Virtual Internships: How These 5 Companies Made Them Rock

COVID-19 threw a wrench in nearly everyone’s plans last year, including college students who hoped to gain valuable work experience with a summer internship. In 2020, internship hiring dropped by 49% compared to the year before. 

But a number of companies pivoted and created remote internships that provided meaningful work experience, ample opportunities to interact with execs and other employees, and fun ways to connect with their cohort. Virtual internships offered a big advantage too: Because students didn’t have to pay for housing or transportation costs, companies could attract a more diverse group of students. 

As this summer approaches, internships are continuing to evolve. A recent poll by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 43% of companies plan to offer hybrid internships in 2021, while 38% will have programs that are entirely remote. A survey by RippleMatch, however, found that “hybrid” means different things to different companies. For some, it means that while most interns will work remotely, a few — whose roles require they show up in person — will work onsite. For other companies, it means that internships will be mostly virtual but will include at least one trip to a central location. 

Only one thing is certain: Internships are as important for college students who want to gain real-world experience as they are for companies that want to build talent pipelines. And at least for a while, they’ll be heavily remote. Let’s look at five companies who got the remote internship right.

1. PepsiCo engaged interns in projects that had a real impact on the company

PepsiCo faced a particular challenge in 2020 with its 2,000 interns across the globe. In a normal year, the majority of the company’s interns would be out in the field talking to customers or on delivery routes, immersed in sales and supply chain management. Because that wasn’t possible, PepsiCo revamped its typical 10-12 week program and shortened it to six weeks – but interns were still able to work on projects that had a real impact on the company.

PepsiCo kicked off the program with an Intern Challenge, in which interns tackled projects that had the potential to create long-lasting change in the company. The students took a deep dive on subjects ranging from how to drive sales during the pandemic to how to work more effectively from home. When they finished, they presented their results to executive leadership. 

In addition to offering workshops by corporate leaders, PepsiCo paired each intern with a mentor. “One program that we were really excited about,” says Blair Bennett, senior vice president of global talent acquisition at PepsiCo, “was that we partnered with our employee resource groups and did one-on-one mentoring to give interns even more exposure to different types of roles and people within the organization and to provide a sense of our diversity.” The company also split students into teams of six, run by a “challenge coach,” to work on strategies for improving the Food for Good initiative, which provides healthy meals to underserved communities. 

For fun, there were TikTok competitions, Instagram takeovers, and snack boxes filled with the company’s popular treats that were delivered to their doors. 

“We worked hard,” Blair says, “to give them an experience that would feel like ‘a day in the life’ at PepsiCo.” 

2. Abbott found innovative ways for students to connect with one another and with senior leaders

Going remote was a more natural fit for Abbott, a healthcare technology company based in Chicago, because most of the participants in its 12-week internship program work in science, technology, engineering, and math. But the company still hustled to create something as valuable as the in-person experience. 

One of Abbott’s top priorities was fostering connection, so the company created its own app, Abbott InternLink, where its 230 interns posted 30-second introduction videos and participated in virtual scavenger hunts and trivia contests. The company also assigned students to a “peer buddy” group, which was guided by a senior coach, and paired students with multiple mentors. 

To expose interns to the real scientific world, Abbott took them on a live mobile video tour of manufacturing plants, which was followed by review discussions with onsite professionals. 

Abbott also offered a level of interaction between senior leaders and interns that would have been nearly impossible if interns were participating in-person. C-suite executives spoke with and took questions from interns regularly via video chat, and Robert Ford, the company’s president and CEO, delivered a graduation address.

3. Omnitracs created meaningful relationships between interns and top leaders

Selected by the jobsite WayUp as the Standout Virtual Internship Program of 2020, Omnitracs set itself apart by truly helping interns create meaningful relationships with executives. Yes, the fleet management software company offered interns more expected perks, such as swag, a computer, virtual game nights, and a Lunch and Learn series. But Omnitracs also made sure that all interns got one-on-one time with executives. 

Instead of just interacting with company leaders during a speaker series or a video Q&A chat, many interns reported directly to a vice-president. All of them received leadership training from VP and GM Michal Yariv. Each intern had a chance to present to executives and, on their last day, to receive feedback directly from CEO Ray Greer. 

Omnitracs created a real connection between interns and leadership — a feat that was all the more remarkable because the company pivoted to virtual in only a matter of weeks. 

4. Merck interns gained crucial experience in the science world and had their names included on research papers 

The pharmaceutical company Merck faced challenges similar to PepsiCo. While PepsiCo normally had interns out in the field, Merck usually had its interns working in the lab. So it was quite a pivot transitioning 550 interns to remote. But Merck got creative and gave interns a 12-week experience that, as one intern wrote, was a “unique and fruitful adventure” filled with “hopping from meetings to seminars to networking events to literature reviews to even video editing.”

Instead of running reactions in labs — which is what their in-person internship would have looked included — Merck’s interns created their own podcasts and public information videos and worked on blockchain technology. They gained experience that had real currency in the larger scientific world by cowriting research papers and getting credit for their contributions. They also received training in soft skills such as presentation and hard skills such as data analysis.

But there was also plenty of time for connection: Merck implemented an intern speakers series and offered one-on-one networking opportunities. 

5. Citi offered every intern who met minimum requirements a full-time job and, in some cases, relief from college debt 

WayUp voted Citi the No. 1 internship program for 2020 — and for good reason. Citi’s 2020 class was one of the most diverse in the country, comprised of 50% women and 27% Black and Latino students. And while the internship program gave its 1,500 participants globally valuable real-world experience, it was what Citi offered at the end of the program that set them apart: full-time jobs and some reassurance in the midst of uncertainty.

Every summer intern in many of the (remote) offices who met minimum requirements received an offer of a full-time job upon graduation. The bank also offered scholarships to students from underrepresented communities to help them pay for college once they graduated.

Keep in mind that Citi made its decision to offer jobs at a time when many companies were laying off or furloughing employees. 

“Each year, our summer interns provide a great source of energy and new ideas to the firm,” says Courtney Storz, who was Citi’s managing director of global campus recruiting and programs. “Citi decided to commit to providing full-time offers for our interns because we knew they were facing many uncertainties during this time. We intended to reassure them about their role at Citi and our commitment to their careers.” 

Final thoughts

It’s still a challenging time for everyone, as the workplace continues to evolve in response to the pandemic. But with careful planning and a willingness to innovate, companies can still create internships that are valuable talent pipelines for companies and, as the Merck intern wrote, a “unique and fruitful adventure.” 

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