FreeDigitalPhotos.net user Stuart Miles
Internships are great opportunities for students who want to improve their college application or those who want to get a head start on professional development.
Finding the right internship program for you can bring a wealth of benefits including skills development, work-related experience, networking opportunities, and more. It also aids with flexibility, conflict management, problem-solving, and potentially a job offer after you complete the program!
Finding internships doesn’t need to be difficult either. We’ve put together a list of great websites to help you find an internship that fits your wants and needs when you’re just starting out in your professional career.
What Should You Look for in an Internship?
Before we dive into the best internship websites for college students, we should review what you need to look for in an internship. Here are some tips:
- Be sure it is relevant to your industry and career goals.
- Make sure it follows any federal and state laws that are applicable to internships.
- Not all internships are paid. Some only offer college credit. Talk with your school if you are opting for credit before beginning to be sure it will transfer.
- You may want to look for a flexible schedule to ensure it works with your college schedule.
- Double-check the details such as length of the program, responsibilities, hours, pay or credit, expectations, and more.
10 Best Websites for Finding an Internship for College Students
1. LinkedIn
If you haven’t created your LinkedIn profile yet, now is the time to! Not only can you use it to connect with friends and professional connections, but you can also use it to identify potential internships and employment opportunities.
To utilize it, first, complete your profile in its entirety. The more information you have about your qualifications, education, and experience, the better. Then you can begin using the search functions to identify internships in your area (or online) that best suit your needs and wants. You can also set it up where companies can contact you if you fit what they’re looking for!
2. Internships.com
What better place to find internships than the website Internships.com?
By providing the website with your major and preferred location, you can use the resource to identify the best internships for your goals. Students are also invited to browse available internships and jobs or take advantage of the skill development resources. In addition, there is a paid subscription available known as the Chegg Career Pack which gives students access to exclusive internships and personalized coaching.
3. InternQueen
InternQueen works with several different brands across several industries. They partner “college ambassadors” with these brands, and the intern is then a “face” of the brand. Think of it as influencer marketing. The website also features additional advice for finding internships, searching for careers, and kick-starting your college ambassador position.
4. Glassdoor
Glassdoor is an excellent resource for job reviews, interview advice, salary details, benefits packages, and more for individual companies, but did you know that you can also use the website to find jobs and internships?
And since you have all those job details at your fingertips, you can more easily identify the best internship opportunities and companies to work for. Students can search by location, job type, brand, trending job searches, and more.
5. Idealist
Idealist.org is founder Ami Dar’s vision of a network connecting everyone all over the world to collaborate and act on social-impact initiatives. According to them, it’s the world’s largest social-impact job board and includes opportunities to work and intern at non-profits and for other CSR initiatives.
It connects any idealist with more than 150,000 organizations and resources for volunteer and open internships to transform their good intentions into actions.
6. CoolWorks.com
CoolWorks isn’t for internships, but it is a unique website that can help you find seasonal opportunities. If you are a lover of the outdoors or just seeking something while you are finding your way, this may be for you.
CoolWorks can help you find jobs in national parks, summer camps, retreat centers, ski resorts, conservation centers, and more. If you want to spend more time outside, have a related major, or just want to balance work and fun, you may just love some of the positions available.
7. Mediabistro.com
If you’re a creative person, you’ll definitely want to check out MediaBistro for internship opportunities, too.
The website is designed for jobs in various creative fields and industries such as writing, editing, graphic design, and more – but it’s not restricted to these. There are other jobs available such as communications positions and sales. MediaBistro also features resources for pitching, finding jobs, career advice, freelancing, and more.
8. Generation Hired
Generation Hired is part of the HerCampus website. It offers resources to its members including exclusive curated job and internship lists, career advice, newsletters, webinars, and more.
HerCampus is also worth a visit as it has some excellent articles on college prep, college life, wellness, internships, and other topics.
9. Your School’s Website
Many college and university websites have partnerships with local companies to offer internship opportunities to their students. These may be featured right on your school’s website. Students can also reach out to their Career Center to see if there are any additional opportunities available that are not listed.
Internships are a great way to determine what you might like to pursue as a career. And if you are still struggling try College Raptor’s Career Finder to explore careers and find a future you will love.
