Imagine this: you’ve just graduated and have no idea what your next steps are. You’ve studied for three to four years, and you’re now ready to enter the working world. So where do you begin? This blog is where all your answers will be.
Internships sound like a good start. You come across two types of internships, an in-person one and a remote one, and you’re unsure of which one to apply for. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. So here’s an honest breakdown of both.
In-Person Internships
Some may think that an internship will consist of running up and down getting lunch orders for your superiors and barely getting hands-on experience; this is an outdated view, and a real in-person internship means the internship will focus on giving you real experience you will use to do the job to the best of your ability. You’ll be exposed to real daily work operations; you’ll be able to collaborate with your colleagues, build professional relationships and connect with people on a face-to-face level.
You will be required to show up every day for work, where you’ll have your set working hours and a set time for when you leave. Once you join, you’ll be assigned to a supervisor who will oversee your work and ensure you become accustomed to the work, the office culture, and the company’s SOP (standard operating procedure). In-person internships offer you a tangible work experience. If you’re considering an in-person internship, it’s important to understand that it can lead to full-time employment. According to NACE’s 2025 Internship & Co-op Report, employers extended full-time offers to 62% of their 2024 interns.
Pros of an In-person Internship
- Interns may find it easier to talk to people when they’re face-to-face rather than being behind a screen. They’ll find it easier to form real connections with their colleagues and meaningful relationships with their peers and mentors.
- An in-person internship provides a structured work environment that’s built around schedules and punctuality; these structures allow for streamlined teamwork and instant communication with each other.
- There’s also the possibility of receiving travel allowance for you to make your way to the office.
- When working on-site, you have complete access to your mentors; you’re able to receive hands-on guidance on anything you may be struggling with or have any confusion cleared up instantly. Mentors can provide you with immediate feedback.
- Unlike remote internships, companies will provide equipment to their interns such as laptops, headset and or phones.
Cons of In-person internships
- In an In-person internship, there is not much room for flexibility; you have fixed hours. This means you will need to adjust your schedule accordingly.
- If your internship is far from where you live, this may cause some constraints for you: travelling to the office, finding the right routes to take and having to wake up early in order to arrive on time.
- Some interns may find the hustle and bustle of the office distracting, making it harder to focus; this could affect your work quality and your work output.
Remote internships
A remote internship often means you’ll be more than likely working for an overseas company. These types of internships are offered to students who either aren’t able to or simply don’t want to relocate but still want the experience that an internship overseas would give them. This means your entire internship is conducted online, through virtual meetings, emails and companywide messaging platforms.
When we think of an internship, most of us might have the idea of being stuck grabbing coffee for the higher-ups, sitting in meetings taking notes or printing pages till you and the printer are best friends; however, with remote internships, that worry is taken out of the equation completely. Graduates are offered the opportunity to gain valuable experience they otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to with companies from around the world, giving them insights and unique perspectives.
Pros of Remote Internships
- This internship type offers you more flexibility with your time, meaning you decide your hours and where you want to work; you’re able to curate a work environment that best suits you.
- When working remotely, you’ll be able to save on travel costs, whether you’re familiar with taking public transport or driving yourself around; working remotely cuts that aspect of your mornings out completely.
- Some virtual internships even offer you travelling allowance in the instance where you may want to go to a cafe or a shared workspace to work at.
- Remote internships offer you a different set of skills that an in-person internship wouldn’t be able to offer you, such as being tech-savvy, working on multiple different work platforms and thinking dynamically.
Cons of Remote Internships
- Weak communication or a lack thereof could set you and the team back; when interns don’t communicate with their team on issues or problems or choose not to speak up when confused could push production back by days or even weeks.
- A weak mentor could also lead you to feeling lost, confused, anxious and unsure of how to proceed; this would then affect the quality of work you’re putting out.
- When working remotely, you’ll have to be your own motivator. It’s easier to get into that working spirit when surrounded by other people working, but with remote internships, there isn’t that motivator, which means you need to hold yourself accountable and ensure your work is complete and of good quality.
Remote vs In-person Internships: Side-by-side comparison.
| Factors | Remote Internships | In-Person Internships |
| Flexibility | Able to work whenever and wherever they want | Fixed working hours |
| Cost and travel | Spends a lot less on travel fees | Higher travelling costs |
| Mentorship | Mentors are less hands-on, no micromanaging | Hands-on mentorship |
| Networking | Meet people from around the world but no face-to-face interactions | Better opportunity to connect with colleagues in meaningful ways |
| Pay potential | Can be paid or unpaid. Depends | Often paid, especially at larger companies |
| Skill building | Improves digital, independent work and communication skills | Hands-on experience and understanding office work culture |
Where to apply for an internship?
Now that you know the main difference between an in-person and remote internship, where should you be searching for these opportunities? A few places you should always keep in your rotation are job boards or job search engines. Such as LinkedIn, which advertises plenty of remote and in-person internships within a wide variety of roles. Next to consider would be Indeed; similar to LinkedIn, you can find an array of job ads along with a wide range of internship opportunities, both remote and in-person.
If you want to go through a facilitator to help you find and curate your internship search, then checking out places like Recruitable and Capital Placement are great options to help you through the entire process of finding an internship that suits your needs and interests.
Conclusion
Finding an internship can be hard, but it doesn’t need to be. Once you’ve done the proper research, finding one that suits you and fits your needs, then landing that interview and internship will be easy. Both internship types have their pros and cons; understanding your strengths and knowing where you may need improvement may be what helps you in choosing the right fit for you. So now that you have the comparison of an in-person internship vs a remote one, which one will you be applying for?
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