Career Center

Eastern Washington University

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Virtual Internships – Student Guide

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In March of 2020, the EWU President sent out an email, highlighting some changes to internships as it relates to the COVID-19 outbreak.  It states:

I’ve determined that it’s in the best interest of our students, faculty, and staff to suspend all face-to-face instruction for the remainder of the academic year. This includes all internships, labs and practica that require face-to-face contact. Students may still enroll for course credits if their work in these programs can be completed in a non-face-to-face format. Please reach out to your department chair or program director for further guidance.

This means that there will be no on-site internships for Spring 2020.  Some of you may have already made necessary adjustments (with your faculty internship advisor and site supervisor) to your internship experience.   However, if your internship could not provide a remote internship, please contact your faculty internship advisor for proper guidance on what to do next.

For those still looking for an internship (or need a new one), be sure to ask the site:

  1. Is your internship remote for the upcoming spring quarter
  2. Will it remain open (including teleworking) for the entire internship period.

If both answers are yes, then you can proceed forward in your internship.  If not, meet with your Faculty Internship Advisor to find alternative solutions.

Best Practices While Interning Remotely

Finding an internship during the time of social distancing can be a little tricky.  The process for finding one is pretty much the same, and companies are even changing their internship opportunities to say “remote” or “virtual” in their postings, which is great.  So now that you have one, here are some adjustment strategies that would help you navigate the experience a little smoother.

Set a Schedule and Stick with It

Set a work schedule for your internship and commit to it. This allows your site supervisor to know when to expect your work. A schedule will also help you balance the demands of school and your internship, without sacrificing sleep or personal time.

Use a task list

Write down what you need to accomplish before you start working for the day, then refer back to your list often as you get things done.

Limit Distractions

Working remotely means dealing with a lot of distractions, especially from social media. If you allow yourself to be sidetracked by your friends’ photos, instant messages, online games, and interesting news articles, it will take you twice as long to finish your tasks.

Check-In with Your Supervisor Regularly

Internships are unique because they are designed to help students learn and grow, as well as network with people in their desired field. Interns should be in continual communication with their employers.

Stay in a Professional Mindset

Certainly, the perk of a remote internship is working in your pajamas, but try not to get too comfortable.  Sometimes that extra flexibility can take you off your A-game.

Take breaks

If you’ve never worked remotely, you may find yourself getting sucked into a project and working for long stretches without a break.

Consider a change of scenery

You may also find that working in the same room (especially your bedroom) all day is making you a bit sluggish, maybe a bit stir crazy.  Try different parts of the house.

Other Resources

Internship 101 Workshops
Every other Thursday (Starting April 9th)
2pm-3pm
Online (Via Zoom), Register in Handshake
The Career Center will go over how internships work, how to find them, and how to set them up for credit.

Virtual Internship Search Websites:

Virtual Internships – Employer Guide

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On March 2020, the EWU President sent out an email, highlighting some changes to internships as it relates to the COVID-19 outbreak.  It states:

I’ve determined that it’s in the best interest of our students, faculty, and staff to suspend all face-to-face instruction for the remainder of the academic year. This includes all internships, labs and practica that require face-to-face contact. Students may still enroll for course credits if their work in these programs can be completed in a non-face-to-face format. Please reach out to your department chair or program director for further guidance. 

Some of you have already responded, and have already made adjustments to your internship program.  For those who haven’t, It is important to know that this is required by EWU (and the State) for companies to have a plan for accommodating your interns remotely, should they continue to have one.

  1. Could your internship be completed in a non-face-to-face format for the upcoming quarters
  2. Will it remain open (including teleworking) for the entire internship period.

If both answers are yes, then the internship(s) can proceed forward.  If not, it’s likely that your internship will need to be postponed until further instructions.

**If you currently have an intern, and cannot provide a remote internship, please have your intern contact their faculty internship advisor for proper guidance on how to secure their academic credits.

Strategies for maintaining a good virtual internship

Choose The Best Platform For Online Collaboration

Virtual interns need a place to share documents, assign tasks, and communicate regularly. An online collaboration platform ensures that everyone is on the same page. Ideally, there should be Video Conferencing and Project Management online tools in place to aid this process. Interns can also use these online platforms to clarify tasks and ask questions. Here are some that you can look into.

  • Zoom
  • Microsoft Team
  • Asana Task Manager

Incorporate Group Projects and Activities To Build Practical Experience

Projects, case studies, scenarios, and online training examples give virtual interns real-world experience in a supportive online setting.

Schedule Weekly Web Meetings

Weekly web meetings give interns, managers, and coordinators a chance to touch bases. They can discuss the virtual intern’s progress and create a plan to help them improve.

Incentives

Many internships involve some sort of compensation. However, you can further motivate students by adding bonus incentives. They don’t necessarily have to be monetary, but it’s preferred.

Offer Ongoing  Support And Feedback

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is leaving your virtual interns to their own devices. You cannot simply set the ground rules, give them a list of tasks, and then send them on their way. Virtual interns need ongoing online support and feedback so that they can continually improve.

Other Resources

How do I ZOOM?

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You’ve probably noticed that many people, including the Career Advisors, are asking you to engage over Zoom.

Zoom is video conferencing software typically used with the camera and microphone on your computer, laptop, or mobile device. It’s offered for free if you are affiliated with EWU as student, faculty, or staff.

If you do not fall in this category, there are still some free services you can access on Zoom.

Getting Started

Enter your meeting ID from a Zoom meeting invite or login to the dashboard using your SSO:

Getting Help

Quick Tips for a Successful Zoom Meeting

  • Find a quiet space. Mute your microphone until you need to speak if there background noise like pets, children, traffic, etc.
  • Test your technology before the meeting. You can create a “personal meeting” to practice.
  • Position your camera so it’s at eye level so it appears as though you are looking at them and not up, down, or to the side.
  • Have an alternate plan if you run into issues, i.e. phone, email, etc. You can use Zoom’s chat window in a pinch if you are running into an audio issue.
  • Make sure your device is charged.
  • Wearing headphones can reduce audio feedback.
  • If you are the meeting creator, keep meetings secure by requiring a password.
  • Want an EWU-themed virtual Zoom background? Get them here.

Want more tips? Check out this article on how to be a Zoom power user!

Don’t worry if things don’t work out perfectly. Many others are new to this as well and are figuring this out together!

*** Virtual Services for Employers ***

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Thank you so much for your continued support of our students and University. We know that this is a difficult time for everyone and hope that your colleagues, friends, and family are safely weathering the storm. Together, we will all navigate these waters and make it through the uncertain times.

As always, we remain absolutely committed to supporting our students and that includes helping to facilitate meaningful engagement with our employer partners. Their goals haven’t changed and your needs still exist, so we must adapt. Much like many others, we’re actively trying to identify creative ways to make this possible in the virtual world.

To get us started, you will find a menu of options and ideas below. If you or your team have any ideas or suggestions that you would like to share, we’re open to exploring every opportunity.

  1. Post a job or internship on Handshake. For several years, we’ve used this platform to share events, internships, and on/off campus jobs with students. They’re quite accustomed to starting their search here, so it’s your best and easiest way of broadly advertising opportunities.
  2. Host a virtual event. This may seem daunting to anyone new to virtual offerings, but it’s really not that scary. As long as you have a webcam, microphone, and solid internet connection, you can do just about anything. Much like an in-person event, you simply have to set the time and date, provide a good description of what you’re offering, and then provide details for students to join you. In this case, that would be a link to join your virtual event. Not sure how to promote your event? We can help with that!
  3. Advertise your virtual event in Handshake. By listing your event here, you can share what you’re doing with students across multiple campuses with just one post. This is good for events such as Q&A sessions, info sessions, and employee panels. Let our team know you’re posting an event and we may be able to do some additional advertisement for you!
  4. Access Handshake “Going Digital” webinar series and resources. Once you have an employer account, you will be able to access Handshake’s extensive library of training and webinar offerings. Given the current situation, many of the newer offerings are geared toward helping employers and students stay engaged.
  5. Virtual classroom presentations. Some faculty have already expressed interest and support for allowing employers to connect with their classes in a virtual format. Of course, we will have to process these requests on a case-by-case basis, but our team is ready to help facilitate those conversations with faculty.

COMING MAY 2020!

I’m excited to announce that we will soon be soft-launching the Eagle Career Network. This online mentoring platform offers a wide array of options to stay virtually engaged with students, alumni, and other industry professionals. Stay tuned for more information and directions on how to get involved!

Contact Us

Career Passport – Enter to Win prizes by June 1st

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Win prizes to participate in professional development activities!

Get entered to win prizes for participating in professional development activities! The activities are meant to help you discover major/career fit, find jobs and internships, and improve your resume and interviewing skills and more.

Complete each activity on the cards and get entered to win prizes!

*** Some requirements and prizes have been adjusted due to COVID-19 precautions. ***

Click here to learn more