We could list a number of reasons why our Virtual Internship Program (VIP) is a great choice, and in Marissa H'.s case—a Lehigh University student majoring in International Relations and Economics—those reasons are flexibility, mobility, and real-world job experience. Marissa spent the summer visiting friends and family while also completing a virtual internship based in Vienna, Austria.
Marissa shared her experience and a breakdown of a typical week with us to show you firsthand what it's like to be a virtual intern on the road.
Marissa's Take on the VIP Experience
This summer I virtually interned abroad in Vienna, Austria through IES Abroad. Through my virtual internship, I was able to travel the United States while learning and improving my professional skills, which helped me embrace a different story for my study abroad experience.
Projects & Tasks
The organization I interned with is called Impact Hub, which has a vast network of locations around the globe. Their mission is to "Connect, enable, and inspire businesses that innovate with heart, balancing social responsibility with profitability to build a world that works for all." As the Data Analysis & Market Research Intern at Impact Hub Vienna, I analyzed multiple years of responses of their Members Survey and broke down the questions by variables of interest for multiple groups of people with different aims.
Some of my final deliverables for my internship included providing a spreadsheet of the data analysis findings and breakdowns, market research findings, a visual breakdown of the data via charts and graphs, as well as a PowerPoint presentation displaying those same findings, which I presented in our regular team meetings. Additionally, I researched which organizations were running programs similar to the one my team wanted to create and gathered information about each program already in the market.
Experience & Environment
This internship helped me develop personally and professionally. It allowed me to create a world for myself I hadn’t previously thought possible. The working atmosphere and community that Impact Hub provided me with has set the precedent for any employment I will seek moving forward. Everyone I met was incredibly inclusive and uplifting while also offering constructive feedback. It has shown me what a positive working environment should look like, which can certainly be difficult to achieve in a virtual environment halfway around the globe! They consistently worked around any time zone obstacles we faced and the communication was excellent, something that is incredibly important in a virtual environment. We had initial conversations about what work style I should expect, what it was like working in Vienna, and other cultural differences such as how to address coworkers.
Goals & Benefits
My supervisors continually supported me as I worked on my goals, and provided me with resources to help me achieve what I wanted to achieve. Some of the goals I set for myself were to be able to articulate myself better, meet new people, and improve my presentation skills. Impact Hub provided me with many opportunities to work towards these goals as well as strengthen the skills I already had. I could not be more thankful for my internship placement and people I worked with. They really have been impactful, fully living up to their name.
The flexibility of this internship being virtual allowed me to travel to Sedona, AZ with my family for a few weeks and visit my roommate in Astoria, NY for a week, something I wouldn’t have been able to do in a traditional internship setting. I’m grateful for this innovative opportunity and for the chance that something like this gives to students to experience something new.
Without further ado, get a sneak peek into a week in the life of a Vienna virtual intern...
