How to Get an Internship: A Step-by-Step Plan

Figuring out how to get an internship can feel like a closed loop: you need experience to get an internship, and you need an internship to get experience. Add confusing recruiting timelines, hundreds of postings, and applications that disappear into silence, and it's easy to stall before you start.

The loop is breakable. Employers hiring interns expect limited experience, and most of what gets you hired is within your control: when you start, where you look, how you tailor your materials, and whether you reach real people instead of only clicking "apply."

This guide gives you a step-by-step plan. You'll learn when each industry recruits, where employers actually find interns, how to reach out to people without being awkward, how to prepare for interviews, and what to do if you have no experience yet. Scripts, tables, and a 30-day checklist are included.

Why internships matter and how they work#

An internship is a short-term work experience, usually tied to your field of study, where you do real work under professional supervision. Most run for a summer, but many happen part-time during the semester, and some programs alternate full-time work terms with school.

Internships are now a normal part of college. According to NACE's 2024 Student Survey, more than two-thirds of 2024 graduating seniors completed an internship during college, up from about 61% of 2023 graduates. Among interns, 57% were paid.

Internships often lead to job offers#

For many employers, an internship program is a recruiting pipeline. NACE's 2025 Internship & Co-op Report found an average full-time offer rate of 62% for 2023–24 interns, the lowest in more than five years but still a majority. The format of the internship made a big difference.

The conversion rate counts interns who received and accepted a full-time offer; NACE put the overall conversion rate at less than 51%. The practical lesson: if you have a choice, in-person internships tend to give you more chances to build relationships that lead to offers.

How many internships employers plan to offer#

Internship hiring is steady rather than booming. In the same NACE report, more than 70% of employers expected to increase or maintain intern hiring for 2024–25, though overall intern hiring was projected to fall 3.1%.

A flat market rewards preparation. When the number of spots isn't growing, the students who start early, target clearly, and network have the advantage.

Types of internships#

"Internship" covers a lot of arrangements. Knowing the types helps you search more widely.

Paid vs. unpaid internships#

Paid internships are the norm at most large for-profit employers, and NACE's research consistently links paid internships with better job outcomes. NACE's 2026 Guide to Compensation for Interns & Co-ops puts the average intern hourly wage at $23.35, as summarized on NACE's internship research page.

Unpaid internships at for-profit companies are legal only in limited circumstances. The U.S. Department of Labor's Fact Sheet #71 explains the "primary beneficiary test" courts use. Factors include whether the internship provides training similar to an educational setting, is tied to your academic program, fits your academic calendar, and complements rather than replaces paid staff. If an unpaid role at a for-profit company looks like a regular job without pay, be cautious.

How to get an internship in 8 steps#

Here's the full process at a glance. Each step gets its own section below.

1. Decide what you're targeting: field, type of role, and the kind of organization.
2. Learn your field's recruiting timeline so you apply when employers are hiring.
3. Build a tailored resume and a short cover letter that prove potential.
4. Find openings through career platforms, company sites, fairs, and campus recruiting.
5. Network and reach out to alumni, professors, and employees for referrals and advice.
6. Apply strategically: early, tailored, and tracked.
7. Prepare for interviews with stories, research, and practice.
8. Follow up and decide, comparing offers on learning, pay, and fit.

Step 1: Decide what kind of internship you want#

"Any internship" is a hard search. A target list makes every later step easier, because it tells you which postings to read, which people to contact, and how to tailor your resume.

Answer three questions:

• Which field or function? Marketing, software engineering, accounting, policy, lab research, nursing, design.
• What type of organization? Large company, startup, nonprofit, government agency, university lab, small local business.
• What constraints do you have? Location, pay requirements, dates, hours per week, and whether you need academic credit.

Match your major and interests to internship roles#

If you're unsure what roles exist, start from your major and work outward. Here are common intern titles by field.

Pick two or three related titles to target. That's specific enough to tailor your resume and broad enough to give you plenty of postings.

Step 2: Know the internship recruiting timeline#

Timing is the most common reason qualified students miss out. Large employers often fill summer internship classes months before students start looking.

Northeastern University's career team advises that summer postings often open by mid-fall of the prior year, about seven to eight months before the start date, and that finance, consulting, and parts of tech recruit earliest, sometimes more than a year ahead. Smaller companies and startups post later and less predictably.

Recruiting timelines by industry#

Brown University's career services describes a similar pattern, with large tech companies opening internship applications in August and September, startups ramping up in late winter and spring, and creative industries hiring year-round. Your career center will have the calendar for your school.

A sample search calendar for a summer internship#

Here's what a well-paced search might look like for a student targeting a mix of large and small employers. The numbers are an example, not a quota.

Notice the two peaks: early fall for large structured programs and late winter for smaller organizations. If you only search in spring, you miss the first wave.

What to do by class year#

If you're past the main window, don't give up. Northeastern's advice is to focus on recently posted roles rather than listings that have been up for months, because late openings and last-minute budget approvals do happen.

Step 3: Build your internship resume and cover letter#

Your resume is your entry ticket. NACE's 2025 report found that the top factor employers use to choose between intern candidates is possessing key skills critical to the position, followed by prior internships with the company or in the industry. Employers ranked these above major and GPA.

That tells you what your resume needs to show: specific skills, proven through projects, jobs, and activities. Our full guide to writing an internship resume walks through section order, bullet formulas, and examples by major.

Resume essentials for internship applications#

• One page, single column, saved as a PDF.
• Education near the top with your expected graduation date.
• GPA if it's 3.0 or higher. See should you put your GPA on your resume.
• Relevant coursework matched to the posting. See how to list relevant coursework.
• Projects, jobs, and activities written as achievements with numbers.
• A skills section that uses the posting's exact tool names.

Keep a few versions for different types of roles, such as one for marketing and one for data analytics. Resume Maker lets you keep multiple resumes in one place, which makes it easier to maintain tailored versions without losing track.

Cover letters for internships#

When a cover letter is requested or optional, send one. Most intern applicants have similar resumes, so a short letter with one specific story can set you apart. Our internship cover letter guide has a paragraph-by-paragraph template, and the cover letter generator can produce a first draft from your resume and the posting for you to personalize.

Step 4: Where to find internships#

Don't rely on one job board. NACE's 2025 Internship & Co-op Report asked employers which recruiting methods were most effective for finding interns. The top three were:

1. Job listings on the company website
2. In-person career fairs
3. On-campus recruiting

NACE also found that in-person fairs and on-campus recruiting were rated effective by more than two-thirds of employers, while fewer than one-fifth found virtual fairs and virtual recruiting effective. Show up in person when you can.

The best places to look#

• Your school's career platform, where employers who want students from your school post roles.
• Company career pages, especially "students," "early careers," or "university" sections.
• Career fairs, both general and industry-specific.
• On-campus recruiting events, such as information sessions and coffee chats.
• Professors and labs, for research internships and referrals.
• Alumni networks and your school's mentoring platform.
• LinkedIn and general job boards, filtered for internships in your location.
• Professional associations in your field, which often post internships and run student programs.
• Local businesses and nonprofits, which may not post formally but often welcome a well-written inquiry.

How to work a career fair#

Career fairs reward preparation. Most students wander; you'll get more from a plan.

• Research the employer list a week ahead and pick 6–10 targets, ranked.
• Read each target's internship postings so you can ask specific questions.
• Prepare a 20-second introduction with your name, year, major, target role, and one relevant experience.
• Bring printed resumes, even if employers say to apply online.
• Ask for the recruiter's name and the best way to follow up.
• Send a short follow-up email within 24 hours, referencing your conversation.

If you're not sure how to compress your background into a few sentences, our elevator pitch examples show several structures.

Federal and public-sector internships#

If you're interested in government, look beyond private-sector boards. The federal Pathways Internship Program is open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students enrolled at least half-time, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Positions are posted on USAJOBS, including its Federal Internship Portal, and interns who meet program requirements may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a permanent job, though conversion isn't guaranteed. State and local governments often run their own programs with spring deadlines.

Step 5: Network your way to referrals#

Applying online is necessary, but it's rarely enough by itself. Conversations with people at the organization give you inside information, help you tailor your application, and sometimes lead to referrals that get your resume a closer look.

You don't need a big network. Start with people who are already inclined to help:

• Professors and teaching assistants in your field
• Your school's alumni, especially recent graduates
• Former supervisors from any job or volunteer role
• Upperclassmen who interned where you want to go
• Family friends and their contacts
• Recruiters you met at career fairs

How to ask for advice without asking for a job#

The easiest outreach asks for 15 to 20 minutes of advice, not an internship. People like sharing their experience, and a good conversation often ends with them offering to help. Our guide to informational interviews explains how to run the conversation.

The networking email generator can draft variations for alumni, recruiters, and professionals you haven't met. For a deeper process, see how to network and our networking email templates.

Make your LinkedIn profile work for you#

Before you contact anyone, assume they'll look you up. A complete LinkedIn profile makes your outreach credible and helps recruiters find you when they search for interns.

• Headline: Name your target, not just your status, such as "Finance student seeking summer 2027 analyst internship."
• About section: Three or four sentences on your interests, skills, and what you're looking for.
• Experience and projects: Mirror your resume, including class projects with results.
• Skills: Add the tools your target postings mention.
• Photo and URL: A clear, friendly photo and a custom URL you can put on your resume.

Then connect with people you meet at fairs and events within a day, with a short personalized note. Our guide to LinkedIn profile optimization covers each section in detail.

Cold outreach to smaller organizations#

Small businesses, startups, and nonprofits often don't post internships at all. A short, specific email offering to help with a defined project can create an opportunity. Explain who you are, what you noticed about their work, what you could contribute, and when you're available. Our guide to a cold email for a job has templates you can adapt for internships.

Step 6: Apply strategically#

Volume alone doesn't work. Fifty generic applications usually perform worse than twenty tailored ones backed by networking. The goal is to send applications that look like they were written for the job, because they were.

What makes an application strong#

• Apply early in the posting window, especially for rolling reviews.
• Tailor the top third of your resume to the posting: skills, coursework, and the first bullet under each entry.
• Use the posting's language for tools and skills, so both software and recruiters see the match.
• Write a specific cover letter when one is allowed.
• Mention referrals where the application asks how you heard about the role.
• Double-check every company name and role title before submitting.

The resume keyword scanner compares your resume with a posting and shows which important terms you've missed, which makes tailoring faster.

Track every application#

Once you're past ten applications, you'll forget deadlines and follow-ups unless you track them. Record each one with the details you'll need later.

The free job application tracker gives you a simple board for this, saved in your browser. Our guide on how to track job applications covers other methods.

Use your response rate to adjust#

If you've sent 15 to 20 tailored applications and heard nothing, the issue is usually targeting or materials, not bad luck. Ask your career center to review your resume, check that you're applying to roles that match your year and skills, and add networking to the mix before sending more. For a broader view on volume, see how many jobs to apply for.

Step 7: Prepare for internship interviews#

Internship interviews focus on potential. Interviewers want to know whether you can learn, work with others, communicate clearly, and handle the basic tasks of the role. Most will also ask why you want this internship in particular.

Common internship interview questions#

For the opening question, see our guide to tell me about yourself. For behavioral questions, the STAR method gives your stories a clean structure.

Build a story bank#

Prepare five or six short stories from classes, jobs, activities, and projects. Each should show a skill the posting mentions: teamwork, problem-solving, communication, initiative, learning quickly, or handling a mistake. One good story can answer several questions with small adjustments.

The interview question generator produces likely questions for a specific role, which is useful for practice.

After the interview#

Send a short thank-you email within 24 hours to each interviewer, mentioning one specific thing you discussed. Our thank-you email after an interview guide includes templates. If the timeline they gave you passes with no word, a polite follow-up email is appropriate.

Step 8: Follow up, compare offers, and decide#

Internship offers often come with deadlines, sometimes short ones. Before you accept, make sure you understand what you're agreeing to.

Questions to answer before accepting#

• Pay: Hourly or stipend, and how much? Is housing or relocation help offered?
• Dates and hours: Do they fit your academic calendar and other commitments?
• Work: What projects will interns actually do? Who supervises them?
• Location and format: In-person, hybrid, or remote?
• Credit: If you need academic credit, will the employer complete your school's paperwork?
• Future: Does the program often lead to full-time offers?

If you're waiting to hear from a preferred employer, you can ask the first employer politely whether there's flexibility on the deadline. Be honest and specific. Once you accept an offer, honor it; reneging damages your reputation with the employer and, often, your school's relationship with them.

How to get an internship with no experience#

Every intern starts somewhere. If your resume feels empty, build proof first, then apply where that proof fits.

Ways to build experience fast#

• Turn a class project into a resume entry with a title, your role, and a result. See projects on a resume.
• Get a campus job in an office related to your field, such as marketing, IT, admissions, or research.
• Ask a professor about research help. Many labs take undergraduates for data entry, literature reviews, or experiments.
• Volunteer with a defined task, like running a nonprofit's social media for a semester or organizing an event.
• Complete a short project for a small business, such as a website refresh, a customer survey, or a spreadsheet tool.
• Take on a leadership role in a student organization and set a measurable goal.

Match your situation to the best next move#

Smaller organizations are often the best first step. They may have fewer applicants, more flexible requirements, and more varied work. A first internship at a ten-person company can lead to a second at a large one. For more ideas, see our guide to a resume with no experience.

Internship advice for special situations#

A few groups face extra steps. Plan for them early.

First-year students#

Fewer formal programs accept first-years, but some large employers run programs designed for first- and second-year students, often with early deadlines. Look for those, and also consider campus jobs, research roles, and small organizations. Your first experience doesn't need the word "intern" in the title to count.

International students#

If you're on an F-1 visa, you'll usually need work authorization for an off-campus internship. Many students use Curricular Practical Training (CPT). According to ICE's SEVP guidance, your school's designated school official authorizes CPT, the work must be an integral part of your program, and you'll need an offer letter or agreement from the employer. Talk to your international student office before recruiting season so approvals don't delay an offer.

Community college and transfer students#

Internships at the associate level are less common but real. NACE's 2025 report found that 34.2% of responding employers hire interns at the associate degree level, compared with 99.2% at the bachelor's level. Use your college's career services, local employer partnerships, and any transfer institution's resources. Highlight hands-on coursework, labs, and certifications, and apply to local employers who value candidates likely to stay in the area.

Career changers and returning students#

If you're older or changing fields, frame your past work as an asset. A returning student with five years of retail management brings leadership, scheduling, and customer experience that most interns don't have. Lead with that experience in your resume summary, and target internships that value maturity, such as operations, HR, healthcare administration, or nonprofit program work.

Common internship search mistakes#

Most failed searches share a few avoidable problems.

Next steps: your 30-day internship plan#

You don't need to do everything at once. Here's a 30-day plan to get your search moving.

• Week 1: Choose two or three target internship titles and list 20 organizations that hire for them
• Week 1: Check your career center's recruiting calendar and note deadlines for your field
• Week 2: Update your resume and draft a reusable cover letter structure
• Week 2: Set up an application tracker
• Week 3: Send outreach emails to five alumni or professionals and attend one career event
• Week 3: Submit your first five tailored applications
• Week 4: Prepare five STAR stories and practice "tell me about yourself" aloud
• Week 4: Review your response rate and adjust your resume or targeting

Getting an internship is a process, not a lottery. Start early, target clearly, tailor every application, and talk to real people. When it's time to think beyond your internship, our guide on how to get a job after college picks up where this one leaves off.