At WayUp, we work with companies looking to hire early career talent and therefore regularly gain insight into the internship and entry-level position openings. Internships continue to provide students with valuable experience and opportunities to build their professional networks that benefit them far beyond the internship.
We’ve consolidated some of the recommended internship programs for when you are thinking about launching your career. Whether you are interested in a career in finance, consulting, engineering, marketing, sales, or operations, this list encompasses internship opportunities for your major or area of interest. These companies also represent the variety of industries WayUp supports, including financial services, insurance, technology, manufacturing, construction, professional services, and health care. Note, all of the following internships are paid opportunities.
1. Northwestern Mutual
With 5000+ employees spanning across 50 states, Northwestern Mutual offers a robust internship program with over 250 participants. The yearlong internship program provides interns with hands-on experience to learn aspects of finance, sales, marketing, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With an intentional approach to continuous development, the program prepares interns to enter the workforce by teaching them how to establish healthy habits, accountability, positive relationships and clarity around performance expectations and potential growth paths.
“Our internship program serves as a launchpad to the workforce through our modernized approach to providing students with professional independence, potential for impact, and true agency over their ultimate income.”
This structured mentorship program helps interns gain exposure to senior leadership and incorporates interns into the local offices through training and social events. Additionally, interns are encouraged to join Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and learn about the company’s DEI councils, which includes the Sustained Action for Racial Equity task force. Other perks for interns include housing reimbursement, relocation assistance, catered team lunches, complimentary snacks and drinks, social events, volunteer opportunities, and more.
The program seeks to hire interns full-time after graduation. What are you waiting for? Learn more and apply now.
2. RSM
The internship program at RSM offers interns real world experience and equips them with valuable skills to enter the workforce upon graduation. Interns build relationships through structured mentorship and by meeting C-Suite executives and controllers to learn about the company’s business challenges. Interns gain exposure to a variety of clients and industries as they develop technical competencies and work with engagement teams at client sites in-person and remotely. Treated as first-year associates, RSM interns make a direct impact on the firm’s clients and are pipelined for full-time positions with over 80% accepting full-time offers after the program is completed.
Interns are encouraged to join one of the twelve Employee Network Groups (ENGs), supported through the firm’s DEI efforts. Involvement in ENGs provides interns with volunteer opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and community-building, while gaining insight into RSM’s inclusive culture. One notable program specifically for interns is Courageous Conversation, which are sessions discussing critical topics such as social justice issues, allyship, advocacy, and advancement of diverse communities.
As part of their summer internship program, RSM offers interns early access to the Becker CPA review course materials to help best prepare them for life after graduation. Beyond valuable professional development, RSM provides interns with networking opportunities in and outside of the office, such as golf outings, boat cruises, and baseball games. Discover more about RSM’s intern program.
3. GE Appliances
As part of its internship program, GE Appliances provides peer mentorship programs, organizes social events through functional leaders and ERGs, and offers leadership exposure opportunities. Interns gain access to ongoing workshops and resources to enhance their own career development.
After a thorough selection process, interns are organized by class year and major and split into spring, summer, and fall sessions, ensuring that a continuous pool of qualified candidates are involved in the internship program. Once accepted, interns are matched with skilled assignment leaders, which results in a rewarding career development experience.
Interns contribute to the company’s success through their day-to-day work and serve as the exclusive talent pool for the company. Additionally, interns have the opportunity to participate in collaborative projects at research centers that could lead to future product development. Overall, the program is structured to equip interns with the essential skills required to transition into the workforce. Interested? Learn more and apply here.
4. Workiva
The Workiva internship program provides students with hands-on experience by integrating them into teams and immersing them into the company’s technical and operating processes. During the program, interns benefit from access to leaders and mentors, one-on-one coaching, hands-on training, competitions, and other learning opportunities. With a “work where you work best” philosophy, Workiva hires talent from across the country and seeks to bring a variety of perspectives and cultural diversity to the organization.
Interns gain insight into the company’s culture by attending networking events, joining business employee resource groups, and participating in volunteer opportunities. From attending speaker series to gaining full access to the mental health platform, interns can leverage these tools for personal and professional development. At Workiva, interns are not limited to a 12-week program and can extend their internship to explore different areas within the organization. This versatile experience allows them to develop their business acumen, making them an asset to any future employer.
Notably, over 80% of Workiva interns accept offers of full-time employment. To enhance your skills and gain valuable experience, learn about Workiva’s internship program.
5. Synchrony
Synchrony’s early careers program is a 10-week immersion into the various tracks across the organization, which includes practice areas such as HR, finance, marketing, sales, operations, technology, and data analytics. The internship combines valuable projects with an engaging summer of activities and networking opportunities, providing interns with cross-functional exposure to the company. The purpose of the program is to give interns a robust professional experience and to act as a feeder into the company’s talent pipeline.
Synchrony provides fully funded housing and encourages social engagement both in and out of the office – in addition to other networking and community service activities. In valuing wellness, interns have access to professional development and well-being coaches and can take advantage of 1:1 sessions. Interns can engage in the company’s ERGs and diversity networks to support corporate-wide DEI initiatives such as presenting alumni testimonials, creating a diversity network career fair, and participating in events. Hoping to start your career at Synchrony? Learn how here.
6. Freddie Mac
The Freddie Mac internship consists of an 11-week program with the goal of providing students with experiences that help take what they learn in the classroom and apply it in the real world. Each of the company’s divisions participate in the program, which provides a range of learning opportunities within communications, finance, real estate, and technology. Teams host various programming, such as skill-specific training and social events, throughout the summer to help them understand how to adapt into a corporate setting and prepare for interviews.
With more than 50% of their employees identifying as a racial or ethnic minority, Freddie Mac is a majority-minority company. Interns can participate in resource groups, which include activities such as equity book clubs, presentations from industry-leading speakers, and events highlighting different cultures and communities. The program works to provide interns with meaningful, hands-on experiences that have long-lasting effects on their future careers. Notably, 90% of the interns who received a full-time offer accepted and will join after graduation. Want to start your career with Freddie Mac? Apply today.
7. Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) offers an in-person internship that provides individuals with meaningful career development and the company with a pipeline for future leadership roles. In fact, 45% of interns who participated in one of J&J’s programs and accepted full-time roles have moved into leadership roles over the course of 6.5 years, on average. Additionally, interns are immersed into J&J’s alumni community and gain networking and professional development via alumni coaching sessions.
Interns gain access to leadership through town hall meetings, coffee chats, and coaching sessions. From virtual training modules to group training on performance indicators, interns receive hands-on experience to identify and enhance various skills. J&J’s program consists of a robust and purpose-driven pre-onboarding and onboarding process to help support interns in their assimilation into the company. The program recruits for 100+ roles globally, which helps to fill talent gaps in emerging markets and attract diverse talent. Interested in joining? Learn more here.
8. Quanta Services
Quanta Services offers an in-person internship program that provides housing for any intern not local to the area in which they are placed. As the internship begins, interns are brought into Houston for a full day of training and onboarding where they can meet executives and participate in a charity event. Throughout the program, Quanta Services hosts multiple “lunch and learns” focused on building professional networks, developing transferable skills, and enhancing other soft skills. Interns gain real world experience by working on some of the largest utility infrastructure projects in the nation side-by-side with their supervisors and managers.
After a successful internship, some interns may be offered to join the rotational management program or the safety trainee program, which are both 1-year programs providing versatile experience across different departments. The ultimate goal for interns is to have the opportunity to join the company full-time. For those who decide to not pursue a career with Quanta Services post-internship, they still gain valuable experience and have a Fortune 300 company on their resume. Want to join? Learn more here.
9. American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) internship program is designed to provide interns with a well-rounded experience, emphasizing professional development, equity, and impactful contributions to the organization’s mission. By combining comprehensive training, meaningful work experiences, networking opportunities, and career guidance, AHA ensures that their interns are well prepared to enter the workforce after graduation. Notably, their world-class learning platform, HeartU, offers a comprehensive range of professional development resources specifically designed for interns.
“Our goal is to empower [our interns] with the skills, knowledge, and connections they need to thrive in their chosen careers and make a lasting impact in the field of science, medicine, public health, and beyond.”
Commitment to DEI efforts is at the core of the internship program through competitive pay, equitable policies, professional development, employee resource groups, focus on health equity, and ongoing evaluation and improvement. Notably, AHA has a 64% diversity hire rate, which aligns with their goal of cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities they serve. Discover more on how the AHA internship could help you excel in your future career.
10. L3 Harris
The goal of L3 Harris’s internship program is to develop the next generation of leaders in the aerospace and defense industry through experiential learning and strong professional connections. Over the course of 10 weeks, interns are exposed to the company and contribute to meaningful projects. Interns fuel the early-career talent pipeline, with around 70% of interns returning for either an additional internship or a full-time position post-graduation.
L3 Harris has over 900 interns across 50+ locations and are given many opportunities to engage with peers at their site through local programming. Additionally, interns can connect with the entire intern community on a weekly basis through virtual networking, social events, and leadership conversations. L3 Harris supports DEI initiatives as a part of their recruiting strategy by hiring a diverse group of candidates. Interns have the opportunity to join one of L3Harris’ 11 Employee Resource Groups, which help interns build professional relationships and careers. Curious to learn more? Discover more about L3 Harris’ internship program.
11. Kiewit
Kiewit‘s internship program empowers interns to work on some of the most complex, challenging, and rewarding projects in construction and engineering. Interns can find opportunities across various markets, projects, and functional areas, including field operations, project engineering, design engineering, safety, quality, equipment, operational finance, business development, human resources, and more.
As an intern at Kiewit, you’ll work alongside staff and craft mentors, gaining realistic job experience that will grow the skills and confidence needed to achieve your unique career goals. Many Kiewit employees began their careers as Kiewit interns, from field engineering to top executives. Want to jumpstart your career at Kiewit? Submit your info for more information on internship opportunities at the company today.
12. Kearny
Kearny’s internship program enables interns to experience management consulting by gaining an introduction to the firm, its people, and the profession. Interns learn about a career in consulting by becoming full members of a team and meeting with experienced consultants at clients’ sites and in Kearny’s offices. As an intern, you will contribute ideas, develop models, perform complex analyses, and work on data-gathering assignments.
The firm’s entrepreneurial spirit and apprenticeship model provide interns with hands-on experience that will benefit their career development. Interns are assigned a mentor who will actively engage with the intern and their project manager throughout the internship. Both roles are to offer continuous support and guidance to the interns throughout their experience. To learn the tools and methodologies involved with management consulting, learn more about internship opportunities with Kearny.
Overall, interns gain meaningful work experience and are exposed to various aspects of the corporate world, including opportunities to participate in ERGs, receive mentorship and coaching, and contribute to real client work alongside experienced professionals. Not only do these internships look great on your resume, but you also gain valuable experience within in-person offices, remote environments, and other corporate settings.
With an emphasis placed on your own career development, this list highlights internship programs that will support students as they navigate their own journey post-college. Most of these companies utilize their internship programs as their early talent pipeline, so these opportunities could impact your career trajectory far beyond the internship.