Elizabethtown College’s School of Business launched a pilot internship program this spring, in partnership with Virtual Internships to offer students a broader range of career-development opportunities from around the globe.
Currently, eight Etown Business students are enrolled in the program, through the sponsorship of James B. Hoover, founder of the Hoover Center for Business. Internships are guaranteed for every student that signs up to participate in the program, which allows students the opportunity to choose an internship focused on one of 18 different career fields.
“The virtual internship program has allowed me to gain valuable experience in my field of interest, while also providing me with flexibility and convenience,” Business Administration and Management major, Jacob Hill ’23 said. “As someone who is involved in multiple extracurricular activities, I appreciate being able to work on my internship assignments from anywhere, at any time. Additionally, the virtual format has allowed me to work with people from different parts of the country and the world, which has been a unique and enriching experience.”
Among the eight students participating, six different countries and companies are represented. Locations include Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Sweden, Malaysia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
“We have students from all class years participating in the program right now,” Elizabethtown College Assistant to the Dean of the School of Business for Experimental Education, Suzanne Biever-Grodzinski said. “There are seniors who already have a number of internships under their belt, and they’re just trying to diversify their resume a little bit more. Then there are first-years who have job experience, but it’s not in their field and they want to start building their resume.”
Throughout the experience, students work with both an Intern Experience Manager and Internship Coach, completing weekly check-ins and coaching calls. Additionally, students can attend weekly group discussions with their peers, to further expand on their skills or address any obstacles.
On completion of the program, students receive a certificate of achievement, as well as a full assessment marking their overall progress throughout the program, in relation to their skills, goals, and personal growth.
“This program gives students real-world experience outside of the classroom, that companies are looking for,” Biever-Grodzinski said. “Companies want a student that has the technical skills to do a job, but that also has the soft skills and competencies that are harder to teach. It gives our students a leg up on success.”
About Virtual Internships
Virtual Internships is an organization focused on creating remote, internship opportunities for students. The programs are designed to provide participants with invaluable workplace experience, in partnership with companies across the globe.
