“I think that an online internship is only as hard as online school”
Emily, Honours Political Science, WUSC, Organization of African Youth, Kenya, Communications Officer.
A year ago, no one would have planned to do an international internship at a distance, the option didn’t even really exist. But today e-volunteering is a reality for hundreds, with Universities, students, and NGO’s all working together to make it possible. Initially, I am sure this new reality was devastating, to volunteers forced to suddenly return home and to volunteers who had planned on departing soon. I know that an in-country internship comes with entirely different experiences and benefits, that many feel like they are now missing, but I think there are definitely, maybe less obvious, benefits.
I am working as a Communications Officer for the Organization of African Youth (OAY) in Kenya through World University Service of Canada (WUSC). My position was a late addition, as WUSC was trying to adapt their assignments to be at a distance, so I committed to my internship a little more blindly than normal. This was almost a hidden benefit too because I ended up in a position that I don’t think I would have applied for. The Communications Officer role for OAY was designed for a communications or journalism major but it has allowed me to develop skills I didn’t realise I had. I would have never considered my social media habits to be an asset in the workplace, but I find myself carrying over a lot of knowledge that I didn’t realise could be applied professionally during this internship. My placement has also given me the chance to learn alongside OAY and WUSC as we figure out the best practices for e-volunteering. Everyone is adapting and learning right now, which has made it easier to be in an unfamiliar situation because we are figuring it out together.
I know that for many university students the benefits of doing an internship are obvious, it has been proved that experiential learning is effective. Combined with the workplace experience and networking opportunities, it is surprising that more students don’t chose to do an internship. But the truth is that regular international internships come with costs and logistical issues that some people can’t overcome. I had looked at the international internships before but between the travel cost and commitments I have here, it was an idea that I immediately discarded. E-volunteering has made international internships more accessible to students, and I think that we should take advantage of that.
I think that an online internship is only as hard as online school. Sure, there is a lot we are not used to, or that is not ideal, but we are making the best of it. Communicating at distance and self-regulating my working hours are my biggest struggle right now, but I would be in the same situation in an online semester. I think that as we all work through the same struggles and issues of virtual working, we should know the opportunities available to us and make the most of our experiences. I know that I am learning a lot more from this experience online than online classes even though they have similar difficulties.