Imagine: You’re sitting on your sunny deck with an iced tea in hand along with your trusty MacBook. Instead of browsing Pinterest for hours, you’re gaining valuable real-world experience through a virtual internship. How amazing is that?
1. You can create your own schedule. Flexibility is a huge perk of virtual internships. Most employers are willing to work with students and their schedules too. Especially if you need to balance your internship with a part-time job, remote internships offer the flexibility you need.
2. You don’t have to leave your house. Another great benefit of virtual internships is that you don’t have to relocate unless you want to. No commute. No in-person meetings. No office hours. And if you want, you can work at a coffee shop for the afternoon. Virtual internships give you the flexibility to work from any location you desire.
3. You’ll build valuable connections. While it’s very likely you’ll never meet your boss in real life, you will have the opportunity to build relationships with professionals in your field. These connections will play a huge role in your career and discovering future jobs.
4. You’ll save lots of moo-lah. Finding an internship can be super expensive, especially if it’s unpaid. If you’re tight on cash, a virtual internship is a great option, seeing as you don’t have to worry about the cost of commuting, finding temporary housing or buying new clothes for work.
5. You have more options. The opportunities are practically endless for remote internships. In fact, you could work for a company across the world if you really wanted to. Resources such as Muse Jobs, Levo League and InternMatch make it easy to find remote opportunities. As long as you do your research and only apply for positions at reputable organizations, you’ll be able to find a valuable virtual internship that fits your needs.
6. You’ll gain real experience. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you won’t gain valuable experience. In fact, a virtual internship can offer just as much (if not more) experience than a traditional internship. You can expect to be assigned real-world projects and have the opportunity to build an outstanding portfolio.
7. You’ll learn how to manage your time. When you work from home as an intern, your employer will expect you to be independent and responsible. The skills you gain from this remote position will transform you into a more confident professional and teach you how to be an accountable employee.
Have you ever had a virtual internship? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.