume is one that gets noticed, and these unique skills and experiences will be very attractive to potential employers. You can add these skills to your resume in the same way you would add hard skills such as knowledge of the Microsoft Suite or other types of software.
Bridging the Gap
By now, we should all be familiar with the pitfalls of having a gap in your resume. In recent years we’ve also learned how world events can affect our ability to go out and look for a job—lucky for us, a remote internship is the remedy to this. Let’s say you’re a student and for one reason or another, you’re unable to take on an internship that requires travel. In the past this might have been a major obstacle, but nowadays it’s barely a setback.
The ability to seek out remote internships provides far more opportunities for those who find themselves in unique situations. Perhaps most importantly, the ability to think creatively to solve problems and keep your work experience consistent will demonstrate your drive and strong work ethic to potential employers.
Indeed, a remote internship can be very beneficial to you as you begin your career journey. When you’re in a remote setting, you’ll not only save time and money on travel, but you’ll learn many valuable lessons and skills that can be applied to your career far into the future. The bottom line is, when it comes to your career, it’s always important to learn how to think outside the box.
