How to Get a Business Internship With No Experience
Every first internship is given to someone without internship experience. What recruiters look for instead is evidence: that you can learn quickly, that you finish things, and that you care about the field.
Seven ways to build that evidence
- Do a free job simulation. Companies such as J.P. Morgan, Deloitte and BCG publish free virtual work experiences on Forage that end with a certificate.
- Earn one certification that matches your target role, such as Google Analytics for marketing or an Excel certification for finance.
- Volunteer your skills. The IRS VITA program trains students to prepare real tax returns; clubs and nonprofits need help with social media, budgets and events.
- Take a leadership role in a student organization and do something measurable with it.
- Build a small project: a stock pitch, a dashboard from public data, or a marketing plan for a local business.
- Apply to sophomore and early-insight programs, which are designed for students with no experience.
- Use your campus career center and alumni network — referrals reach recruiters that online applications often do not.
Where to look
Start with programs built for underclassmen, smaller companies that hire on a rolling basis, and your own school's listings on Handshake. Our Finder marks postings aimed at freshmen and sophomores.
What recruiters look for instead of experience
- Curiosity about the field: you can explain why you want this kind of work and what you have done to learn about it.
- Evidence you finish things: a completed certification, a project with a result, or a role you held for a full year.
- Basic tools: Excel for nearly every business role, plus the one tool your field uses most, such as SQL, Google Analytics or QuickBooks.
- Communication: clear, short answers in interviews and a resume without errors.
How to describe it on your resume
Put projects, simulations and leadership roles under an Experience or Projects heading, and write them like jobs: start with a verb, say what you did, and end with a result. "Built a three-statement model of a public company for a finance club stock pitch" tells a recruiter far more than "member, finance club".
A four-week plan
- Week 1: pick your target role and finish one free job simulation for it.
- Week 2: complete one short certification that matches the role, and add both to your resume.
- Week 3: build one small project — a stock pitch, a dashboard or a marketing plan — and write it up in three bullets.
- Week 4: apply to ten internships that fit, including sophomore and early-insight programs, and message two alumni in the field.
Questions students ask
Can you get an internship with no experience?
Yes. Every first internship goes to someone without internship experience. Recruiters look for evidence of interest and ability instead: projects, certifications, simulations and leadership roles.
What internships are easiest to get with no experience?
Sophomore and early-insight programs at large firms, and internships at smaller companies and nonprofits that hire on a rolling basis. Your school's listings on Handshake are also aimed at students like you.
Do job simulations count as experience?
They are not jobs, but they are real evidence of skills. List them under Projects with what you did and what you produced, and be ready to talk about them.
Next: find business internships for your major or compare certifications for business majors.