10 Best Websites to Find an Internship for Students

Did you know that around 70% of Interns are provided a job offer by companies following the completion of their internship?

However, getting started on your internship search can be intimidating.

One search can lead to innumerable results.

Determining if the job posting is legitimate or not can be a massive time sink.

We’ve compiled a list of the 10 Best websites to find an internship opportunity and kickstart your career!

Best overall: LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s greatest feature is being able to network with employers, business organizations, colleagues, etc. College students form the 2nd most popular age group (18-24 yrs) on LinkedIn, making up 20.4% of total users.

You get to form professional connections and interact with your network and beyond by publishing write-ups, posting job openings, joining groups, and keeping up with the latest industry news!

Pros:

• Apart from the Job Listings portal, Employers can make posts regarding job openings at the companies.

• InMail is a messaging tool that allows recruiters and hiring managers to get in touch with you via opportunities or vice versa, with you being able to reach out to them through messages about possible opportunities.

Cons:

• To be listed as a ‘Featured Applicant’ or, in other words, a top applicant, you must pay a fee.

• LinkedIn also offers premium features through its plans based on subscription fees.

• Being the biggest platform, job-seekers have a lot of competition, and your application can get lost amongst several prospects.

Price:

A basic account is free of cost, but if you’d like to increase your chances of visibility, the LinkedIn Premium Career monthly subscription stands at $39.99.

Who can use LinkedIn?

Students above the age of 16, fresh graduates, and experienced job seekers can use LinkedIn.

Best for law students: Indeed

As per the College Pulse Survey 2023, Indeed is the most used job search platform in the US ( 71% of surveyed students have used it, and 39% of Students in the US have found it useful).

This is because internships are very easy to find on this website as you only have to enter the area of specialization followed by location.

Pros:

• Since students either intern during summer breaks or some through the course of the year on a part-time/full-time basis depending on their availability, they can find plenty of relevant internship openings.

• Simple keyword, title, industry, and location-based job searches. Additionally, there is a sophisticated filter tool to limit results.

• Candidates receive daily job alert emails with links to fresh job postings relevant to their search.

Cons:

• Free job listings drop in the search results over time and become less visible.

• There aren’t many resources available.

• User experience and navigation are rated low due to the UI/UX design being unappealing.

Price:

You can sign up on Indeed for free and search for internships.

Who can use Indeed?

Indeed can be used by college students.

Best for school students: Chegg Internships

Chegg Internships is a website especially for students. It brings together companies and students to connect. They can search for internships and entry-level positions from 60,000 companies by area, job type, and season.

Pros:

• Users are required to take a test in their area of interest. Internship applications are only open to those who have successfully passed this test.

• The website offers tools for organizing and overseeing internships. Additionally, the website provides students with guidance for internship interviews.

Cons:

• Tools for application monitoring are absent from the platform.
• There are no choices for greater visibility of premium job postings.

Price:

Chegg Internships are free to use.

Who can use Chegg Internships?

It can be used by high school students, college students, and recent graduates.

Best for medical students: Handshake

To guarantee that all college students have fair access to rewarding opportunities, Handshake was launched in 2014 and, since then, has had a significant impact on the start of an early career.

It has more than 12 million active student users and 1400+ college and university partners. As per the College Pulse Survey 2023, (63% of surveyed students have used it, and 29% of Students in the US have found it useful).

Pros:

• Internship job posts contain reviews by students who’ve already taken up the positions previously. This provides insight into the pros and cons of the internship for college students and allows them to make informed decisions.
• On-campus activities regarding opportunities are accessible with a single click, and the user interface’s straightforward design and mobile app optimization feature are both beneficial.

Cons:

• Users suggested a follow-up with the company by email after submitting the Handshake application.
• Although some visitors claim the website isn’t the greatest place to submit applications for internships.

Price:

Handshake is free to use. All you have to do is create your profile and get started.

Who can use Handshake?

It is limited to College and University Students only.

Best for mass communication students: Mediabistro

Mediabistro is the best website to look out for internships, specifically in media, broadcasting, advertising, marketing, social media, design and technology, and more!

Pros:

• They provide helpful online courses, webinars, expert chats, and their job board that’ll help you level up your game in this increasingly tough environment.

• Since the website is limited to the specialization of Media, it narrows down categories for you, reducing the time you spend searching for the right kind of internship.

Cons:

• Mediabistro’s intern program search engine does not offer as many options compared to other websites.

• Being limited to the Media field only, students looking for internships in other fields face disadvantages.

Price:

It offers a 14-day free period in which you get access to all the resources, following which MB Unlimited subscription will cost $119.88/year.

Who can use Mediabistro?

It can be used by college students, recent graduates, and other professionals.

Best for volunteering: Idealist

Idealist has a global network of 130,000 organizations that provide opportunities in the Non-Profit Organization sector. Students can find internships and volunteer roles in the designated field.

Pros:

• 100,000 Interns and volunteers are available for employers to engage with daily.

• The website has a graduate school directory and gives job seekers free career advice.

Cons:

• Although Idealist credits never run out, paid listings are only visible for 30 days and do not receive discounts, whereas free ads like Google for Jobs are always available.
• There is no resume database on the website.

Price:

It is free to use.

Who can use Idealist?

Idealist can be used by college students and recent graduates.

Best for engineering students: SimplyHired

SimplyHired is a broad job organizer that collects job ads from other websites and makes them available for free sharing.

The site has a pay-to-contact business model, so while advertising a position is free of charge, employers must pay to access applicants’ contact information.

Pros:

• Offers features such as message boards, tools for job descriptions, and applicant management.

• Opportunities that are listed enjoy high visibility on the website. This would make the internship search easier.

Cons:

• Lack of customer support is a concern for most users of this website.
• Employers are charged to review the resume and application of the candidate. Due to this, it becomes selective and can reduce your chances of landing an internship opportunity.

Price:

It is free to use.

Who can use SimplyHired?

SimplyHired can be used by College students and Recent Graduates.

Best for students with gap years: InternMatch

InternMatch, as the name suggests, specializes in providing internships to college students and entry-level jobs to graduates for up to 2 years as well.

It has a 92% internship securement record, and 79% of internships are converted into full-time employment, as per the website report.

Pros:

• It offers paid and unpaid internships.
• Wide range of selections from big companies like CBS and Pixar to non-profit organizations as well.

Cons:

• Job listings are far away from the preferred locations.

Price:

It is free to use.

Who can use InternMatch?

InternMatch can be used by College Students, Recent Graduates, and those wishing to change their careers.

Best for summer internships: CoolWorks

CoolWorks is an easy-to-use platform for those outdoor lovers searching for seasonal internships and contract opportunities. They are located mostly in national parks, resorts, campgrounds, and beaches.

On average, the website has over 250,000 views each month, with over 91% of views coming from the United States.

Pros:

• Provides an application tracking solution
• Although the site is best known for posting seasonal internship and contract opportunities, employers can also post full-time positions.
• The website is affiliated with several recognized companies, like the America Outdoors Association.

Cons:

• It does not include a resume database.
• There are no free job posting options, and of which many employers back out from posting the opportunities available due to the fee.

Price:

CoolWorks is free to use to look for opportunities and apply.

Who can use CoolWorks?

It can be used by high school students, college students, and recent graduates.

Best for training programs: Internship USA

The Internship USA programs are offered by the Institute for International Education and Exchange – IIEEX.

It is a non-profit organization based in San Diego, California, and encourages cultural exchanges to and from the United States and initiatives worldwide.

It has placed 3256+ international students and graduates.

Pros:

It offers 4 different types of Internship programs, which are:

• Intern Program for 12 months in your field of study

• Virtual Program for the duration of your semester

• Volunteer Program for a period of up to 6 months in any field

• Trainee Program for a period of up to 18 months in your field of study

Cons:

• You must meet the basic requirements of a J-1 visa to be eligible.

Price:

Online account creation is free of cost on the website.

Who can use Internship USA?

The Intern, Virtual, and Trainee programs are open to college students or graduates only. Whereas the Volunteer program is open for ages 16-9.

What kind of an internship should you take up?

Students take up internships either to gain relevant work experience or because it is mandated by educational rules. So, what kind of internship should you take up?

• It is important to select an internship that will align with your career. For example, to dive into the field of Content and marketing, internships in this field are to be taken up and not an internship in Accounting.
• The next step is to explore relevant companies or organizations that offer internships and analyze their work before applying. This means that you should learn about what they do, their work culture, and any recent milestones.
• As per a report published by the National Survey of College Internships, 39.2% of students who followed this method were very satisfied with their internship.

Landing your first internship

The search for your first Internship can be intimidating without having experience.

• As per the National Survey of College Internships 2021 Report, (59.4%) of students were unable to intern due to a lack of knowledge about how to find an internship.
• But there’s a way to deal with this. You can build your skill set, enroll in certified courses, and create a portfolio to showcase your work.
• Your GPA can play a role in your first internship too.
• So, optimize your resume or CV accordingly, as it creates the first impression.
• Following this, start searching on various job portals and apply to companies or organizations of your choice.
• Another way to find an Internship is through networking with peers, university professors, or employers by enquiring if they are aware of any internship opportunities and are willing to give you a referral.
• Besides these methods, several schools and universities have career centers to provide students with internship opportunities and collaborations with companies.

Are internship experiences counted as work experience?

Yes, internships are counted as work experience.

When you apply for an entry-level job, the nuances of the skills acquired from Internships form the base of your career.

• This is because you get to showcase the fact that you’ve acquired certain skills already through the course of your internships.

• It also sets you apart from other candidates with no previous experience. The skills and exposure gained from the internship are worthy of being counted.

Conclusion

Now that you have a list of websites to make an informed decision, getting started on your Internship hunt will be simpler!

Turn on job alerts for new opportunities available on plenty of websites, and search for your preferences through different categories based on location, remote work, part-time or full-time.

You can also make use of additional resources such as premium subscriptions, resume assistance, online courses, and other tools to step up your game.

References

1. College Pulse – College Students Rank Indeed as the Top Job Search Website. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://collegepulse.com/blog/college-students-rank-indeed-as-the-top-job-search-website
2. Handshake Careers – About. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://joinhandshake.com/about/
3. Libby Markham, Is Handshakes the Best Way for Students to Find Jobs?(n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://candor.co/articles/tool-reviews/is-handshake-the-best-way-for-students-to-find-jobs
4. Betterteam – Chegg Internships. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://www.betterteam.com/chegg-internships
5. Samuel Edwards – The Pros and Cons of Popular Job Sites. (n.d.). Retrieved from April 27 2023, https://www.inc.com/samuel-edwards/the-pros-and-cons-of-popular-job-sites.html
6. Betterteam – Idealist. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://www.betterteam.com/idealist
7. Idealist – About. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://www.idealist.org/en/about
8. Betterteam – SimplyHired. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://www.betterteam.com/simplyhired
9. InternMatch – Our story. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://internmatch.io/our-story/
10. Betterteam – CoolWorks. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://www.betterteam.com/coolworks
11. Internship USA – Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://www.internship-usa.com/programs/volunteer-program.html
12. J1 Intern Trainee Programs – Home. (n.d). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://www.j1-visa.com/
13. Matthew T.Hora, Jared Colston, Zhidong Chen, and Alexandra Pasqualone – National Survey of College Internships (NSCI) 2021 Report. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27 2023, from https://ccwt.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CCWT_NSCI-2021-Report.pdf