Virtual Internships Just Aren’t the Same

Is she at her internship?

When I came across “An Internship From Your Couch,” I did a bit of a double take. In retrospect, I’m not sure why an article about working from home was quite so shocking. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I read it while sitting at my desk, in my office, at my internship.

The article explains that while these so-called virtual internships are still relatively rare, internships during which students never meet their boss or enter an office are becoming increasingly common. They are most widespread in technology and software development, and social media.

A virtual internship in social media? Wouldn’t being social mean going in to the office?

I confess that virtual internships offer opportunities to those students who attend schools far from major cities. But, I also believe that these students should have considered this factor when choosing a college.

At my school, NYU, internships are the norm. People, in part, choose NYU because of all the internship opportunities New York City offers. I imagine the same is true for schools in Boston, D.C, L.A, etc.

Sure, I’ve learned about research and blogging at my internships. These are undoubtedly important things to know. But, my greatest learning experiences have come from simply being in the office. In the thick of things, I can begin to understand how a company functions. It’s in those unoccupied moments, those times when I just listen, that I often get a better idea of the big picture. How can you do that while perched in bed with a laptop?