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The Best City Internships for College Students

Interning in a big city is great for development–for your career and for your perspective.

City internships are great for exploring and accelerating your career while experiencing new sights. With so many cities around the world offering exciting internships–both in-person and remote work–it can be overwhelming to focus on just one. Internship programs in different cities can greatly improve your world view and help you decide where you’d like to end up after college. Interning in big cities can help build great industry connections, and possibly even lead to full-time roles down the line.

How to search for internships by city?

When searching for internships by city, it’s key to use the location filters provided on Handshake. You’ll be able to pinpoint internships exactly where you want to intern just by selecting the city you want in the search bar. Internships in New York City or Boston are just one search away.

You can also research top companies in your chosen city by visiting our list of Handshake employers and typing your city into the “Location” search bar. This way you’ll be able to see employers in your desired location. Once on the company’s page, you can read reviews from students who have interned there or study up on some interview questions.

Should I only apply for internships near where I live?

If you’re looking to expand your world view and get a taste of another city, then no! Apply for internships in other cities you’re interested in.

But if you know that you want to stay in your current city, then yes! Make a great list of internships in your city and surrounding cities to apply to.

How to land an internship in a specific city

Many companies in big cities that are hiring interns are looking for similar keywords in resumes, but what makes the right candidate is listing the skills that make you stand out.

List your past experiences

Even if you’ve never had an internship role, you definitely have skills from past experiences you can offer. From mentorships, volunteer roles, and school projects that you did–there are always skills you can pull from your life that apply.

Six soft skills that might make you a better candidate on your resume:

  1. Quick learner
  2. Natural leader
  3. Organized
  4. Accountable
  5. Detail oriented
  6. Collaborative

Technical skills

It’s likely this might be your first internship, but if it’s not then you may have some technical skills from previous jobs to add to your resume. It’s always a good idea to mention that you have strong industry specific skills, know how to manage projects, or have had experience leading and also being a teamplayer.

What should I write in my cover letter for an internship?

Besides your resume, your cover letter is another chance to really sell yourself as a future intern.

Three things you should include in your internship cover letter:

  1. Previous experiences (volunteer or extracurricular) and how they apply to the role you are applying for
  2. Why you’re passionate about and interested in working with them
  3. Specific examples of how you could contribute to their mission

Check out this article with proper formatting techniques and more in depth information about the perfect cover letter.

Good cities for internships

What are some good internships for college students?

  • Business Analyst
  • Graphic Designer
  • Research Assistant
  • Social Media Assistant
  • Junior Software Engineer
  • Journalist
  • Copywriter

Find the right jobs for you. Get hired.