Nearly 70% of graduating seniors from the Class of 2019 completed an internship experience. For students, remote global internships can provide the added advantages of a safe work-based learning experience, eliminating travel and housing costs, and flexibility to manage dedicated school and work hours while still demonstrating a student’s interest in developing a global perspective.*
Did you know that Intern Abroad HQ was the first global internships provider to offer the option of interning remotely? Our online internships have provided an accessible, affordable and flexible alternative to interning in-person, enabling hundreds of students and grads to gain international work experience from home over the past year.
This new format has proved very popular: 50% of students who had planned to intern abroad in 2020 transitioned to a remote internship.*
When you intern remotely, you put independence, proactivity and self-discipline into practice - competencies which are all highly prized by employers. Regardless of where you live, a virtual internship recognizes our existence in a rapidly changing, interconnected world and connects you to a world of like-minded professionals and mentors. This has opened up career opportunities to those who may not otherwise have access, such as those in lockdown, those with other time commitments or those with physical or financial limitations.
Recent research shows that students who participated in virtual international internships report the same or better end of program survey results when it comes to skill acquisition and experience [compared to in-person internships].*
Our remote internships include wrap-around support from your Internship Manager, as well as mentorship from your Supervisor. This, along Intern Abroad HQ’s exclusive experiential learning curriculum, empowers interns to develop essential project and self-management skills and learn how to articulate their experience to future employers.
Ready to enhance your career prospects and distinguish yourself as a self-starter? Watch this video from remote intern Beatriz and discover the top 5 benefits of choosing an online internship below!
1. Intern in tandem with your other commitments
The Covid-19 pandemic forced more than 40% of the global workforce to engage in remote work.* Remote working will play a big part in the future of the workforce, and interning online enables you to gain the skills necessary to thrive in a virtual work culture.
Unlike your typical 9-5 internship, Intern Abroad HQ’s remote internships are tailored to your availability, giving you the freedom to cultivate a healthy work-life balance and work around other time commitments or physical restraints. You have the flexibility to choose your own hours and begin your online internship whenever suits you best!
Program durations range from 100 to 350 hours and provide a platform for you to establish a part-time or full-time schedule, across 3 weeks to 4 months. You may also be able to start your remote internship as soon as one week after applying!
Our long-term and short-term internship options mean you can complete your online internship program alongside other time commitments, such as studying, working a summer job, caring for sick family members, or even as part of a gap year.
The online format provides a safe learning environment for students with disabilities, physical limitations and those who find it hard to secure internships due to socio-economic background, discrimination or other reasons.
“Intern Abroad HQ offers the perfect level of flexibility and customization - it is perfect for students who are juggling school and work at the same time. They provided consistent checkups and feedback throughout the internship process which was so helpful. The internship provided me with a platform to practice what I want to become: a voice of the voiceless in the context of human rights and social justice in societies.” - Tinevimbo Takawira has completed two Remote Human Rights Internships with Intern Abroad HQ
See how remote internships work
2. Gain international work experience without the cost of travel
Online internships are considerably cheaper than interning or studying abroad, as you don’t have to worry about the cost of flights, accommodation and insurance. This provides a more affordable and accessible alternative to travel. Despite being at home, you still get the opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture, work alongside people from another country and open your mind to new ways of thinking, working and living.
Intern Abroad HQ’s remote internships have opened up opportunities to a diverse range of interns from different backgrounds, countries and cultures around the world, including those who may not otherwise have access to international internships.
Our virtual internship fees start at just $1099 (approximately 1099) for a 100 hour full-time or part-time virtual internship and include:
- Securing your dream internship placement
- Dedicated support before, during and after your internship
- Personalization of your internship plan
- Orientation and coaching with your supervisor
- An exclusive Experiential Learning Curriculum
- An international reference letter
“From the beginning, I was amazed at how connected I felt to everyone from halfway across the world. One of the most memorable moments was being added to the WhatsApp group for 10th grade students learning English. The kids sent voice memos to introduce themselves. It was really special to get such a warm welcome.” - Naomi Roter, Remote NGO & Social Work Internship out of India
3. Develop essential self-management skills
According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report, employers rated critical thinking and analysis, problem-solving, and self-management as the most critical skills for the global workforce moving into 2025. These skills are integral to all global internships, whether in-person or remote.*
Self-management is part of a newly emerging skill group that helps students get career-ready, preparing them for a successful transition into the workplace. This skillset is particularly relevant to international remote internships, as these programs must manage differences in time zones.
This can be an advantage for students who can submit work to a supervisor and receive feedback quickly the next day. It can also push interns to work independently on project-based tasks, as this kind of work can be completed at any time. This allows students to gain in-depth knowledge in a specific subject matter and to develop organizational, time management, and project management skills that will serve them well in both their academic and professional lives.*
A survey of Global Experiences employers found that employers scored students’ demonstration of the critical thinking competency slightly higher for remote interns in 2020 than they did for the in-person interns in 2019.*
“We have found a time that works for all of us to have our conference calls and I have learnt how to manage my time better to help smooth out any communication difficulties. The team has also provided me with insight into how to communicate better. This will definitely help me in my career and with any other international experiences in the future.” - Berkley Dronett, Remote Social Work Internship out of Tanzania
4. Become a global citizen from home
For students who select a remote global internship, the value of this experience lies in the opportunity to build a global network, increase cultural awareness and enhance language skills.*
Global citizenship is an ever-more important quality that employers look for, as it demonstrates self-awareness, cultural empathy, moral decision making, and being an active community participant.
An online internship with Intern Abroad HQ gives you the opportunity to develop cross-cultural experience by working alongside organizations in over 20 countries across a range of career fields. This diversity of choice gives you the freedom to explore industries, cultures and economies, bringing a unique perspective to your internship experience.
Many of the countries which host our remote internships provide the opportunity to supplement your experience with online language lessons. While English is accepted across all of our internship programs, language classes serve as an extra boost to your cultural immersion, personal development and give you the chance to connect with others virtually. If you’d like to combine a remote internship with language lessons, our team can help you find the best program to suit your goals.
“My remote internship involved collaboration with a former engineering intern from the US. Collaborating together was the best and brightest moment I have ever had during programming. Usually, I have done coding alone, so the opportunity to collaborate helped me learn about the importance of team development and sharing knowledge with others. Participating in an online internship as a Japanese student was a meaningful experience. I was surprised that you can “code-speak” with engineers from all over the world. Learning from the wisdom of other engineers was an important experience for me.” - Kazuhisa Noguchi, Remote Computer Science & IT Internship out of Spain
5. Receive dedicated coaching and support
Intern Abroad HQ’s online placements are unique as they include an experiential learning curriculum - something not offered by other providers. This commences after your internship has begun and involves completing weekly guided written reflections, in conjunction with your internship placement. This approach enables you to connect your experiences to the development of essential soft skills for employability and resilience. It also means we can monitor intern progress in real-time, while encouraging self-reflection, growth and self-awareness from participants.
Interns receive multi-layered support from their Internship Manager (Intern Abroad HQ), Local Internship Coordinator (liaison between intern and supervisor) and Internship Placement Supervisor (provides guidance and mentorship):
- After applying, we ask prospective interns to provide their CV and information about their area of study, skills, personal interests and career goals
- We work with our in-country local coordinators during the matchmaking process, as they have relationships with local companies, startups, institutes and NGOs and are in the best position to match interns with a host organization
- We propose a specific placement to the intern, which is personalized to their goals. If they are dissatisfied with the proposal, we work with the intern until we find an organization that they are 100% happy with
- Our local coordinators then work directly with the intern to confirm the scope and objectives of their role, and draft the internship schedule, balancing what the intern wants to get out of the placement with where they can make the greatest impact
- Interns receive a comprehensive internship manual, which communicates: what to expect, “code of conduct”, next steps, an orientation checklist and introduces organizational culture
- All internship programs begin with a comprehensive orientation to get interns familiarised with their new position, team, organization and culture
- The local coordinator and intern kickoff the program by agreeing personal objectives, deliverables and a check-in timetable
- The number of intern positions on each remote program is capped to ensure interns receive support and can make a significant contribution
At Intern Abroad HQ, we can also support you with meeting course credit or academic requirements. Whatever your criteria may be for obtaining credit through your academic institution, let us know and we can work with you in a personalized manner.
“The internships manager would send weekly reminders for your reflection journals which are a huge help in developing yourself professionally during the experience. I would definitely recommend the online internships if traveling overseas is not possible at the moment!” - Monica Abesamis, Remote Social Work & NGO Support Internship out of Tanzania
Learn more about experiential learning
*All statistics from: Mason, L. & Martel, M. (2021). The rise of remote global internships: Promising practices and implications for career readiness. Institute of International Education.
How can I get started?
Our step-by-step guide on how it works provides you with more information on how to get started. The process is user friendly and there are two options you can take to get the ball rolling.
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If you’re unsure of which internship program is right for you, you can simply check availability to submit an enquiry which will help us to point you in the right direction. If you want to chat over the phone, you can also find our full contact information here.
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If you already have an idea of what you want to do, and when you want to do it, you can submit your application. It doesn’t cost anything and won’t take more than 5 minutes. However, your formal expression of interest provides the foundation for us to help you take the next steps.
