Kariyer Planlama Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi

"Hayallerin için ilk adımı at.."

Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University (NEVU), as a partner of the Erasmus+ KA2 project “Promoting Resilience and Employability in University (PREVIEW),” provided international remote internship experiences to 32 students. The project aimed to enhance students’ digital competencies, prepare them for the remote working culture, and improve their employability in line with the needs of the digital era. The project was coordinated at NEVU by the Career Planning Application and Research Center (NÜKMER).

Project Scope and Process Management

The process began with a two-phase online orientation meeting attended by all 50 students selected for the project. During these sessions, students were informed in detail about the project’s goals, content, and internship structure. After the orientation, students were matched with Cappinno, Scadya and Healthegrity which are international companies operating in the field of digital education and consultancy. These firms were selected from among the volunteer companies under Cappadocia Technopark, following coordination meetings.

As part of their preparation for remote work, students completed five online MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) that took approximately two months. After each course, they participated in dedicated surveys to assess learning outcomes and satisfaction. A total of five different online surveys were conducted to analyze students' expectations, experiences during the internship, and post-internship reflections. Additionally, regular online follow-up meetings were held with students to monitor their progress and provide guidance.

The host companies provided activity-based tasks to enhance students' professional development. The implementation and monitoring of these tasks were coordinated by assigned company mentors. To support effective and fast communication, structured digital communication groups were established between mentors and students. When needed, individual face-to-face meetings were also held at the NEVU Career Planning Center. The project was coordinated at NEVU under the supervision of Serkan Şahinkaya, who also acted as the university mentor, ensuring alignment between institutional goals and project implementation.

Mentoring Structure and Academic Support

Members of the NEVU Career Planning Center (NÜKMER) also contributed as project researchers and student mentors. Academicians Toprak Keskin, Tayyibe Işıl Doğan, Selin Zengin Taşdemir and Burcu Şimşek Yağlı supported the students throughout the internship process. Each mentor was responsible for a group of students, tracking their progress, providing feedback, and ensuring ongoing motivation.

Student Feedback and Overall Evaluation

In the final evaluation surveys, students shared positive reflections about the experience:
- “This internship helped me clarify my career goals.”
- “I learned new things about my field and improved my communication skills.”
- “My self-confidence increased.”
- “It was my first time doing a remote internship.”

Some students also shared constructive feedback for improvement:
- “Some tasks were not clearly defined at the beginning.”
- “The platform was hard to use, especially on mobile devices.”
- “I expected more practical tasks compared to traditional internships.”

These insights revealed both the strengths and the areas for improvement, offering valuable input for the design of future remote internship programs.

A Certified Journey of Professional Growth

Students who successfully completed the program were awarded participation certificates. Through this initiative, NEVU provided students with a flexible, accessible, and digitally focused internship experience, while also contributing to the development of an innovative and adaptive remote internship model. This experience, rooted in collaboration between students, academics, and industry, stands as a valuable starting point for the creation of more effective and inclusive remote internship models in the future.

More information about the project: www.previewcommunity.eu