McKenzie Campbell
Staff Writer
Internships are integral to success after college. They allow for students to experience work environments that coincide with their desired career fields. And as if finding a meaningful internship isn’t already difficult enough, it may seem like the current pandemic has made searching for these openings even more trying. To decrease the effects of COVID-19, face-to-face opportunities were cancelled this past summer and fall. This left some students scrambling to find other options.
As a result, sites such as Indeed, Chegg Internships and LinkedIn have changed the game. Not only have most schools successfully transitioned to remote learning, but major companies have taken this opportunity to meet students’ needs by moving their internships to online platforms. These sites offer everything within fields like journalism, teaching, editing, marketing, design, and photography.
This opens doors for all college students, especially those who are low income and might have to work while also attending college. While internships can still go unpaid, COVID and remote work has made some companies more willing to work with interns’ schedules.
Furthermore, Indeed, Chegg Internships and LinkedIn have made their search engines simple. Each site makes you type in keywords (i.e. journalism and teaching) that match the internships you are looking for and allows you to use a remote option for the destination. While some companies have decided to move forward with their face-to-face opportunities, you’ll find that a lot of companies like Luxe Kurves Magazine, HarperCollins, College Fashionista, Penguin Random House and the American Autism Association have vouched for a safer approach to job searching.
Each site also allows for their users to create personalized profiles with previous or current work experience, a professional headshot and a personal bio to let recruiters get to know you a bit more before they make their decision on whether they should interview and hire you.
This is a chance to network outside the proximity of your current home state from the comfort of your home. On LinkedIn, it’s possible to connect directly with people who work in your desired field or company. You can privately message them to ask about resume tips, how they landed their job and even interview tips.
You’ll find that a lot of these remote internships can be based in cities such as New York City, Boston and San Francisco. Ever dreamed of moving to “The Big Apple” or “The City by the Bay” after college? Well, now is the time to make those necessary connections to make this dream a reality. All it takes is a computer and a little time dedicated to creating the perfect resume and cover letter.
In the time of COVID, networking has never been made so convenient. Undergraduate and graduate students may feel like the past year has been a loss, but far from it. There are internships out there; you just have to be willing to search for them. Keep your head up and continue to adapt to the current situation.
THE CAROLINIAN 
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