Careers and Employability Service
Services for current students

Online work experience

Woman working at a dining room table 

Recent months have seen exciting changes in how employers offer work experience opportunities. There are now a variety of online work experience opportunities that you can do from home including internships, placements, insights and vacation schemes.

You may also hear them referred to as remote internships, virtual internships or virtual experiences.

Explore what’s available, as they could offer you something different.

Your next steps

Book an appointment 

 

My virtual internship experience

Woman writing with notebook and phone on table

The internship highlighted the multitude of roles and pathways available within a sector that I am really interested in, giving me more direction on my career journey.
 

Read Anna's blog post about her internship through Bright Network

 

What is an online work experience placement?

Online work experience opportunities refer to any kind of work experience that you can do from home including internships, placements, insight and vacation schemes.

How are they organised?

  • Structured programmes offering an insight into the business and its culture

As more organisations have supported their employees in working from home, some employers have designed web-based platforms and activities to support interns, placement students and students wishing to undertake short-term work experience to gain valuable experience and develop their skills online. These are designed to mirror real life wherever possible.

  • Short, module-based programmes designed to develop a specific set of skills

Some companies including KPMG, Linklaters and Citibank, have partnered with organisations such as Forage, to offer live or resource-based activities. Activities include courses for skills development, networking, working on a task, accessing employer information and much more.

 

Where can I look for vacancies?


Barclays

Bright Network

Forage

Think Pacific

Some providers of online courses and experiences may charge a fee. The University is unable to provide funding to students to engage in online work experience or skills development. We recommend that you research all options thoroughly and consider the benefits before paying fees to join an online activity.

Our advisers can talk to you about your options, just book a careers appointment.

 

How can I develop my career skills online?

There are a wide range of online courses that you can take to learn new skills while at the University or during the vacation periods. A number of examples are listed here:

magpie - online learning engine

Also take a look at the Faculty of Arts Digital Transformations Hub:

How To: Practical Guides for Digital Projects

The following two Moodle modules draw together a range of high quality, free introductory courses on important digital skills:

Introduction to Data and Analytics 

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

The websites below are external to the University. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and does not denote endorsement by the University.

 
 

Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university's control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.

 

Careers and Employability Service

University of Nottingham
Portland Building, Level D
University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 3680
fax: +44 (0) 115 951 3679
email: careers-team@nottingham.ac.uk