Virtual Internships: Reflections With Our Talented First Intern.

This year Prime Vice Studios has opened the opportunity for internships. It all started when we were approached by Riipen.com. They asked if we were interested in having virtual interns: Students who can work remotely on projects or special solutions for school credit. 

Riipen.com is a wonderful company based in Canada that connects businesses with college students for special projects. Employers can post projects and colleges also post projects that students are available for. The projects are approved by their professors, provide an opportunity for students to gain real world experience and provide some sort of business solution for the employer.

Due to the pandemic it has been difficult for many students to be able to do internships. Internships are sometimes required for graduating in certain programs. They also are a vital stepping stone in career development. Virtual internships are a great solution to this issue. Companies and students work remotely and without geographical limits while providing mutual benefit to both parties. We have had a positive experience working with Riipen and highly recommend them to employers and universities. 

This summer we worked with a student from Miami University, in Oxford Ohio who is working on her bachelors degree in Interactive Media Studies. A fascinating interdisciplinary degree designed to provide depth in theory and practice of interactive & digital design, development, business, innovation, and digital disruption. PVS had the pleasure of working with Jiamiao Chen, a junior in the program with a minor in photography. 
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Meet Jiamiao Chen

PVS: Jiamiao, how was your overall experience interning with Prime Vice Studios?

Jiamiao: It was my first virtual internship, and I cherish[ed] this chance a lot. Before it, I [was] still a little worried about how it would work, but everything [was] good for me. This is a memorable experience for me, and I learned a lot.

PVS: What were some things that you learned working with PVS?

Jiamiao: First, on the most basic level, I learned how to communicate better with my supervisor.

Good communication can improve a lot of work efficiency. More importantly, I have learned the marketing strategy of a brand: 

I need to analyze the website design and user experience, as well as the content marketing of social media, identify the potential customer groups, and so on. At the same time, I learned about IP content. With Carlos' help, I found the direction of photography that I wanted to develop, and I developed my personal brand.


PVS: How are the things that you learned helpful for you and your professional career?

Jiamiao: During the internship, I have been reflecting on what I have learned in the past and thinking about my future career direction. For me, this is a good experience to understand my thoughts on digital marketing.

I also learned some relatively professional internet content marketing strategies. More to the point, Carlos showed me some different way[s] with my photography.  I will devote myself to building my own photography brand and making my own photos.  This will also be my future career direction.

PVS: You did an excellent job helping our company develop its user experience and e-business approach. Did you feel that you were able to use your expertise in a relevant manner during this internship? Are there any things you wished you would have gotten to work on?

Jiamiao: Yes, in fact, during the internship, I found that I was relatively sensitive to user experience analysis and e-commerce. Perhaps because I'm a deep internet user, I use social platforms a lot and have a certain sense of quality content. In the process of learning in school, I combined my past user experience and some professional knowledge, and I am glad that I can help your company with my skills. I think it was a good experience for both of us.

PVS: What were some challenges that you faced during your internship?

Jiamiao: Since this was my first internship, my presentation and PPT at the very beginning were more like homework assigned by professors in the school, which was immature. But with Carlos' reminding and help, I kept modifying my PPT to make it better.

During the process of editing the PPT, it was a big challenge for me to think about more individuals. For example, how to make [it so that it can be seen at a glance that] this PPT…is made by me, the selection of background pictures, etc., even with my own watermark on each page.

Every time I consider[ed] why I use[d] it, it [was] like a soul-searching process. It was as if every semester a professor would ask me who I am, what I was interested in, what I wanted to be in the future. Every time Carlos remind[ed] me to develop my personal brand, maybe knowing more about myself [was] my biggest challenge.

​PVS: What are some advantages that you felt you had during your internship?

Jiamiao: I have certain advantages in user experience analysis, content analysis and visual layout analysis of websites and social platforms because that's what I learned in school, and I'm a big fan of social media. More, perhaps because I am a Chinese student studying in the United States, I have my own different understanding of some content marketing under the intersection of the two cultural backgrounds.

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PVS: As part of the Prime Vice Studios virtual internship program we provide mentorship to our interns. You happen to be quite a talented photographer. Please share how you were able to develop your passion for photography during your internship?

Jiamiao: Carlos's questions to me during the internship made me think deeply for a long time about my future career direction: what is my passion about, etc. I have been developing photography as my interest in the past. I have to say, I dreamed of being a photographer in the future. But I ha[d] to face the balance between dreams and reality. More than that, under the collision of cultures, I ha[d] questioned my own photographic works. 

I feel that as an Asian, I may like different content and different aesthetics from many of my local American classmates, and I cannot get more recognition. I shared this concern with Carlos, who also lives in [two] cultures and has studied and worked in the arts. He gave me a lot of comfort and I got help from his attitude towards art.

It doesn't matter if people don't like it. At the same time, he suggested that I could build a personal brand. In the process, he helped me find my photography direction, under which I took many photos of the same style as the basis of my personal website. I organized my own photography website more completely and created my own logo.

In some of the articles Carlos shared with me, I was impressed by one sentence. A very important step in building a personal brand is attracting people who share your interests to build a small group, rather than pleasing the masses. This sentence has inspired me a lot. Maybe I will stick to developing my own style of photography and eventually attract people who like my style.

PVS: Would you recommend other students do a virtual internship? Why or why not?

Jiamiao: I'm sure I will. Because I can improve my digital marketing ability in this company. Meanwhile, my supervisor has inspired me a lot about my future career. He is a good supervisor, so I am glad to meet such a warm-hearted supervisor in my first internship.

​PVS: How can people contact you?

Jiamiao: I can be reached through my website: jiamiaochen.com, leave a message or send me an email: [email protected].

Follow me on Instagram @jcshuia.

​PVS: Thank you for your time and for sharing your story and art with us. You’re amazing and wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors. We hope you continue changing the world with your talents! I’m sure many people will find your story inspiring. Peace.

More samples from Jiamiao’s photo gallery.