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Where do I find entry-level internships to gain experience related to my major?
Hello, I was wondering where to find entry-level internships related to data science with no previous experience required.
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17 answers
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Dmitri’s Answer
The great news is that most internships don't require any prior experience—that's the whole idea! Companies, including the one I work for, welcome interns not just to boost productivity but to build strong connections with universities and colleges. We aim to help shape the next generation in the field.
Your college or university is your best ally. They usually have an office dedicated to gathering and sharing internship opportunities with students. It's in their best interest to help you succeed professionally, as it enhances their reputation with employers and attracts future students. Reach out to this office to explore available opportunities. Even though it's already May, there are likely still openings.
If that doesn't work out, try a direct approach. Identify companies in your area that align with your career interests and contact their HR departments or hiring managers through their websites, LinkedIn, or any other means you can find. Lately, I've noticed many students reaching out directly on LinkedIn, seeking experience. Even though I'm in engineering, not HR, these messages catch my attention, and I've forwarded some to our HR director to explore potential opportunities.
Lastly, don't wait for spring or summer to start your search. Many companies offer internships year-round and are flexible with your class schedule.
You’ve got this!
Reach out to your school's career center or similar group
Research local companies that specialize in your field
Your college or university is your best ally. They usually have an office dedicated to gathering and sharing internship opportunities with students. It's in their best interest to help you succeed professionally, as it enhances their reputation with employers and attracts future students. Reach out to this office to explore available opportunities. Even though it's already May, there are likely still openings.
If that doesn't work out, try a direct approach. Identify companies in your area that align with your career interests and contact their HR departments or hiring managers through their websites, LinkedIn, or any other means you can find. Lately, I've noticed many students reaching out directly on LinkedIn, seeking experience. Even though I'm in engineering, not HR, these messages catch my attention, and I've forwarded some to our HR director to explore potential opportunities.
Lastly, don't wait for spring or summer to start your search. Many companies offer internships year-round and are flexible with your class schedule.
You’ve got this!
Dmitri recommends the following next steps:
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Yashasvi’s Answer
Gaining internship experience is a great way to build skills and make connections in your field. Here are some effective ways to find entry-level internships:
1. University Career Centers
• Most universities have a career services office that posts internship opportunities, hosts job fairs, and offers resume workshops.
• Check your school’s online job board or visit the career center for personalized guidance.
2. Online Job Boards
• General Sites: Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Handshake, and SimplyHired all list internships by location and field.
• Tech-Specific: AngelList (for startups), Dice, and Stack Overflow Jobs are great for tech and engineering roles.
3. Company Websites
• Visit the careers page of companies you’re interested in. Many have dedicated internship programs and application portals.
4. Networking
• Connect with professors, classmates, alumni, and professionals on LinkedIn or at university events.
• Join student organizations or professional associations related to your major (e.g., ACM, IEEE, business clubs).
5. Career Fairs and Info Sessions
• Attend on-campus or virtual career fairs to meet recruiters and learn about internship openings.
• Participate in employer info sessions hosted by your university.
6. Faculty and Department Resources
• Ask your professors or academic advisors about research or internship opportunities—they often know about openings before they’re advertised.
7. Special Programs and Hackathons
• Look for special internship programs, summer research experiences, or hackathons sponsored by companies or universities.
Tips for Success
• Start searching early—many internships have deadlines months in advance.
• Tailor your resume and cover letter for each application.
• Don’t be afraid to apply to smaller companies or startups; they often offer hands-on experience.
1. University Career Centers
• Most universities have a career services office that posts internship opportunities, hosts job fairs, and offers resume workshops.
• Check your school’s online job board or visit the career center for personalized guidance.
2. Online Job Boards
• General Sites: Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Handshake, and SimplyHired all list internships by location and field.
• Tech-Specific: AngelList (for startups), Dice, and Stack Overflow Jobs are great for tech and engineering roles.
3. Company Websites
• Visit the careers page of companies you’re interested in. Many have dedicated internship programs and application portals.
4. Networking
• Connect with professors, classmates, alumni, and professionals on LinkedIn or at university events.
• Join student organizations or professional associations related to your major (e.g., ACM, IEEE, business clubs).
5. Career Fairs and Info Sessions
• Attend on-campus or virtual career fairs to meet recruiters and learn about internship openings.
• Participate in employer info sessions hosted by your university.
6. Faculty and Department Resources
• Ask your professors or academic advisors about research or internship opportunities—they often know about openings before they’re advertised.
7. Special Programs and Hackathons
• Look for special internship programs, summer research experiences, or hackathons sponsored by companies or universities.
Tips for Success
• Start searching early—many internships have deadlines months in advance.
• Tailor your resume and cover letter for each application.
• Don’t be afraid to apply to smaller companies or startups; they often offer hands-on experience.
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Terry’s Answer
Many companies, like Deloitte, offer summer programs for college students and have representatives visit campuses on special days. Try to attend these events. Meanwhile, use online job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn to expand your network and find internships. Don't forget to check your university's job board. When I was an undergrad, I found a part-time job through our job board. After graduating, the company offered me a full-time manager position in their IT Department, where I enjoyed a successful 27-year career.
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Christian’s Answer
It can be intimidating to look for opportunities with no experience, but there are ways. My first stop would be your campus career center and job board. Secondarily, I would ask your professors. They often have industry connections and will also have a sense of what might be open around the school in terms of research positions, which often have some data component and require no experience. After that, look to LinkedIn and Handshake or reach out to people in potential hiring roles to learn about their job and gauge ability to offer internships.
Make sure you are excelling in your coursework and building your practical knowledge and skills outside of your coursework. Tools like R, Python, and SQL are likely to be used by employers. Often, even small and relatively straightforward side projects will help you stand out, so try to find something on Kaggle or elsewhere that will help you learn something and showcase your skills.
Make sure you are excelling in your coursework and building your practical knowledge and skills outside of your coursework. Tools like R, Python, and SQL are likely to be used by employers. Often, even small and relatively straightforward side projects will help you stand out, so try to find something on Kaggle or elsewhere that will help you learn something and showcase your skills.
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Christopher’s Answer
Hey Michael,
I know the struggle—my two kids are in the same boat with college and internships. Here’s a friendly guide to help you out:
1. **Use College Resources**: Check out your college’s career center and talk to your academic departments for leads.
2. **Explore Online Job Boards**: Start with sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to find entry-level internships.
3. **Get Social**: Follow companies on LinkedIn and Facebook. Connect with people in your field on LinkedIn.
4. **Network and Make Connections**: Attend career fairs, networking events, and workshops to meet professionals and learn about opportunities.
Good luck!
I know the struggle—my two kids are in the same boat with college and internships. Here’s a friendly guide to help you out:
1. **Use College Resources**: Check out your college’s career center and talk to your academic departments for leads.
2. **Explore Online Job Boards**: Start with sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to find entry-level internships.
3. **Get Social**: Follow companies on LinkedIn and Facebook. Connect with people in your field on LinkedIn.
4. **Network and Make Connections**: Attend career fairs, networking events, and workshops to meet professionals and learn about opportunities.
Good luck!
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Annamalai’s Answer
Finding entry level data science internships with no prior experience is very achievable with the right approach. Start by exploring job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake (if you’re a student), and Glassdoor. Use filters such as “Internship” and “Entry Level” to narrow your search. Don’t overlook your university’s career center, which may offer exclusive opportunities and research assistant roles aligned with your major. Additionally, regularly check company career pages as many of them offer structured intern programs.
To stand out, even without formal experience, begin building a small portfolio by analyzing public datasets and sharing your work on GitHub or a personal blog. Familiarize yourself with essential tools like Python, Pandas, SQL, and visualization platforms such as Tableau or Power BI. Completing an online course, like the Google Data Analytics Certificate or IBM’s Data Science track on Coursera, can also strengthen your resume. When applying, tailor your resume to highlight transferable skills such as analytical thinking, Excel proficiency, or coursework in statistics. With persistence and a strategic focus, you can successfully land a role that helps launch your data science career.
To stand out, even without formal experience, begin building a small portfolio by analyzing public datasets and sharing your work on GitHub or a personal blog. Familiarize yourself with essential tools like Python, Pandas, SQL, and visualization platforms such as Tableau or Power BI. Completing an online course, like the Google Data Analytics Certificate or IBM’s Data Science track on Coursera, can also strengthen your resume. When applying, tailor your resume to highlight transferable skills such as analytical thinking, Excel proficiency, or coursework in statistics. With persistence and a strategic focus, you can successfully land a role that helps launch your data science career.
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Jasmina’s Answer
Hi,
I would suggest using Linkedin, Handshake and other recruiting professional sites. If there are specific companies you're interested in, try to visit their career sites and see if there are any internship opportunities.
I would suggest using Linkedin, Handshake and other recruiting professional sites. If there are specific companies you're interested in, try to visit their career sites and see if there are any internship opportunities.
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Grace’s Answer
If your college of study has a career center, you should take advantage of its offerings which many times include resume advise, career fairs, and sometimes partner with specific companies for recruiting. Career fairs are extremely helpful since they give you practice time to interact with business professionals, to give your “elevator speech,” and to showcase your personality. When I was a sophomore in college, I reached out to local non-profit organizations for an internship. These organizations don’t necessarily have the resources or brand names to attract recruits, however they need and appreciate all the help to better serve the community. I took on a job that was not initially published as an “internship” but they were more than happy to let it serve the purpose. Good luck, you got this!
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Sierra’s Answer
Hey Michael,
One great way to find local experiences would be to ask your local chamber of commerce if they know of any local companies that would be willing to mentor you or let you do internships. This is a great way especially if you are wanting to stay locally after graduation because you will already have started a business network. I would also encourage you to ask your family members if they know of anyone in their network that has an opportunities for you. In the early internships, the most valuable thing you can do is just get tangible experience for what a job looks like. Don't turn down a internship just because it is unpaid, you can talk with the manager and ask if you can do a 2-3 day work week so you can get a part time job for the other days if you need to generate income over the summer.
One great way to find local experiences would be to ask your local chamber of commerce if they know of any local companies that would be willing to mentor you or let you do internships. This is a great way especially if you are wanting to stay locally after graduation because you will already have started a business network. I would also encourage you to ask your family members if they know of anyone in their network that has an opportunities for you. In the early internships, the most valuable thing you can do is just get tangible experience for what a job looks like. Don't turn down a internship just because it is unpaid, you can talk with the manager and ask if you can do a 2-3 day work week so you can get a part time job for the other days if you need to generate income over the summer.
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DJ’s Answer
The easiest place to look first is a counseling center or career center if your school has one. These centers should have a wide arrange of opportunities and answers to some of your first questions. Your major’s faculty can also be a great resource. These people have spent their career in the related field on the academic side, and likely have a network of professionals in the field related to your major. They are incentivized to see you succeed and generally care about your career aspirations.
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Gabrielle’s Answer
Hi Michael!
Great question! The great thing about internships is they are all about giving YOU the change to learn and often don't require much experience. As a University Recruiter we are typically are looking for students who are motivated to learn, ask questions, and take what you've learned from the classroom to the next level.
Here's my advice on where to find internships or opportunities:
-LinkedIn: You can search for internship roles, connect with recruiters, and follow companies you are interested in. All the companies I have worked for have posted our internships on LinkedIn. If you don't have a profile I would definitely make one!
-College/University Career Center: Your career center is a fantastic resource and everyone there is an expert to provide resources, connect you with companies, and share events where you can network like a career fair for example. Your career center may use Handshake or Simplicity or another job board that is specific for students where you can also find internships too.
-Events: Companies will host events virtually or on your campus that you can attend to learn more about internship opportunities, the company culture, etc and these are really great opportunities for you to see what's out there and find different opportunities, as well as network with industry professionals.
I hope this helps!
Great question! The great thing about internships is they are all about giving YOU the change to learn and often don't require much experience. As a University Recruiter we are typically are looking for students who are motivated to learn, ask questions, and take what you've learned from the classroom to the next level.
Here's my advice on where to find internships or opportunities:
-LinkedIn: You can search for internship roles, connect with recruiters, and follow companies you are interested in. All the companies I have worked for have posted our internships on LinkedIn. If you don't have a profile I would definitely make one!
-College/University Career Center: Your career center is a fantastic resource and everyone there is an expert to provide resources, connect you with companies, and share events where you can network like a career fair for example. Your career center may use Handshake or Simplicity or another job board that is specific for students where you can also find internships too.
-Events: Companies will host events virtually or on your campus that you can attend to learn more about internship opportunities, the company culture, etc and these are really great opportunities for you to see what's out there and find different opportunities, as well as network with industry professionals.
I hope this helps!
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Tim’s Answer
Start by researching companies you want to work for and checking their websites. Many companies have a specific page for internships or include them in their job listings. Reddit can also be a helpful place to find leads on where to search. Handshake (website) is another great resource for finding jobs and internships.
As for experience, most companies don't expect you to have much experience since that's the purpose of an internship. However, they do expect you have an understanding what data science is and know about the company you're applying to.
Before applying, practice your interview skills and work on your communication to ensure you are well-prepared and confident during the interview.
As for experience, most companies don't expect you to have much experience since that's the purpose of an internship. However, they do expect you have an understanding what data science is and know about the company you're applying to.
Before applying, practice your interview skills and work on your communication to ensure you are well-prepared and confident during the interview.
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Cariad’s Answer
If you're interested in an online internship, take a look at Extern. They offer a variety of exciting externships with great companies and provide a stipend.
https://www.extern.com/community-college
https://www.extern.com/community-college
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Peter’s Answer
To find entry-level internships in data science, it’s important to have some experience to show — this can come from coursework, personal projects, or even online challenges. Make sure your resume is updated and highlights skills that are currently in demand in the industry.
Since you’re a student, take advantage of your school’s resources like career fairs, internship portals, and your career center. Also, websites like LinkedIn are great places to search and apply for internships. Networking and reaching out to professionals can open doors too!
Since you’re a student, take advantage of your school’s resources like career fairs, internship portals, and your career center. Also, websites like LinkedIn are great places to search and apply for internships. Networking and reaching out to professionals can open doors too!
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Kent’s Answer
Great question—finding internships without prior experience is very possible, especially in growing fields like data science! Here’s a focused plan to help you find and secure those opportunities:
Where to Look for Entry-Level Internships:
1. Online Job Boards Specializing in Internships: • LinkedIn: Use filters for “Internship” and “Entry Level.” • Indeed: Search “Data Science Internship No Experience.” • Handshake: Great for students; many companies specifically recruit from this platform. • WayUp: Focuses on internships and entry-level roles. • Internshala (if you’re open to remote/global roles).
2. Explore Free or Low-Cost Virtual Internships (Great for Building Your Resume): • Forage: Offers virtual job simulations with top companies like JPMorgan and Accenture. • IBM SkillsBuild: Offers free virtual training and project experiences.
3. University Career Centers: • Even if you’re not in college yet, many universities list open internships accessible to the public or high school students interested in gaining experience.
4. Directly Contact Companies: • Smaller startups are often open to offering internships even if you don’t have experience. • Draft a brief, professional email asking if they’re open to having an intern assist with data tasks or basic analytics projects.
5. Build Experience Through Projects: • If you don’t immediately land an internship, start personal or community-based projects: • Analyze public datasets (from Kaggle or government data sites). • Volunteer for nonprofits to help them analyze donor data or social media metrics. • Add these projects to a portfolio to strengthen future internship applications.
Where to Look for Entry-Level Internships:
Kent recommends the following next steps:
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Annika’s Answer
Try LinkedIn, Handshake, your school’s career center, and company websites. Also, don’t underestimate reaching out to people directly - referrals go a long way!
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Gabriel’s Answer
Hi Michael, I recommend that you check out your college's career center. They likely have details on internships in your area. Some internships might only be available in the summer or winter, so it's good to ask. Also, talk to your professors in your major. They often have industry experience or connections that can help you. For example, one of my professors knew the national head of recruiting at my job. While job sites like Indeed and Glassdoor are useful, start with your school's resources for better chances as they likely have better connections with employers looking to recruit students.