Landing the Perfect Information Technology Internship: A Comprehensive Guide for College Students

Information technology, more commonly known as IT, permeates nearly every aspect of modern life. As such, a background in IT can lead to a wide variety of professional paths across virtually any industry, often with excellent compensation. For college students, internships are a crucial stepping stone to launching a successful IT career. This article provides a comprehensive guide to navigating the world of IT internships, covering everything from finding the right opportunity to developing relevant skills and crafting a compelling application.

Why Pursue an IT Internship?

An IT internship offers invaluable real-world experience within a structured and supervised learning program. These positions provide students with exposure to the technology field, helping them gain insights and master skills. Internships act as a matching program, pairing talented individuals with projects that align with their career goals.

Many former interns attest to the rewarding nature of these experiences. One intern described their ITS summer internship as "the most rewarding experience of my professional career so far," highlighting the opportunity to learn about gathering requirements, meeting with stakeholders, and properly documenting work for development and implementation. Another praised the welcoming and valued environment they found as a UX Designer, noting the ability to find their own methods of practice while learning from other UXers.

Types of IT Internship Roles

The specific tasks of an IT intern can vary depending on the employer and the specific role. However, common responsibilities include maintaining and troubleshooting issues with software and hardware. Interns may collaborate with business analysts and developers to produce technical requirements and basic prototypes for front-end or back-end integrations. They may also transform software designs and specifications into high-functioning code in the appropriate language for teaching, learning, research, or networking applications.

Here are some examples of specific IT internship roles and their responsibilities:

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UX Designer: Create an optimal experience for the user when they work with a digital or physical product, often drawing on results from user research and workflow analysis.
Systems Administrator: Oversee the maintenance, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems and servers. Utilize Infrastructure as Code to build out cloud environments.
Data Analyst: Interpret data, analyzing results to better inform decisions. Develop data analyses, data collection systems, and other strategies that improve statistical efficiency and quality.
Project Manager: Plan, organize, and direct the completion of projects.
Communications Specialist: Manage internal and external communication to represent the organization to the outside world. Create materials to be used for campaigns, such as presentations, posters, articles, and videos. Support a range of online marketing projects.
Technical Support Specialist: Diagnose and troubleshoot simple problems related to computer hardware, software, and networks.
Technical Writer: Produce high-quality documentation that is appropriate for its intended audience. Work with other teams on product and documentation requirements.
Administrative Support: Support administrative processes related to Finance, HR, Procurement, and/or Facilities Management.

Finding an IT Internship

Handshake: This platform is a great starting point to get a feel for the requirements that companies usually list for their IT interns.
University Career Services: Your university’s career services center will have great insight about specific recruitment periods at your school. Make sure to sign up for a meeting with your career advisor at the start of the school year for additional help in planning ahead!
Company Websites: Many companies, especially large tech firms, have dedicated internship pages on their websites.
Networking: Attend industry events, career fairs, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn to learn about potential opportunities.

When to Apply

For most positions, it's best to start searching for your internship sooner rather than later! If you are planning to have a summer IT internship, it is recommended starting to look for internship positions no later than the season prior. Many industries prefer to recruit as early as the fall, so staying up to date on fall virtual career fairs will be helpful in securing a role! Each company has different deadlines for applications, so sooner is usually better! If you’re searching for a role during the school year, it’s best to get on applying 3-6 months prior so you can inform your internship of your other obligations and classes.

Examples of Internship Programs

Many companies and organizations offer structured internship programs specifically designed for college students. Here are a few examples:

Amazon Propel Program (APP): Offers hands-on software development experience to students who have an interest in software development.
Bank of America Global Technology & Operations (GT&O): Provides end-to-end technology and fulfillment to individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market businesses and large corporations.
Launch Internship (Bank of America): An eleven-week paid internship program for students aspiring to be engineers (specifically sophomores) and seeking an opportunity learn about the finance industry.
Explore Microsoft: A twelve-week summer internship program specifically designed for students in their first or second year of a bachelor’s degree program and provides the opportunity to experience the main phases of the product development cycle: Design, Build and Quality.
NVIDIA Ignite: Immerses students of historically underrepresented communities in a 12-week internship through NVIDIA’s products, culture, and ecosystem.
Outreachy: A paid, remote internship program with the goal of supporting people from groups underrepresented in tech.
UberSTAR internship: A 12-week summer program for freshmen and sophomore undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Computer Science, Engineering, Math and related majors.
Civic Digital Fellowship and Civic Innovation Corps: Paid, 10-week summer fellowships for early-career technologists working across software engineering, data, design, and product management.
Google Summer of Code: A global program focused on introducing students to open source software development.
Jane Street Immersion Program (JSIP): A multi-week summer program intended for undergraduate students between their first and second years who are passionate about computer science and have also experienced barriers to opportunity within the field.
Career.edYOU Academy (JPMorgan Chase): A selective, virtual educational program designed for college sophomores in the United States interested in a career at JPMorgan Chase.
MLH Fellowship: A 12-week internship alternative for aspiring software engineers.
Futureforce Tech Launchpad (Salesforce): A pre-internship program for sophomores powered by CodePath, providing a hands-on, immersive experience combining full-stack web development and 1:1 mentorship.
Sophomore Discovery Fellowship Program (Wells Fargo): A 10-week internship program providing students who have completed their sophomore year of college with an in-depth understanding of the day-to-day responsibilities of full-time employees across a variety of roles within Wells Fargo.
Capital One Internships: Offers internships across various lines of business, including technology, data analysis, consulting, finance, and commercial banking.
NASA Internships: NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement provides, annually, more than 2,000 students the opportunity to impact the agency’s mission through a hands-on internship. NASA also offers internships for non-STEM majors in areas such as human resources, administration, program analysis, accounting and budget, communication and public relations, procurement and contracts, and information technology.

Skills Needed

While specific requirements vary, some skills are consistently valued in IT internships:

Understanding of applicable programming languages
High attention to detail
Ability to collaborate in a team environment
Great troubleshooting and analytical skills

Crafting a Compelling Application

Resume: List experiences and previous roles where the skills translate over. If you’ve taken a coding course or learned an important programming language, mention it!
Cover Letter: Highlight your passion for IT, your relevant skills, and your eagerness to learn. Tailor your cover letter to each specific internship, demonstrating your understanding of the company and the role.

Compensation

Because the industries that require IT interns vary, there’s no standard answer for an IT internship payscale. If you’re wondering how much your IT internship will pay, it might be best to inquire directly with the company you’re considering taking an internship with. Some internship programs will offer only class credits, while many others are more keen to compensate their interns with an hourly rate or a set stipend.

Success Stories

Former interns often go on to achieve great things in the IT field.

Aaron Yazzie: A former intern at JPL, inspires a new generation of Diné scientists and engineers.
Clare Luckey: Was selected as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 and helps plan how the first astronauts will land on Mars.

The ITS Internship Program at the University of Michigan

As an example of a robust IT internship program, consider the Information and Technology Services (ITS) Internship Program at the University of Michigan. Applications for the Summer 2026 Internship Program will open on December 8, 2025. ITS hires both technical and non-technical interns for their summer program. Internships are paid, full-time positions.

Program Structure and Benefits

Professional Development: ITS supports interns with weekly professional development sessions to help them gain insights and exposure to the technology field. Mentorship is a hallmark component of the program.
Cohort Project: Every intern will choose a supplemental project in collaboration with other interns. These projects are pitched by dedicated staff from ITS departments or campus partners and do not have to be related to the intern’s main job role.
Showcase Presentation: A final capstone presentation is required for all interns to showcase their accomplishments on the last day of the internship. Faculty and staff from across the university will be invited to network and learn more about the impacts of interns.

Program History and Mission

The ITS Internship Program started in 2014 as a commitment to foster talent and innovation. The program acts as a matching service, pairing talented interns with projects needed in the university. To help select the best position for each intern, applicants choose their preferred position in the application that best matches their career goals after graduation.

Important Considerations for Interns

Onsite Attendance: Interns are required to attend onsite professional development twice a week at ITS office locations on the University of Michigan’s campus in Ann Arbor. Your department work location may vary depending on the team you are assigned to.
Summer Courses: Under some circumstances, you may be allowed to take a summer course while participating in the program, but this must be approved by your supervisor and the Internship Planning Team in advance of accepting an offer.

Debunking Common Misconceptions

A common misconception is that certain organizations only offer engineering internships. However, many organizations, including NASA, offer opportunities for students who are not majoring in engineering. They need employees with a variety of knowledge and skills, including accountants, writers, IT specialists, project managers, and program analysts.

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