The most successful companies understand that robust internship programs are strategic investments in future talent, not just temporary summer employment. These programs combine meaningful project work, dedicated mentorship, and structured support systems to create transformative experiences that benefit both interns and organizations.
We asked leading companies with exceptional internship programs to share their insights on how they structure their programs and align them with their strategic objectives.
Describe your summer internship program’s core components and resource allocation. How many interns do you typically hire, what is the program duration, and what dedicated resources do you allocate to support the program?
At Invitation Homes, our 10-week summer internship program offers a dynamic mix of real-world project work, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities designed to prepare students for careers in real estate, finance, IT, Operations, and HR. We typically hire 7–19 interns per cohort, providing dedicated resources like competitive compensation, mentorship, program events, and tools to support their success.
How does your summer internship program contribute to your organization’s strategic objectives?
The program serves as a key talent pipeline, helping us build a diverse and innovative workforce while supporting early career development. It also strengthens our brand visibility among universities and talent networks, ensuring Invitation Homes is positioned as an employer of choice for future leaders in the industry.
Check out Invitation Home’s careers page here!
Describe your summer internship program’s core components and resource allocation. How many interns do you typically hire, what is the program duration, and what dedicated resources do you allocate to support the program?
There are three core components of Esri’s summer internship program.
1) Real-world project assignments. Interns at Esri work on real teams, with real projects, and with real deadlines. Through the summer internship program, our interns have opportunities to flex their skills while learning new ones, all in meaningful and valuable ways.
2) One-on-one mentorship pairings. Each intern is assigned a daily mentor responsible for providing mentorship, support, and guidance throughout their summer internship experience.
3) Daily career readiness workshops and events. Each day of the week, interns have the opportunity to attend team-building events, professional development workshops, and gatherings designed to expand their professional networks.
In addition to our program’s core components, summer interns have opportunities to participate in an annual, Esri-hosted Intern Hackathon and also have the opportunity to attend our organization’s annual User Conference, the largest GIS conference in the world.
More than 100+ students participate in our summer internship program each year. Esri’s internship program is 12 weeks long, with flexible start and end dates to accommodate students’ unique schedules. Our internship experience is primarily based at our world headquarters in Redlands, CA, with alternative work locations in several regional offices across the US.
Esri’s University Programs team is made up of seven full-time professional team members who provide individualized programmatic support to foster a valuable and rewarding summer internship experience. Our University Programs team receives widespread support from executive leadership, with individual leaders regularly participating and volunteering their time to support our program and our interns.
How does your summer internship program contribute to your organization’s strategic objectives?
Esri’s summer internship program is the primary pipeline for early career hiring initiatives across our organization. Converted interns traditionally begin as individual contributors, with many ascending to management and leadership roles within our organization. Students with more schooling left to complete serve alternative strategic objectives in generating brand awareness on their campuses, showcasing and sharing their own experiences, and establishing Esri as a destination for the next generation of STEM professionals.
Check out the Esri careers page here!
Describe your summer internship program’s core components and resource allocation. How many interns do you typically hire, what is the program duration, and what dedicated resources do you allocate to support the program?
Our summer internship program is a 12-week experience designed to provide meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities across a range of departments. While the number of interns varies each year, our current summer cohort welcomed over 15 interns, with some positions offering the potential for extension beyond the initial program duration. The program is supported by two dedicated recruiters along with the broader Talent Acquisition team, ensuring a smooth and engaging experience from onboarding to completion. Interns are given real, impactful projects, not just coffee runs, so they can contribute to the business in a tangible way while developing professionally. We also invest in various resources to enrich the program, including team-building activities, resume workshops, and other professional development opportunities.
How does your summer internship program contribute to your organization’s strategic objectives?
Our summer internship program allows us to assess potential, invest in emerging professionals, and strengthen our culture of learning and growth across the company. By providing hands-on experience, access to development resources, and meaningful project work, we help interns build the skills and confidence needed to thrive in our industry. Whenever possible, we strive to convert interns into full-time employees, aligning with our long-term goal of cultivating internal talent.
Check out the Golden Hippo’s careers page here!
Describe your summer internship program’s core components and resource allocation. How many interns do you typically hire, what is the program duration, and what dedicated resources do you allocate to support the program?
Each summer, we typically hire approximately 8 interns to join our dynamic sales teams across various markets. The program runs for 14 weeks and offers a comprehensive, hands-on experience that equips participants with real-world sales skills and exposure to the renewable energy industry. Interns receive daily sales training and mentorship from experienced team members, ensuring they are well-prepared to effectively engage with potential customers and represent the Everlight Solar brand.
How does your summer internship program contribute to your organization’s strategic objectives?
Our summer internship program is vital in supporting Everlight Solar’s strategic objectives by serving as a key talent pipeline for our full-time sales force. The program drives immediate sales growth during the busy summer months and allows us to assess, develop, and potentially retain high-performing interns for long-term roles within the company. Additionally, it strengthens our brand presence on college campuses and helps build lasting relationships with emerging talent in the renewable energy sector.
Check out Everlight Solar’s careers page here!
Describe your summer internship program’s core components and resource allocation. How many interns do you typically hire, what is the program duration, and what dedicated resources do you allocate to support the program?
Guidewire Basecamp is the name of our Graduate and Intern program—symbolizing the starting point of a professional journey. Just like a real basecamp, we support our early talent as they gain experience, develop their skills and begin their climb toward career success.
We host around 100 global interns annually across almost every function at Guidewire. We offer a variety of internship opportunities with 6-month and 3-month summer intakes, providing students with valuable hands-on experience. Our 6-month co-op internship runs from February to August while our summer internships run from May/June to August.
Our internship program is designed to give active undergraduate or master’s students the opportunity to work in a real-world business environment. With a blend of 70% on-the-job learning, 20% mentorship and 10% formal training offered, Guidewire interns receive real-life experience and contribute to projects and initiatives that support our global operations. All interns are paired with a dedicated mentor for the duration of their internship to lean on for support as well as access to our proprietary software and enterprise tools and platforms for their work.
Interns receive branded swag during onboarding where they learn about the Guidewire values, products and receive an overview of the intern program and its expectations. We host a variety of social events specifically catered to interns including coffee chats, social outings, team lunches as well as opportunities to meet senior leaders through Ask Me Anything Q&A sessions. Interns also participate in our Guidewire Gives Back charitable program and get invites to local office based social events.
Throughout the program our university team are on hand to provide guidance to the interns to support their growth and training ensuring their time with us is a success.
How does your summer internship program contribute to your organization’s strategic objectives?
Our summer internship program, Guidewire Basecamp, plays a vital role in advancing our long-term talent strategy. We place a strong emphasis on intern-to-full-time conversion, recognizing the strategic value of developing talent from within. Interns are provided with meaningful, hands-on work and opportunities for professional growth, enabling them to build foundational skills that align with our business needs.
This approach supports a seamless pipeline of early talent into our organization. In fact, our internship program has consistently delivered results, with strong conversion to full time outcomes over the past two years. For 2025, we’re tracking toward a 70% intern-to-full time conversion rate, surpassing our target of 60%. We’ve also set a strategic goal to have 30% of all new hires come from early talent, further embedding the program into our workforce planning.
Beyond career readiness, the internship program also reflects Guidewire’s core values around employee belonging, wellbeing, and professional development. Interns are treated as valued team members, not just temporary contributors. They gain access to product certifications, mentorship, and projects that make real business impact, all within a culture designed to help them thrive.
In short, our internship program not only builds future talent, but also strengthens our culture, supports diversity goals, and ensures we remain competitive in attracting the next generation of tech and business leaders.
Check out the Guidewire careers page here!
Describe your summer internship program’s core components and resource allocation. How many interns do you typically hire, what is the program duration, and what dedicated resources do you allocate to support the program?
Aura’s Summer Internship Program is a 10-week initiative designed for approximately 10 students, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between our organization and emerging talent.
Participants are assigned a dedicated mentor and engage in weekly “Ask Me Anything” sessions with senior leaders, offering them unique opportunities to gain firsthand knowledge and build meaningful connections with experienced colleagues. They also participate in a comprehensive 3-part virtual workshop series, which delivers foundational career readiness skills for building a personal brand and preparing for interviews, empowering interns during their time at Aura and beyond. And of course, Interns receive a few “All-Star” perks, including attendance at a Red Sox game in the exclusive Aura Club.
The cohort meets weekly on Fridays to discuss their progress, insights, and ongoing projects. The program then concludes with a “capstone” project presentation, highlighting the tangible value and contributions they have made to the business.
How does your summer internship program contribute to your organization’s strategic objectives?
As an innovative company, Aura is committed to solving the complex problem of protecting individuals and families from digital threats. Our strategic success hinges on our ability to continually evolve and understand the diverse needs of the communities we serve.
The internship program is a cornerstone of this strategy. It actively brings in fresh and varied perspectives which are indispensable for sparking the innovation required to develop cutting-edge solutions. By fostering an inclusive environment where interns from all backgrounds can contribute, we gain deeper insights into real-world challenges, enabling us to design more thoughtful products and build stronger trust. This constant influx of new ideas ensures we remain agile in a fast-moving tech industry, ultimately helping us stay ahead of threats and deliver meaningful, lasting impact.
Check out Aura’s careers page here!
Describe your summer internship program’s core components and resource allocation. How many interns do you typically hire, what is the program duration, and what dedicated resources do you allocate to support the program?
The AT&T summer internship programs are designed to provide interns with a comprehensive, hands-on experience that fosters professional growth and integration into the company culture. Core components include structured onboarding, meaningful project assignments aligned with business goals, and regular mentorship from experienced employees. Interns participate in skill-building workshops, networking events, and speaker sessions to enhance both technical and leadership capabilities. Resource allocation focuses on dedicated program coordinators, access to learning platforms, and budget for events and materials, ensuring interns have the support and tools needed for a successful and engaging internship experience.
AT&T hires around 200-250 interns every summer that run from 8-12 weeks depending on the internship program. Resources are dedicated to intern managers and coordinators, special intern events, and time from leaders and employees coming to speak and educate interns on different business operations and professional development.
How does your summer internship program contribute to your organization’s strategic objectives?
AT&T’s summer internship programs are a key driver in advancing our strategic objectives by cultivating a diverse pipeline of future talent equipped to innovate and lead in the evolving technology and telecommunications landscape. Through immersive, hands-on experiences, the program aligns interns’ projects with business priorities, fostering skills in emerging technologies that support AT&T’s commitment to innovation. The program also strengthens our employer brand and builds strong connections with early-career professionals, encouraging interns to become long-term ambassadors and future full-time employees. By investing in their development and engagement, AT&T ensures a sustainable talent pipeline that fuels growth, drives transformation, and maintains our leadership position in the industry.
Check out AT&T’s careers page here!
Describe your summer internship program’s core components and resource allocation. How many interns do you typically hire, what is the program duration, and what dedicated resources do you allocate to support the program?
BFS’s summer internship program, IGNITE, is a 12-week experience that typically hosts 25–30 full-time interns each summer. Program highlights include bi-weekly “Wisdom Wednesdays” Lunch & Learns with leaders, virtual skills-training sessions such as a Resume-Building Workshop, and ongoing engagement activities and contests like “A Day in the Life of a BFS Intern.” Interns also participate in Final Presentations to our executive leadership team to showcase their summer projects and overall experience.
The program is led by BFS’s Early Careers Recruiting Specialist, who manages the internship during the summer and oversees recruiting efforts in the fall. Additional support is provided by the Recruiting Programs Manager as needed.
Key external tools used to support the program include Handshake and NACE. Program budget and headcount are tied to the business’s Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and can vary year to year based on approved resources.
How does your summer internship program contribute to your organization’s strategic objectives?
BFS’s summer internship program was designed with the company’s organizational strategy and core values in mind. The program aims to build future talent, foster a people-first culture, inspire innovation, support strategic growth, invest in development, enhance the customer experience, and drive continuous improvement, all program objectives that ultimately align with BFS’s broader goals and values.