Human Resources internships for college students
Human resources internships cover recruiting, onboarding, benefits, HR analytics and employee experience. Almost every mid-size and large employer has an HR team that takes interns.
Recent human resources internship listings
- Data Analyst Intern - Subway Resource & Admin Support - Emerging Talent
- Workforce & Community Development Intern - Spring or Summer 2026
- Recruiting Intern
- Influencer Talent Internship
- Summer Intern - Group Benefits Product Management
- Join our Talent Community!
- People Analytics Co-op - Human Resources
- People Analytics Co-op - HR
A sample of recent postings from employer job boards and public feeds. Search by ZIP code to see the ones near you.
Common human resources internships
- Recruiting or talent acquisition intern — Screens candidates, schedules interviews and supports campus recruiting.
- HR generalist intern — Supports onboarding, policies, records and employee questions.
- People analytics intern — Analyzes hiring, turnover and engagement data.
- Learning and development intern — Helps build and run training programs.
Skills employers look for
- Communication
- Discretion with confidential information
- Excel
- Organization
- HR systems (Workday, ADP)
- Basic employment law awareness
When human resources internships recruit
- Sophomore yearJoin the SHRM student chapter and look for campus recruiting or residence-life roles.
- Junior fall (Sep–Nov)HR leadership-development programs at large employers recruit.
- Junior springMost HR, recruiting and people-operations internships at mid-size companies.
- Any timeThe aPHR needs no experience and can be taken before you graduate.
For every major side by side, see when to apply for business internships.
Certifications that strengthen a human resources application
- Human Resource Management Specialization — Minnesota · Coursera. Free to audit Free to audit; certificate ~$49/month.
- SHRM-CP — SHRM. Paid Exam $350–$499 depending on SHRM membership and registration date; students pay $150–$299. Student eligibility rules apply.
- Excel training paths — Microsoft Learn. Free Free.
- LinkedIn Learning via your library — LinkedIn Learning. Check your campus ~$40/month retail, but free through most university and public libraries.
- aPHR — Associate Professional in Human Resources — HRCI. Paid About $400 ($100 application fee plus $300 exam). No HR experience required.
Resume keywords for human resources internships
Questions students ask
When do HR internships recruit?
Leadership programs at large employers recruit in the fall of junior year; most other HR internships hire in the spring.
Which HR certification can a student get?
The aPHR is designed for people with no HR experience yet. The SHRM-CP usually comes later, once you work in HR.
Is recruiting a good first HR internship?
Yes. Recruiting teams take many interns, and the work touches most of HR.
Guides for your applications
Search human resources internships by ZIP code →
Other majors
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