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Center for Remote Internships and Experiential Learning
Center for Remote Internships & Experiential LearningCreate a Remote Experience

Create a Remote Experience

Getting Started

Companies around the world are quickly changing how they manage recruitment of new talent, which includes managing experiences for college students like internships and other experiential learning opportunities. To help companies think through this process, the Career Center has gathered best practices to craft remote internships for the first time, and those who have managed virtual teams for years. Below resources will assist with planning for successful onboarding, training, and impactful work.

Guides and Resources to Create Successful Internships

 

Examples of Remote Internships and Descriptions

Darren Murph, Head of Remote for GitLab, stresses the importance of choosing the appropriate projects for remote interns. “It's important to select projects which are important or notable to a large group. This ensures that many people in the organization are invested in the interns success, and it widens the scope of available mentors who are knowledgeable about the project and can step in and help across time zones.”

Examples of remote internships:

TYPES OF EXPERIENCES

Remote Internships

Project Based Learning

Service Learning Projects

Micro-Internships

INTERNSHIP POLICIES

  • Unpaid/Non-Credit Internship Programs

    U.S. Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act on Unpaid/Non-Credit Internship Programs

    It is strongly preferred that organizations pay interns for work performed. If your organization is unable to offer a paid internship, please consider helping the student with a stipend for expenses related to their internship. If your organization hosts unpaid internships, Stony Brook University’s Career Center recommends that you carefully review the U.S. Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act on Internship Programs.

    The Career Center will only post/promote unpaid internships with for-profit or not-for-profit organizations that meet the following criteria:
    The organization must be willing to take necessary steps for students who wish to gain academic credit for their experiences and provide offer letters.

    • Unpaid internships must not exceed 15 hours a week
    • The Career Center reserves the right to decline to post any unpaid/non-credit internship
  • Credit Bearing F2F Internship Programs

    Credit-Bearing F2F Internships: COVID-19 Changes

    Employers Hiring Students in Credit Bearing F2F Internships: Students requesting to register for an academic internship in a specific semester will be permitted to accept on-site experiences with the appropriate documentation. Employers should be prepared to supply processes/procedures currently being used to encourage and maintain a safe work environment during the time of COVID-19, considerations and recommendations from the CDC, local, and state governments. These procedures will be reviewed as part of the approval process that includes Career Services staff, program faculty, and academic departments.

  • Non-Discrimination Policy for Internships (P102R)

    Non-Discrimination Policy for Internships (P102R)

    Consistent with federal and state guidelines, Stony Brook University does not discriminate on the basis of any protected class including race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, national origin, age, disability, marital status or status as a veteran or disabled veteran in its educational programs or in employment. Title IX also prohibits other forms of sex discrimination such as harassment or sexual violence. For more information on Stony Brook Title IX, please visit the Title IX website.

Face to Face versus Remote

What is the same?

Clear Roles and Responsibilities

Intern responsibilities, assignments, and compensation are set before recruitment begins; focus on deliverables.  Expectations should be clearly set at the start of the experience and should be discussed frequently.

Recruiting

Recruiting interns through Handshake postings & transparent interview process.

Intentional Planning for Onboarding

It is important to create a plan to ensure a smooth transition into the organization and to help interns understand the culture of your organization.

Training

Develop a curriculum so interns can supplement their existing knowledge and skills with industry and company specific information and protocols.

Supervision

Create a structure for interns to regularly receive feedback and have the opportunity to network with yourself and others.

What is different?

Team

Give careful thought to how you will welcome interns into your organization and incorporate them into the team virtually What are the elements of your culture? What does engagement look like in a remote setting?

Communication

Serendipitous conversations are unlikely; communication must be planned, intentional, and extra clear.

Time Management

A remote internship requires independence and self discipline.  Focus on having a set structured schedule and identify deliverables you expect on a consistent basis.

Technology

Reliance on technical skills and technical tools for shared communication and project updates is an important piece to consider; be on the lookout for interns without consistent access to technologies needed.

Opportunity

A remote internship creates an opportunity to think outside the box for leveraging virtual work innovatively in support of an organizational mission.