Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Insider Secrets to a Successful Virtual Organization Internship

The New Virtual Organization World
It's a New Principled World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized



If you already know the difference between a Virtual Internship and a Virtual Organization Internship, then you are in the right place and this article is just the right prescription that your Virtual Organization doctor ordered for you.     And if you don't know the difference between the two, then I strongly recommend that you first read  "Difference Between Virtual Internship and Virtual Organization Internship" so you can understand and enjoy the full benefits of this article.

Now that we are all on the same page, let's go over the reasons why it's so difficult to successfully participate in a virtual organization internship:

The Surprise Element

It's not at all what you were expecting.   It's like being told prior to coming to the United States that some streets were paved with gold and that you can literally pick up money from the streets, the land of milk and honey.    You can say whatever you want to say and do whatever you want to do without a worry in the world.   That is, of course, until you find out the truth for yourself.  

In a sense, that's what happens to most of us at the very beginning when we think about a virtual organization internship.   We tend to have this romanticized notion of working in a "virtual environment" and all its perks and benefits.   The freedom of not having someone looking over our shoulders and micromanaging all our moves;  being able to get away from the political intrigues, gossips, backstabbing and ass-kissing that is common in the brick-and-mortar workplace; and being able to work at our own pace, leisure and discretion as long as the job gets done on time and on schedule.

But here is what we don't know:  1) the rules of engagement in a virtual organization are completely different than what we are accustomed to in the brick-and-mortar or social network space;  2) the expertise level and quality of work expected and required in a virtual organization internship are much, much greater than that of a typical internship since the primary purpose of the internship is to expose and mentor us on  "virtual organizations" and the "virtual organization management discipline" while, at the same time, allowing us to "showcase" our education and knowledge in the virtual organization environment; and 3)  an extraordinary amount of discipline and strong code of ethics are required.   

In other words, there is no room for mediocrity and you really, really need to already be an exceptional student with a good set of skills.   A virtual organization internship is NOT designed to mentor and provide you with educational training in your current field of study or serve as a means to get your foot in the door at some company.  

The Cost Element                   

The virtual organization training and performance monitoring is extensive; is conducted on a daily basis by a high-level executive, thus making a virtual organization internship an extremely costly proposition for the sponsoring organization.   Therefore, there is zero tolerance for nonsense, mediocrity, or lack of commitment.    The minute your mentor gets the impression that you are just skating by, farting around and passing the time away, or just having a difficult time adjusting to the new virtual organization landscape, you will be dropped from the program.   After all, time that is poorly spent on you is time that could be used toward other productive and revenue generating endeavors - as the saying goes, time is money.      

The Fence Sitting Element           

Sitting on the fence is something that we have all been guilty of at some point or another during our lifetime.  I am sure you can remember how hesitant you were at being the first one to get on the dance floor, regardless of your dancing skills.   This is one of the most fatal mistakes that most virtual organization interns (and executives alike) make.   Their first tendency is to begin to look around to see who else is around and doing what, instead of getting down to the task at hand.  They are scared to be alone, lack confidence in their individual ability to execute, jerk around and play games, or go into a  "deep freeze" mode.   By the time they get a chance to begin to warm up a little bit, it's too late and they are sent packing for failing to meet the very high standards of a virtual organization internship.

How to Overcome These 3 Challenges and Begin to Kick Butt From Day One

Begin to show seriousness and establish goodwill early on throughout the process.     Be sure to send a cover letter which outlines your interest in "virtual organizations" and the "virtual organization management" discipline and why you want to be part of this exclusive club.   Invest the time needed to read and understand these three documents:    1) Difference Between Virtual Internship and Virtual Organization Internship,   2)  A Global Need for Principled Leadership,  and  3)  A Global Need for Principled Leaders.   

These documents provide a great deal of insight into virtual organizations and the virtual organization management discipline and the reasons why they will be in our future for a long time to come.    

Virtual Organization Employers like the fact that you've taken the time to read and understand the ad you're responding to since they know from experience that most candidates don't really give a hoot; and that it's all about "Quick Scan Job Title" and "Submit Resume."   

Follow the process.     Although you may not know it, the minute that you respond to an ad from a Virtual Organization Employer, you are being evaluated on your ability to learn and adapt to a new process in a new environment.    You are not just responding to an ad.    If it makes you feel as if you were applying for admission to grad school, then you are not far off from the mark - and there is a good reason for that.  Your potential employer wants to know whether or not they should invest in you and if you are worth the effort.    They don't want to bother with cocky and arrogant candidates who have issues with the process they have to follow.     Therefore, do not dismiss any request as being too cumbersome or time-consuming, or provide sloppy content.   That's the surest way to get fired without ever being hired in the first place.

Timeliness is next to godliness.      All meetings and conferences will always be held via videoconference, therefore, absent a force majeure event, there is never a reason to be late for a meeting.   Waiting to log into the conference room at the very last minute says a whole lot about you.   If anything can happen, it will - and, unfortunately, right when you're trying to login at the last minute, that's when your computer decides to crash or stall on you.  As well, there are millions of other reasons why you may be prevented from logging in.

Nonetheless, regardless of the situation, be sure to place a call into the conference on a timely basis using the call-in number for the conference and then request to be excused if a videoconference is mandatory.  Otherwise, the employer will assume they're dealing with a flake and ban you from further consideration for any current or future opportunities.

Our practice is to warn all candidates in advance that the conference room will close at exactly the time scheduled - not one minute before or after - and to at least place a call into the teleconference using the call-in number provided if there is an emergency.   Failure to follow that simple directive causes nearly 50% of all candidates who are scheduled for videoconferences to be automatically excluded from further consideration.

Once upon a time, we used to try to be flexible, however, we've found out over the years that the candidates (internship or regular staff) who started out on the wrong foot tended to be irredeemable, mediocre performers, and unable to adapt and thrive in a virtual organization environment.     Now, we have Zero Tolerance for candidates who have a problem with timeliness.   One minute is all it takes to have a Virtual Organization Employer permanently close the door on you.        

Here is a very interesting stat:   Based on experience over a 20-year period, we can expect over 30% of candidates to be early and ready to proceed on a timely basis during a scheduled teleconference or videoconference; 50% will be late for one reason or another for at least one minute or more; and the remaining 20% will just be No Show-No Call.          

Maintain a professional appearance at all times.  Just because you are working in a virtual environment doesn't mean you have to wear your Mickey Mouse t-shirt and look as if you had a hard night or just woke up from a deep sleep; especially during meetings and conferences with colleagues and clients.   In the absence of any specific directives, assume that the dress code for all meetings is business professional. 
      
Don't allow yourself to get caught with your pants down.   Once you receive an offer, do not underestimate the challenges that are ahead of you.  No one is going to baby you, try to bond with you, try to build trust, try to handle you with kid gloves, or try to motivate you in order to get you going.   Your new virtual organization internship sponsor is looking for any valid excuse to get rid of interns who consider themselves to be royalty with a sense of entitlement, sacred cows and prima donnas; or lend the impression of being unethical, burdensome, substandard performers, scared, insecure, lazy, procrastinators, game players or spoiled brats. 

A virtual organization internship is "hard work" and requires a lot of dedication and effort starting Day One.   And since you are evaluated and given an actual virtual organization performance score on a daily basis, these scores do add up - which means you cannot afford to slack off for one minute, let alone a full day or week.    Otherwise, you will wind up digging yourself into such a deep hole that you won't be able to crawl out of.  As a general rule, the minute that your virtual organization performance score drops below the "Satisfactory" level, you are dropped from the program.     
 
Keep this in mind:  Many new virtual organization interns will not last beyond 7 days and a great number of them are dropped after the very first day for just that reason.    That is why you have to be on your A-game from Day One in order to complete a bona fide virtual organization internship and join the ranks of successful virtual organization internship alumni.  

Don't fall for the fanciful notion that a "virtual internship" gives you a great deal of flexibility.    First and foremost, this isn't a virtual internship.  It is a "virtual organization internship" and, by now, you should already know the difference.   Second, "Don't believe the hype!"     That is the number one  delusion that plagues most "virtual" or "virtual organization" workers.  Somehow or another, they've been led to believe ::: or are under the illusion :::: that just because the nature of the work is virtual, this gives them a great deal of flexibility in terms of when they can do their job.  

This delusion causes them to pack their full day schedule with every sort of activity known to mankind (slight exaggeration, of course) :::: sometimes even an extra part- or full-time job or go on a Mediterranean cruise vacation :::: and then believe that, through some sort of miracle, they will somehow find the time needed to perform their "virtual" or "virtual organization" tasks.

Be humble and keep an open mind.   There is nothing worse than a closed mind.   There is so much to learn from and share with your colleagues.   The connections you make during your brief stay in a virtual organization could make the difference between day and night for your career; so don't shut out others or give the impression that you have nothing to learn from them.    I've learned a great deal from the interns I have had the privilege and honor to mentor over the past 18 years and will continue to do so.  Failure to do so would be a sad day for the virtual organization management discipline.

In Conclusion

I could go on and on, for days and weeks on end, about all the things you should do or look out for, which would take all the fun, excitement and mystery about a virtual organization internship. Therefore, for the sake of brevity (don't laugh), I will stop for now. Best of luck with your virtual organization internship!

*************







About Author:  Pierre Coupet, Q of VOM, is the founder of Virtual Organization Management Institute (VOMI), Virtual Organization Management Institute Repository,  VOMI Global Think Tank VOMI Virtual Organization AcademyVirtual Organization LeadershipVirtual Organization AdvisorsVirtual Organization RecruiterDigital Currency Consortium, Digital Currency Ethical Board,  Virtual Organization JobsVirtual Organization  Executives, and Blockchain Executives :: founder of the modern virtual organization management and virtual organization recruitment disciplines pioneered since 1997:: founder of League of Extraordinary Virtual Organization Executives:: and Lead Architect of  Futuristic City-State Enclave Based On a Civilized World Financial SystemContact Online.   



Stock Photo: courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Copyright 2007-2023. Pierre Coupet. VOMI. Virtual Organization Management Institute. Virtual Organization Leadership. Virtual Organization Advisors.  Virtual Organization Executives. Blockchain Executives. VOMI Virtual Organization Academy. Virtual Organization Recruiter. VOMI Global Think Tank. All rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced without permission.





Difference Between Virtual Internship and Virtual Organization Internship

The New Virtual Organization World
It's a New Principled World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized



"What is the difference between a Virtual Internship and a Virtual Organization Internship," is the most often asked question from interns that we get to answer over and over, and this article is intended to shed a great deal of light on this subject for those students who wondered about it and never got a chance to ask.

Well, there is a big difference between the two of them and knowing that difference can save both, you and your potential sponsor employer, a great deal of grief and disappointment; and, in the case of your employer, a huge waste of time, money and resources.

A "Virtual Internship" Is Only About Working in a Virtual Environment

A “virtual internship” means that you will be working for “some organization” in a “virtual” environment - meaning via the internet using various collaboration tools and that specific organization's homegrown policies and procedures, if any, for working in a virtual environment.

In 99% of cases, that organization will be a “brick-and-mortar” organization - meaning an organization which has one or more physical locations. With respect to the other 1% of cases, that organization will be a "virtual employer" organization - meaning an employer with no physical locations.

As well, the focus of the virtual internship is based on either your major or some other field of study. For example, if you are studying to obtain a degree in accounting, you will most likely seek an “accounting” internship.  However, that being said, you may instead decide to apply for a “marketing” or “political science” internship.  It’s all up to you and the organization that you applied with.

Personally, I've known of plenty of Political Science students who've sought accounting and public relations internships since there aren't that many political science internships available on the market.

As for the availability of "virtual internships" with "brick and mortar" companies and "virtual employers," more and more companies are taking the plunge and experimenting with this new mode of providing internships to students.

A "Virtual Organization Internship" Is All About "Learning About Virtual Organizations and the Virtual Organization Management Discipline"

Whereas a “virtual organization internship” means that you will be working in a “virtual organization” environment - meaning that you will be working in a “virtual environment” for a “virtual entity” which operates in accordance with the virtual organization management discipline. Therefore, by definition, that organization or entity or business unit cannot be a "brick-and-mortar" organization.

Which brings us to the following definition of a “virtual organization”:    A virtual organization is an organization which strictly consists of the following: 1) has a “virtual workspace,” 2) has a virtual workforce, and 3) operates strictly in accordance with the virtual organization management discipline pioneered by its founder. There is absolutely no room for ambiguity or equivocation.

And what do I mean by “operating in accordance with the virtual organization management discipline”? That means, “using standard best practices, policies and procedures for operating in either a ‘virtual’ or ‘virtual organization’ environment”; practices and policies which are based on a set of universal governing principles in order to accomplish a virtual organization's objectives, AND which apply to any organization in the world -- instead of just one specific organization.

Some of these "governing principles" are referenced in the following documents: “A Global Need for Principled Leadership” and “A Global Need for Principled Leaders.”

As well, the focus of a "virtual organization internship" is based strictly on teaching you (and you learning) about "virtual organizations" and the "virtual organization management discipline."   The cost of providing such internship is very expensive to the employer and granting such internship (or allowing such internship to continue beyond a certain period of time) is taken with the utmost amount of care and scrutiny.   

In which case, providing practical experience, mentoring and education in your field of study becomes of secondary or tertiary importance.   Therefore, outside of the original purpose of a virtual organization internship just enunciated, such internship can "only allow you to apply your current education and knowledge in a virtual organization environment." 

And, last but not least, the performance requirements for a virtual organization internship are exponentially more rigid.  The chances of completing a virtual organization internship at full term are much less than for standard brick-and-mortar and virtual internships. 
 
A Clear Evaluation of Your Needs and Priorities Is Important

When you are only looking for practical experience.   Therefore, as is the case for most students, if the primary purpose of an internship is for you to gain some practical experience in your field of study, or some other field, and it doesn't really matter to you whether or not the employer is a "brick-and-mortar" company, "virtual employer" or "virtual organization," then you are better off participating in a "Virtual Internship."  In which case, stay a mile away from a virtual organization internship!

When you are looking for convenience, better quality of life, and greater opportunities.    If you are intently seeking a "virtual internship" for logistical reasons (cost savings, much more convenient, and provides a better quality of life) as well as to provide you with a greater pool and range of opportunities, in addition to gaining practical experience in your field of study;  and it doesn't really matter to you whether or not the employer is a "brick and mortar" company or "virtual employer" or "virtual organization" as long as the employer allows you to participate in such "virtual internship";   then you are better off participating in a "Virtual Internship."  

In today's day and age, millions of small-to-large employers are making these opportunities more common and available to students.
When you are looking to learn about virtual organizations and virtual organization management.    On the other hand, if you are intently seeking a "virtual organization internship" opportunity for the express purpose of learning about "virtual organizations" and the "virtual organization management discipline"; and it does indeed make a difference to you as to  whether or not the employer is a "virtual organization"; and gaining practical experience in your field of study is incidental to your quest and thirst for knowledge about virtual organizations and the virtual organization management discipline - a huge bonus of sorts since its net effect will be to allow you to "apply your education and knowledge" in that virtual organization environment; then your one and only option is a "Virtual Organization Internship."

In today's day and age, you can count "on one hand" the number of employers offering Virtual Organization Internship opportunities around the world. 
Why is that, you might say?   That's because 99.999% of people and organizations - and, until today, even you the reader - were not even aware of the difference between "virtual" and "virtual organization" as they apply to any particular entity, market segment, industry, field, subject, topic or circumstance (e.g., internship, organization, employer, employee, executive, leader, project, campus, education, training, certification, leadership, seminar, conference).  

As far as they are concerned, "virtual this" and "virtual organization this" are both one and the same.   The very few who represent that .001% of people around the world that we at Virtual Organization Management Institute (VOMI) have exposed to the distinction between "virtual" and "virtual organization" are yet to be heard, and we have much more work ahead of us in order to spread our message far and wide.               

In Conclusion

If you have a passion for "virtual organizations" and the "virtual organization management" discipline, then it’s worth all the effort and strength that you can muster in order to seek participation in a bona fide Virtual Organization Internship.  You will become part of a very small and elite group of virtual organization professionals around the world.

But if you're only looking for practical experience in your field, then stay as far away as you can from a Virtual Organization Internship.  Even if you were selected to participate in such internship, your chances of winning the million-dollar lottery are much greater than being able to last in this internship for more than a week.

*************








About Author:  Pierre Coupet, Q of VOM, is the founder of Virtual Organization Management Institute (VOMI), Virtual Organization Management Institute Repository,  VOMI Global Think Tank VOMI Virtual Organization AcademyVirtual Organization LeadershipVirtual Organization AdvisorsVirtual Organization RecruiterDigital Currency Consortium, Digital Currency Ethical Board,  Virtual Organization JobsVirtual Organization  Executives, and Blockchain Executives :: founder of the modern virtual organization management and virtual organization recruitment disciplines pioneered since 1997:: founder of League of Extraordinary Virtual Organization Executives:: and Lead Architect of  Futuristic City-State Enclave Based On a Civilized World Financial SystemContact Online.   



Stock Photo: courtesy of Pixabay

Copyright 2007-2023. Pierre Coupet. VOMI. Virtual Organization Management Institute. Virtual Organization Leadership. Virtual Organization Advisors.  Virtual Organization Executives. Blockchain Executives. VOMI Virtual Organization Academy. Virtual Organization Recruiter. VOMI Global Think Tank. All rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced without permission.