How to Get an Internship in the Age of AI: A Step-by-Step Guide for College Students
How to Get an Internship in the Age of AI: A Step-by-Step Guide for College Students
Why are internships so hard to get today? The game has changed and most students don’t even know the rules.
Companies are Risk-Averse
Interns take time and money to take on due to the need for supervision and training. Companies are hesitant to invest unless it’s clear that the intern will directly contribute or has the potential to be a future hire.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Is Doing Intern-Level Work
AI tools can draft social media posts, research trends, write reports, and organize data. All the work interns used to be given is now done faster, cheaper, and error free. As companies automate junior tasks, they have far fewer low-stakes projects for interns.
Network Gatekeeping
Many internships are given through personal connections--students without these networks (often first-generation college students) are often left out.
The Experience Paradox
Internships want candidates with some experience already (e.g., personal projects, part-time work, etc.). Students who didn’t know how to do that or couldn’t afford to take on unpaid work get filtered out.
Oversupply of Applicants
College enrollment is high, but internship slots are limited. For every open internship, there are hundreds of applicants, especially for “prestige roles.”
What You Can Do: Start Early
Start Early to Stay Competitive
Ideally, students should begin gaining work experience in high school through internships, part-time jobs, or volunteer roles. An early start builds professional maturity (and a resume!), so they enter college with real-world experience under their belt.
Why does that matter? Because by the time students apply for college-level internships, employers expect candidates to already have some experience. No one wants to be a student’s first-ever manager—it can feel more like babysitting than mentoring. Hiring managers want interns who are already professionally aware, articulate, and coachable.
If high school wasn’t an option, then Freshman year is the next best time to begin. After that, Sophomore year, and so on—the later a student starts, the more ground they have to make up.
Starting early is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s a competitive necessity.
Have a Clear Direction
Many students take whatever job or internship they can get—and while some experience is better than none, random experience can actually hurt more than help.
Why? Because your resume needs to tell a clear story. Internships look for signs of sustained interest and direction. A scattered path (e.g., part-time work as a barista, an internship at a medical office, and a major in political history) can leave hiring managers confused about who you are and where you’re headed.
Even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do (and most don’t!), it’s important to stay within a general “family of interest”, whether that’s creative industries, healthcare, business, etc.
Feeling Completely Lost About Career Direction?
Our Career Assessment helps students generate a list of careers that make sense for their personality, skills and make a solid decision.
What it takes to stand out
The most common approach to finding an internship is searching online job boards like LinkedIn, Handshake, or Indeed and submitting applications. This is a valid route, but it’s also the most competitive.
Why? Because everyone is applying to the same publicly posted roles. Some listings receive hundreds of applications in a single day.
To break through this crowded channel, students typically need:
Prior experience
A clear career direction that matches the role
A polished resume and LinkedIn profile
A compelling cover letter and strategic follow up
This path can work well—but only if you’re already prepared with a solid foundation.
Need help with your Resume or LinkedIn?
Check out our Professional Branding Services and start getting noticed.
Create Your Own internship
A more effective (and far less crowded) route is to create your own opportunity. Reach out to small businesses, nonprofits, or startups and offer to help with a specific project. Better yet, do your research and proactively propose a project you know they might need (e.g. if they don’t have a social media presence, offer to create one).
Even if it’s unpaid, a 4–6 week commitment of your time can be a great value for them—and a huge win for you. It doesn’t have to take up your whole summer or semester. What matters is that you’re learning, building real relationships, gaining work experience, and securing references for your future! Sometimes the best opportunities aren’t posted—they’re proposed.
Learn AI Tools Now
As AI and automation tools continue to replace traditional intern tasks and early-career roles, it’s essential for students to know these technologies. Graduating with a strong AI tool belt gives you an edge. Tools like ChatGPT, Notion, Canva, and Figma are already being used for writing, research, design, organization, and communication across industries. Take time to learn which tools are relevant to your field and how professionals are actually using them.
The good news? You can do this on your own schedule, often at little to no cost:
Free YouTube tutorials
Low-cost courses on Coursera, Udemy, Skillshare
Most tools offer free versions to practice with
With just a few hours a week, you can build digital fluency that sets you apart in a competitive market.
Get Certified
If you’re struggling to land an internship, don’t just wait around or take that camp counselor job (again!) Use the time to earn certifications that strengthen your resume and set you apart. Industry-relevant credentials can show initiative, build your skillset, and increase your chances of landing future roles. For example:
Interested in marketing? Learn Google Ads, SEO, or social media certifications
Exploring business or sales? Learn CRM platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce
A college degree is a great foundation, but it’s not enough on its own anymore. Today, employers want to see real skills and self-motivation.
This doesn’t have to cost much. Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning offer high-quality, low-cost courses—often for as little as $20.
Plan a Future-Proof Career
It’s a tough time to be looking for internships. Competition is high, and AI is automating many of the entry-level tasks that used to justify intern roles. The students who succeed are the ones who take intentional steps towards building professional skills: starting early, gaining experience, completing extracurricular certifications, building portfolios, and becoming fluent with AI tools. Today’s employers are no longer hiring based on degrees alone. They’re looking for skills, initiative, and real-world experience. When students take these steps, they rise above the crowd, regardless of how competitive the market is.
Book a Complimentary Career Consultation today and land your first job or internship!