How to get an internship: when to apply and how to stand out

01

When to apply for an internship

The honest answer is that it varies by industry and by the size of the employer. University career centers publish recruiting calendars each year, and the broad pattern they describe looks like this for a summer internship.

Cornell’s career office adds a caution that applies to every row: these timelines are a general overview, not a definitive schedule for any specific employer, and they may shift without notice. Confirm dates on each employer’s own careers page.

The full calendar, field by field, with what to do in each season, is in when summer internship applications open. If you are already past the early deadlines, keep going. Plenty of employers hire late.

02

Where to find internship openings

1. Your school. The career center runs a job board, career fairs and employer sessions aimed at students, and its advisers know which employers hire from your campus. Ask your department too: professors hear about research positions and are asked for recommendations.
2. Employers’ early-career pages. Look for “students,” “university” or “internships” on the careers page of each employer you like, and set an alert.
3. Federal internships. The Pathways Internship Program gives high school, undergraduate and graduate students paid work in federal agencies. You must be enrolled at least part-time in a qualifying program. Openings are on USAJOBS, which has a dedicated federal internship portal.
4. People. Professors, alumni, former supervisors, relatives and family friends can tell you which teams take interns and who decides. Ask for a short conversation first: the guide to informational interviews has the request template and the questions.
5. Small organizations that have not advertised. Many small companies, nonprofits, labs and local offices never post an internship but will consider a specific proposal. Pitch them directly.

Subject: [School] [major] student offering [number] weeks of help with [specific area]

Hi [Name],

I'm a [year] at [school] studying [major]. I've followed [organization] since [specific reason], and I'd like to ask whether you would consider taking on a summer intern.

Here is what I could take on:
- [Task 1 the organization visibly needs]
- [Task 2]

I've done similar work in [class project / campus role / job]: [one-sentence result, with a link if you have one].

I'm available from [date] to [date], [hours] a week. Could we talk for 15 minutes?

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Phone] | [LinkedIn or portfolio link]

03

How to stand out as an internship applicant

Employers hiring interns know you have little experience. They are looking for signs that you will learn quickly and finish what you start.

• Keep the resume to one page and lead with education. School, degree, expected graduation date, then relevant coursework, projects and any work. Describe part-time and campus jobs by what you achieved, not what you were assigned. Resume with no experience has a full example.
• Show one or two projects. A class project, a research poster, a small app, a campaign for a student club. Something a reviewer can open is worth more than a list of skills.
• Tailor each application. Pick the three or four requirements the posting stresses and make sure your resume answers them in the same words.
• Write a short cover letter when one is invited. Say why this organization, and what you could contribute in ten weeks. See cover letter with no experience.
• Talk to a former intern. They know what the team values and how the interviews run, and some can refer you.
• Apply across a range. Mix well-known programs with smaller employers where fewer students apply.
• Prepare three stories. One about working in a team, one about solving a problem, one about taking initiative. Most questions in entry-level interviews can be answered from those three.

If no formal internship comes through, build the same evidence another way: research with a professor, a part-time job in the field, a volunteer role with real responsibilities, or a substantial project of your own. Each of them gives you something concrete to show next year.

04

Paid or unpaid: the rules on unpaid internships

In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires for-profit employers to pay employees for their work. Whether an unpaid intern is really an employee is decided by what courts call the primary beneficiary test. The Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71 lists the seven factors:

1. Both sides clearly understand that there is no expectation of pay.
2. The internship provides training similar to what an educational environment would give.
3. It is tied to the intern’s formal education through integrated coursework or academic credit.
4. It accommodates the intern’s academic commitments by following the academic calendar.
5. It lasts only as long as it provides the intern with beneficial learning.
6. The intern’s work complements the work of paid employees and does not displace it.
7. Both sides understand that the internship does not entitle the intern to a paid job at the end.

The test is flexible and no single factor decides it. If the analysis shows that an intern is actually an employee, that person is entitled to both minimum wage and overtime pay. Unpaid internships at public sector and nonprofit charitable organizations, where the intern volunteers without expecting compensation, are generally permissible.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers takes a clear position: it advocates that all internships should be paid.

Before you accept an unpaid offer, ask who will train and supervise you, whether you can receive academic credit, whether there is a stipend or help with expenses, and what the schedule is. Ask your career center as well, since some schools provide funding for unpaid summer work.

05

Once you have the offer

Reply quickly, confirm the dates, the pay, the location and your supervisor in writing, and ask what you can read or learn before you start. If you hope the internship will lead to a job, the time to plan for that is the first week: see how to turn an internship into a full-time offer. In federal Pathways internships the route is formal. Interns who complete at least 480 hours and meet the program’s other requirements may be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions