How to find internships

Most people open Handshake, get overwhelmed, and stop. Search first, then only open the other internship websites for what that search cannot cover.

Search open listings first

Start on the internship finder. Filter by role, location, season, and whether a posting is still open. Apply on the company page — that is the real application.

Save anything you might apply to in a folder so you are not hunting through browser history later.

Then use the other internship websites

No single board has everything.

• This site — public lists, Y Combinator, USAJobs, Idealist, and company career boards. No account.
• Handshake — campus-only roles. Use your school email.
• LinkedIn and Indeed — set alerts, then track the ones you care about here.
• Company career pages — if you already know the employer, go straight there.

See the internship websites finder for when to use each one.

When summer internships open

For the next summer, the useful window is late summer through fall. A lot of software and finance roles open in July–October and fill before winter break. Spring and government Pathways roles run on their own calendars — check the deadline on the row.

If you are late, still apply. Plenty of postings stay open, and off-season internships exist.

If you do not have experience yet

Apply anyway to roles that say they want current students. Then fill gaps with a project, a research assistant job, an Extern project, or a smaller company from the list. One finished thing on a resume beats a long note about being passionate.

Track applications

When you click apply here, save the row to a folder and mark it applying. Put the deadline on it. That is the whole system — you do not need a spreadsheet unless you want one. You can export a folder to CSV.

Common questions

How do I find internships as a college student?

Search open listings, apply on the employer page, and use Handshake for campus-only roles. Keep a folder of the ones you started.

What is the best website to find internships?

There is not one. Use a finder for the public listings, Handshake for school roles, and the company site when you know where you want to work.

When should I apply for summer internships?

Start in August–October for the following summer. Keep going through spring for roles that are still open.