2023 EdTechX Award Winner Spotlight — Virtual Internships
A conversation with Jason Kan, COO at Virtual Internships
Virtual Internships was awarded the 2023 EdTechX Innovator Award for having a truly global impact on creating better employment outcomes for students. We spoke to COO, Jason Kan to learn more about the positive impact the organisation is making on the lives of young professionals.
Can you tell us about your background and how Virtual Internships was founded, along with the part you played?
My background is a bit of a mix — I was born and raised in the UK as second-generation, with my mother hailing from the Philippines and my father from Hong Kong. Growing up, education was always emphasized, and I learned the importance of resilience and finding solutions in any situation.
After graduating from University of Warwick with a degree in politics, I spent a few years working in investment banking. However, in 2015, I decided to make a big move and headed to China to join CRCC Asia. It was my first exposure to experiential learning, and I was amazed by the transformative impact internships could have on students’ lives.
Over the next five years at CRCC Asia, we worked hard to scale the business, offering internship programs across several countries, including China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, India, and the UK. Despite our success, I realized that the in-person internship model had its limitations — there was a glass-ceiling on its scalability and accessibility.
Early in 2020, I became part of the Virtual Internships (VI) team as the COO, alongside the same co-founders from CRCC Asia. Back then, VI was just a small team of three. As the “gap filler COO,” I took on multiple roles, such as head of host companies, head of marketing, head of people, head of CRM, and head of talent acquisition. It was quite a challenge, but I embraced it with enthusiasm.
My approach was always a three-step process. First, I immersed myself in learning everything about the specific area I was handling. Then, I devised and implemented a playbook to streamline processes. Finally, I sought out and hired talented individuals to take over those responsibilities and help the company grow.
Since those early days in 2020, VI has transformed into a remote-first organization, boasting over 140 employees spread across more than 30 countries. It’s been an exciting journey, and I’m proud to be part of a team that’s making a positive impact on the lives of young professionals and helping them realize their full potential.
What is Virtual Internships’ mission, and what is your vision for the company?
Our ultimate mission is to level the playing field and make guaranteed internships accessible to all. We understand the age-old catch-22: you need experience to land a job, but you need a job to gain experience. That’s where we come in!
Our platform offers a unique solution by bridging the gap between students and internship opportunities. We’ve curated a vast network of 250,000 internships from thousands of host companies spanning across 80+ countries. Students can simply input their preferred internship experience, and our platform works its magic, matching them with the perfect opportunity.
Looking into the future, we envision a world where every educational institution recognizes the value of real-world work experience alongside traditional studies and a virtual internship becomes an integral part of every degree and major.
What strategic milestones have you achieved so far, and what are your ambitions for the next 5–10 years?
We’ve achieved remarkable strategic milestones over the past three years in various aspects of our organization, setting the stage for our future growth.
On the business front, we secured seed investment led by 500 startups, and subsequently, a Series A round involving prominent investors such as Hambro Perks, Arsenal Growth Equity, Sequoia Capital, and Kaplan Ventures. Our efforts have also been recognized with awards like the prestigious Edtech 20:20 accolade.
Culturally, we take pride in being awarded as one of the top 100 organizations to “escape to” not one but two years running. This recognition is a testament to our commitment to fostering a flexible and mission-driven work environment that empowers our employees to make a positive impact.
From a product standpoint, we’re continuously innovating and improving. Our recent release of version 2.0 of our platform showcases a completely overhauled design with an enhanced user interface and experience. We’ve made significant strides in making matches more efficient and effective, and have introduced multi-user capabilities to enhance collaboration.
Looking ahead, our ambitions for the next 5–10 years remain anchored in building an enduring company, just as Sequoia has always espoused. We are dedicated to maintaining clarity of purpose, which is bridging the gap between education and the workplace. Our vision for the future is one of continuous growth, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to making a meaningful impact in the education and workplace landscape.
In your view, what makes remote work experience effective and conducive to future career success?
Remote work experience is undeniably a pivotal aspect that can significantly contribute to future career success, especially for early career talent like our interns.
One reason is that remote work facilitates increased opportunities for professionals to engage and collaborate with esteemed business leaders. Virtual meetings and networking events provide a platform to establish meaningful connections, glean insights from industry experts, and broaden one’s professional network. For in-person experiences, it may not always be easy to get facetime with senior management but remote experiences break these barriers down.
Another reason is that remote work necessitates a higher level of self-discipline. Managing time efficiently, adeptly handling multiple projects, and adapting to varying work dynamics are inherent skills honed through the remote work experience.
Finally, one of the most important points is that remote work experience eliminates geographical barriers and physical limitations, making careers more accessible to a diverse talent pool. Individuals facing challenges related to accessibility or inclusivity can thrive professionally through remote work arrangements, thereby fostering a more equitable workforce.
What differentiates Virtual Internships from other digital platforms working in the same space?
Firstly, the work experience a VI intern undertakes is reflective of the real world. Our interns get involved in actual projects and tasks, not just simulations. They tackle work that has a genuine impact on the companies they work with. It’s not about fetching coffee and being passive observers; it’s about owning projects that companies have been eager to undertake but lacked the resources, time, know-how, or skills to do so.
Secondly, our internships are guaranteed but they have optionality. With 18 different career fields to choose from and over 250,000 internship projects on our platform, they can design their perfect internship that aligns with their interests and career goals. Whether they want to intern for 1 to 4 months or work 10 to 30 hours a week, we’ve got them covered!
From your perspective, what trends will shape the future of work, and what role will technology and AI play?
One significant trend that I see is the growing focus on career progression among students. Young professionals are increasingly motivated to kickstart their careers early on, and they are seeking opportunities that offer real-world experiences and skill development. That’s where platforms like Virtual Internships come into play.
Technology is undeniably becoming a major player in education and work environments. We see the rise of augmented realities, web3, AI, and machine learning, all of which are rapidly finding their way into the learning process. However, we need to be cautious not to rely too heavily on technology alone. While these advancements can undoubtedly enhance the learning experience, in my opinion, students will always crave value-added services such as personalized mentoring and coaching, especially when it comes to critical areas like interview preparation and job support.
Technology can facilitate learning, but the human touch and guidance are irreplaceable. That’s why at Virtual Internships, we emphasize the importance of coaching provided by our internship mentors. This personalized support dovetails perfectly with the internship experience, creating a more holistic and enriching user experience.
How does Virtual Internships work with educational institutions to support career-readiness?
We have 250+ educational partners from 45+ countries that include universities, governments, foundations, and upskilling providers. The common thread amongst these verticals is that they come to Virtual Internships because we can guarantee their students a remote internship experience based on their preferences. We have partners who want internships in specific locations, or within specific industries (or sub-industries) at certain times of the year. All of this is feasible with Virtual Internships.
Our partners include Arizona State University, George Mason University, University of Florida, Carleton University, University of New Mexico, University of Iowa, Landmark College, Bridgewater State University, Broward College, Aston University, University of Sussex, University of Sydney, and University of Adelaide among many others.
Discover the full list of 2023 EdTechX Award winners here.
