The beginning of January 2020, for many, was a semester many seniors focused on getting that “first internship” that would transition into a job by the summertime. COVID-19 quickly changed plans of networking and professional development, to binge-watching “Tiger King” on Netflix.

It wasn’t until a close friend remarked,

“all businesses are shutting down, absolutely no one is looking for an intern right now.”

that I felt compelled to write my first blog on where to find a remote internship during this quarantine season.

Before I go into the exact places to go find an internship, I think it is important to note how to prepare yourself for a remote role.

Key tips to have in mind before applying for remote-internships:

1. Update your LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

You are working in a remote world, which means businesses hyper-focus on digital presence to ensure accountability and professionalism. You can start by updating your photos to something professional and taking off or hiding certain comments/photos that would not represent your hard work ethic.

2. Software Experience: Slack, Zoom, G-Suite (Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides) are the basics

Many tech companies use the 3 platforms above, so ensure you have them on your Resume or LinkedIn as a reference to help build your credibility for remote work.

Other cloud-based platforms that companies use include:

• Salesforce
• Intercom
• Github
• LastPass
• Mode
• Lattice
• SLAB
• Zenefits
• Gusto

Although the tech stack is dependent on the internship you are going for, these are platforms typically used to help an organization operate efficiently.

3. Personal Skills: Communication, Objective-oriented, always researching

Businesses are looking for people who have experience working remotely. This means they are looking for someone who can actively participate in meetings, proactively give status updates based on the objectives/deadlines that are set and are making an effort to reach out to teammates to grow a relationship.

You will need to define how you have experience growing these personal skills. An example that might relate, is that you currently are managing a college project completely remotely with your team and you are proactively reaching out and scheduling meetings to ensure you meet your project deadline.,

Great! Now that you have successfully updated your social presence, became familiar with some of the cloud platforms that remote organizations use, and articulated your ability to work remotely, you are now ready to start applying for internships!

Here are some of the best places to find remote work, in no particular order.

Angel.co

Angel is a platform, much like LinkedIn, where you create a profile, network with professionals, and apply for jobs. The focus is that these companies are usually startups that have received funding through an investment round.

The Pros:

• Free to use
• Filter by “Remote Work”
• Jobs posted daily
• Ability to view a companies financial standing (Funding Awarded feature), advisor board and employees
• Ability to find jobs that are very direct in the needs of the business

The Cons:

• Much like Indeed, be careful of spam/fake companies posting jobs
• Cannot share Resume. When you apply for a job, you are sharing your profile, take the time to set up your profile prior to applying for jobs.

Tips to being successful:

• Write a cover letter for every job you apply for. It may be helpful to emphasize why you are applying for the company. Remember, this could be a long-term opportunity!

FlexJobs

Flex jobs are a platform that allows you to search for flexible scheduled and remote-based jobs. This is solely focused on jobs, in which there isn't a marketplace like Angel is creating.

The Pros:

• Filters by 100% remote work
• Jobs posted daily
• Filter by “Internship”

The Cons:

• $10 a month (Bundle options available)

Tips to being successful:

• Profiles are not typically useful. Many times the jobs that are posted just provide a link to the companies career page, so don’t bother making your profile on Flex Jobs perfect.
• Always write a cover letter. Just create a template cover letter in Google Docs and edit.

Upwork

Upwork is a platform that allows you to apply for jobs based on your freelance services. I may write in another blog on how to effectively use Upwork in a manner to gain the experience you need to get your first job, but for now, I recommend creating one to understand needs that companies have.

Today, you may not understand what you want to do with your life. Which is FINE! The great part with Upwork is you can create a profile in which you outline the skills you have learned in college so far. This will get your foot in the door to begin applying for jobs that align with your skillset.

The great part of creating a profile like this is that you will now be gaining experience with remote work and learning the skills necessary to thrive in a remote environment. Also, since you are a “freelancer”, you will have to understand and harness very useful skills like; client management, customer success, consultations, requirement testing, etc.

I wish you the best as you continue to search during this global pandemic. Never give up!