The Covid-19 pandemic is having a major impact on all aspects of the economy including college students seeking summer internships. In response, many employers made a shift so that interns, like full-time employees, could work virtually.
In addition to virtual (or remote) internships, "micro internship" gained traction. A micro internship is generally a short-term, discrete project that lasts between 1 week to 1 month. Last spring as many summer internships were being rescinded, some employers, alumni and others created micro internships for college students to gain some professional experience and enhance their resumes.
With so many college students taking classes remotely, delaying graduation, or taking a gap semester or a gap year, micro internships will likely gain in popularity. Internships are not just for summer anymore!
How to find a remote, virtual, or micro internship?
Traditional job search sites such as Indeed.com, Monster.com, and LinkedIn.com are great sources for internship postings. There are currently thousands of opportunities listed on these sites, however, the listings are posted inconsistently.
In many cases, the posting includes the words "virtual" or "remote," but is not tagged on the website as such. When you apply the available filters, many of the internship opportunities do not show up. Also, there are inconsistencies across sites. For example, there is no tag or filter for "micro internship" on Indeed.com, but a quick search for this term shows more than 400 listings. Monster.com only list one.
Should college students use traditional job posting sites to search for internship opportunities even if there are inconsistencies?
Absolutely yes. There is a great opportunity for those who are resourceful and willing to spend the time necessary.