Top Summer Internships for College Students

A summer work experience, such as an internship, practicum, or teaching placement, is a great way for college students to build career skills, strengthen your resume, and get hands-on experience in an industry that interests you. Summer internships are great for making lasting connections and learning both soft and hard skills. Without the distraction of classes, you can fully immerse yourself in the summer internship experience.

The Value of Summer Internships

Internships can be a big step on your path to a great career. They give you real work experience and help you build connections. Plus, you can use what you learn in class in the real world. Many internships are eligible for credit during Summer Term. Summer Term also makes it easier than ever to take classes while you’re interning. With online courses, you can study from anywhere in the world.

Many internships have funding available. Students participating in an unpaid internship over the summer may be eligible for a Summer Internship scholarship. If you’ve already secured an internship, you may be able to get credit for it. College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) students and School of Human Ecology (SoHE) students may be eligible. If you’re a School of Business student, you can earn credit for your summer internship by taking General Business 450: Professional Experience in Business. Starting your internship in late June or completing it by late July? Consider taking an early-summer or late-summer course on campus.

When and How to Find Internships

If you want to secure an internship for the summer, it’s always better to start your research sooner rather than later. If there’s a certain company you want to intern for, definitely make an effort to look up their application process and when it starts. If you’re wondering when to apply for summer internships: the sooner that you apply, the better! If there’s a specific job you have in mind, start researching when they take applications and get in touch with them if you have questions about the process. A great time to start looking for summer internships might be during your winter or spring break as that will provide you with an ample amount of time to research and apply.

When searching for summer internships, entry-level, or summer jobs near you, it’s always best to use the Handshake job filter and keyword search. Start by searching the available jobs and entering the job title, city you want to work in, or if you would like your summer jobs to be remote.

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Many internships will ask for a resume, cover letter, and possibly a few letters of recommendation. It’s a great idea to prepare these documents now so you can save time and stress later!

Top Internship Programs to Consider

Here are some top internship programs for college students to check out:

Google: Google offers internship opportunities in engineering, marketing, and design. Interns work on real projects that impact millions of users. The program includes strong mentorship and competitive pay.
Meta: As an intern at Meta, you can work on important projects that may give you a competitive edge in today’s tech world. The internship includes excellent benefits like housing assistance. Plus, you can learn about artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies.
NASA: NASA offers internships for students interested in space, science, and engineering. You can work on real missions and use cutting-edge technology. The program provides hands-on experience alongside top scientists and engineers.

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Disney: Disney internships are perfect for students who love creativity and entertainment. You can work in areas like film, animation, marketing, or theme park operations.
Microsoft: Microsoft’s Explore Program is designed for students interested in software development and product management. You can work on real projects while getting mentorship from industry experts. The program helps you build valuable skills in a supportive and creative environment.
Amazon: Amazon offers internships in areas like e-commerce, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. Interns work on projects that impact millions of customers around the world. This program is competitive but provides excellent experience and growth opportunities.
Goldman Sachs: The Goldman Sachs Summer Internship can give you hands-on experience. You can work in areas like investment banking, asset management, and global research. This leading financial firm has offices around the globe. The program provides training, mentorship, and benefits focused on your growth and well-being.
P&G: A P&G internship can jumpstart a meaningful career from day one. You can work on real projects alongside industry experts. Interns gain hands-on experience, leadership development, and exposure to senior leaders.

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The Smithsonian: The Smithsonian offers internships for students interested in history, science, and culture. You can work on projects involving museum curation, conservation, and research. Interns gain hands-on experience preserving knowledge and heritage in a world-renowned institution.
Deloitte: Deloitte provides internships in consulting, auditing, and technology services. You can work on real client projects and develop valuable problem-solving skills. The program includes mentorship and professional development to support your growth.
Citizens: Citizens offers a number of internship programs for students in the areas of banking, accounting, data analytics, human resources, and more.
Nike: Nike offers internships in design, marketing, product development, and finance. You can work on exciting projects in the sports industry. Plus, you can learn from experienced professionals.
HubSpot: HubSpot offers internships in marketing, sales, and software engineering. This fast-growing tech company is also known for its supportive culture. The program includes mentorship and opportunities to connect with professionals across teams.
IBM: IBM’s Extreme Blue Internship lets students work on software and business projects in a hands-on way. Interns can work on challenging projects that solve real-world problems. The program is competitive and helps students build technical and business skills.
Johnson & Johnson: Johnson & Johnson offers internships for students interested in healthcare, business, and engineering. Interns can work on meaningful projects that impact global health and well-being. The program provides personal guidance, leadership development, and hands-on experience.
Adobe: Adobe has internships available in engineering, design, marketing, and data science. Interns can work on innovative projects that reach millions of users worldwide. The program includes strong mentorship and opportunities for professional growth.
Accenture: Accenture offers internships that give students real project experience. You can work in strategy, consulting, and technology. You'll also meet leaders in the industry and build your skills through learning sessions.
Non-profits: Non-profits offer internships where you can make a positive social impact. Opportunities include community service, environmental work, and advocacy. These internships provide meaningful experience while helping others.
Startups: Startups can give interns broad responsibilities and hands-on experience in fast-paced environments. They offer a chance to develop a wide range of skills quickly and learn how a small business can grow.

Remote Internships

Remote internships let you work from home or anywhere you want. That can make them the perfect opportunity if you need flexibility or can’t relocate. Remote internships are becoming more common.

Micro-Internships

Launching your career can be tough, especially without a long resume. That’s where Parker Dewey’s Micro-Internships come in. Whether you’re working directly with a startup founder or contributing to a high-profile organization, you’ll develop valuable insight into various roles and company cultures, all on your own schedule. Every project on Parker Dewey is always paid at a fair, transparent rate, flexible to fit your academic or personal calendar (and 90% of opportunities are remote), and simplified-no need to vet companies, negotiate, send invoices, or manage contracts.

Paid vs. Unpaid Internships

Like all other internships, there are both paid and unpaid options available. Some summer internships will qualify for college credits and others will compensate you with pay. When researching internships, make sure you consider your needs and which option will be best for you!

Crafting Your Resume for Internship Applications

Companies hiring summer interns want to see that you’re conscious about how to translate your skills and characteristics to their position. You don’t need the most elaborate resume to wow them! Instead, look at the qualities they value and translate your experience to those characteristics.

Many places hiring entry-level employees are looking for similar keywords in resumes, but what makes the right candidate is listing the skills that make you stand out. List your past experiences, even if you’ve never held an official role before, you definitely have skills from past experiences you can offer. From mentorships, internships, to school projects that you did-there are always skills you can pull from your life that apply.

Six soft skills that might make you a better candidate on your resume:

Quick learner
Natural leader
Organized
Accountable
Detail oriented
Collaborative

If this won’t be your first internship, then you may have some technical skills from previous jobs to add to your resume.

Fidelity Internships

When you apply for an internship, you can indicate your interest in a certain area of Fidelity's business. With that one application, you’ll be considered for all eight skill areas-giving you access to a wide range of opportunities. Our recruiters will help match you with the opportunity that best aligns with your strengths and experience, even if it’s not the one you initially selected.

Fidelity YOU is an early-career program for new college graduates. The LEAP Technology Program, designed for recent college graduates to help develop and launch their careers as software or data engineers.

Fidelity’s hybrid working model blends the best of both onsite and offsite work experiences. Fidelity also offers internships for students with specific interests in asset management or branch offices, and for student athletes with more limited summer availability. These undergraduate and graduate internships run on a different timeline from summer internships and focus on specific investment types or research. Internship schedules may vary by role and team. These internships take place at one Fidelity’s 200+ branch locations nationwide and provide hands-on, in-person experience helping clients achieve their financial goals. These roles are fully in-person. This six-week program allows student-athletes to get corporate internship experience and envision life after their college sports career.

General Summer Internship Options

The “best” type of summer internship is always dependent on your major and interests. If you're not quite sure where you want to apply, consider some of these great general summer internships:

Research Assistant Intern
Social Media Intern
Business Analyst Intern
Copywriting Intern
Marketing/PR Intern

If you’re unsure and asking yourself “where can I apply for summer internships,” check out a few examples of companies that hire interns through Handshake. Companies that hire interns:

Apple
Morgan Stanley
NBCUniversal
Ernst & Young LLP (EY)
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

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