If you’re looking for the internship opportunity of your dreams, then you won’t have to go very far. Many students start on the Internet, perusing the “top internship programs” listings in magazines like Business Week or Campus Grotto. Finding a good internship program match is very important, particularly in the upper level years because it’s very likely you’ll be offered a position if you apply yourself and work diligently. For many employers, the internship process is a way to groom prospective employees and weave them into the fabric of the company. Choosing an internship that suits your personality, interests and strengths will help with job placement tremendously when you graduate. Here is a list of the best programs in the nation.
Gen-Y workers are looking for day-to-day fulfillment from their careers. Securing a student internship from the Microsoft internship program is a dream come true for many. There are free beverages all day long, loads of creative tasks, sports teams, theater troupes, puzzle days, zoo discounts, flexible hours and a casual dress code. Interns will play a part in every facet of the company, visiting think tanks and labs, and also working on games, mobile applications, developer tools, business solutions and operating systems. With opportunities across the globe, there’s no telling where you’ll end up!
For the creative filmmaker/animator minds, nothing beats the internship program at Pixar. You’ll have to spend your first two years assembling a demo reel to submit to the company, but in your junior year of college you’ll be eligible to apply for the internship opportunity to assist in the production of a feature film! Pixar’s interns work with technical directors and contribute as full members of their technical team! Students work in developing programs, modeling sets and props, shading and illustrating, manipulating lighting effects, dressing sets, storyboard layout, rigging characters for animation and rendering the final digital shots to scan onto film. Interested applicants must have some experience using Linux or UNIX, programming languages like C, C++ or scripting languages like Tcl, Sh, Python or Perl. They should have some familiarity using 3D graphic programs like Maya, XSI or Lightwave and education in computer science, math, engineering and art. If you make the cut, Pixar has an unforgettable and meaningful job internship for you.
Genentech, one of Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For,” offers an intensive internship program that runs for 10-12 weeks during the summer. Students will be placed into project teams related to research, development, manufacturing or business. Juniors majoring in physical sciences or chemical engineering are preferred. You will participate in an internship in San Francisco, Vacaville or Oceanside, California and you will also be paid. Eligible interns will even receive relocation assistance and jobs upon graduation. You will work on projects, career developing and networking in the field of your choice, such as Science, Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science, Law or Business. If biomarkers, genotypes, immune mediated diseases, molecules and cells are your thing, then Genentech is the place for you!
Thanks to Thomas Bronson for the article.