If you’re a college student, then you’re probably on the hunt for an internship. Or you may be a recent graduate and searching for your first full-time gig, maybe in a brand new city. 
Either way, landing an internship in NYC is hard. New York City is known as one of the business capitals of the world — from finance to fashion — there are many fields where it’s much easier to make a name for yourself in New York.
But, landing one of the most coveted internships in NYC can be competitive. Use this guide to understand the business landscape in New York City.
Plus, learn about some of the best internship opportunities in the city and find out how you can stand out in the application process.
There are endless opportunities for internships in NYC. From interning for up-and-coming startups to becoming a nurse or accountant, the chances for success in one of America’s most powerful cities are endless.
We at SharedEasy have partnered with businesses from all over the globe, working with you to make sure you get the most out of your time in New York. For more information click this link to learn more about co-living for interns from SharedEasy.
Why intern in New York City?
Known by many names such as the Big Apple, or the City-That-Never-Sleeps, New York is a dream city for many people of all ages and backgrounds, and for good reason.
New York City embodies in many people the heart of the United States’ promise of being a land of opportunity, and oftentimes an internship is just the thing to get your foot in the door to enter this bustling hub of business, no matter what field you’re in!
Below we’ve listed just a few reasons as to why aspiring New Yorkers may want to consider NYC as the start of their new career and life journey.
A Distinct Culture
The city that never sleeps may be known for its restlessness, but the business culture in New York City is not one to be slept on.
If you are searching for an internship in NYC, it’s important to know what to expect as far as the company culture goes. If you’re from a smaller town or college town, there will be some differences in how business gets done.
Expectations are high and competition is fierce for internships in New York, but to be a true New Yorker and deal with the demands of the similar work and life culture of the city, you’ll have to learn to speak up and defend your ideas, communicate succinctly and directly, and be able to be on your toes for the fast-paced work environment.
While it may not be easy, the old cliche about New York is often true that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere!
An Abundance of Opportunities
As mentioned before, New York is a hub for many different fields of business, so no matter what your college major or field of expertise, you can be sure there’s probably an internship in that field somewhere in the city.
However some of the most abundant fields in terms of internships available tend to be in the following industries/sectors:
- Business development
- Advertising/Marketing
- E-commerce
- Fashion/Beauty
- Financial services
- Media
- Nonprofits
- Public relations
- Theater/Performing Arts
If your interest lies outside these areas, don’t fret, as this is just a sampling of the many business sectors that thrive in New York City.
Many opportunities also exist in healthcare and real estate, so no matter what your background is, if you put in the time and effort, you’ll surely find some internships that will pique your interest in the Big Apple.
An Abundance of Options
Going off of the aforementioned business areas, many large, well-known companies call NYC their home (such as CBS, NBC, IBM, PepsiCo, JPMorgan Chase Co., etc.), and thus are definitely worth looking into if you’re looking to make a splash on your resume.
Many internship opportunities exist if you’re willing to seek them out, whether you’re a high school student, undergraduate, or graduate.
If you don’t live in the city itself, many summer internships exist that can give you a taste of the New Yorker experience for a season while also getting valuable work experience for the future.
Also, depending on the field, some paid internships exist as well that can either pay hourly or offer stipends for hours worked and other perks like a paid MetroCard.
Internships like these are more abundant in the financial or e-commerce sectors however, so keep that in mind.
How to land a great internship in NYC
Now that we’ve covered some of the perks and reasons an NYC internship is desirable, you may be asking: “Well how do I land an internship in the first place?”
Some of it comes down to the company itself. Traditional routes like Indeed and Glassdoor and other job-search sites can give you a decent overview, but it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for programs specifically geared towards internships and entry-level roles for college students or graduates.
Below are 5 example companies that offer great internship programs in New York City:
- Bloomingdale’s Corporate Office: this fashion brand has a corporate internship program that gives great work experience in several areas such as marketing, buying, planning, and analysis
- Environmental Defense Fund: People more inclined to making a difference with their internship can look into the programs analytics internship of the Environmental Defense Fund, which allows you to directly evaluate and help improve the effectiveness of their environmental programs
- One of the Big Four Accounting firms: If you’re looking for something related to financial services, accounting, or business development, look no further than one of the Big Four accounting firms in NYC. KPMG and PwC are two examples in this category that offer internship programs in the city
- WarnerMedia: One example for those looking for internships in the fields of journalism, entertainment, or business development, broadcasting, and even data science!
- United States Fund for UNICEF: For those who wish to intern in the impactful non-profit sector, this fund helps provide safe drinking water, distributes life-saving vaccines, and works to prevent child malnutrition, among other meaningful things.
Many more examples exist, so in addition to narrowing down the sector you want to work in, it might be useful to list a few dream companies to work for to see if they have any specific internship programs on offer in New York City.
Update your resume/CV
While it may be obvious to update your resume before starting a job search, in order to give you better odds in the competitive NYC internship scene, it would be useful to update your resume for EVERY internship you apply for.
By making the bullet points on your resume more tailored to specific internships, you can make your resume stand out to potential employers, and show that you are set up to succeed in your desired internship.
Write a cover letter
While cover letters aren’t required for every job application, it often shows a great amount of work ethic to an employer if you write one regardless, as a cover letter can do a lot to expand on the short points in your resume, as well as highlight any other areas of your work or professional experience that an employer would be interested to know about further in an interview.
As with the resume, you should try to tailor this to the job description as much as possible to better your odds.
Check your social media
One oft-ignored aspect of job searching is your social media. LinkedIn counts in this category, which can simply be updated to give a basic overview of your professional experience.
In addition though, make sure your other social media accounts don’t have anything that would cast you in a negative light to an employer or company, such as photos of excessive partying, or instances of vulgar or controversial opinions.
Another option for this is to just set all your public social media accounts to private. LinkedIn additionally is good for reaching out to specific recruiters from companies you are looking to intern for.
Don’t hesitate to reach out in a polite and professional manner and ask if they are seeking out any interns!
Housing for NYC Interns
Lastly, one of the most daunting parts about finding an internship in New York City comes down to the task of finding a place to live while you’re there.
Some student housing facilities have extra space in the summer, which is decent if you’re only looking for summer internships, but for longer term accommodations, a new trend from the co-working movement offers a variety of locations and room options for coliving in NYC.
These are spaces with private individual rooms, but that have shared common areas like laundry rooms, living rooms, and kitchens in order to bring rental prices down and split them amongst several roommates.
One of the best resources for aspiring New York City interns in this space is SharedEasy, which offers all sorts of co-living accommodations for any budget.
So if living space is the one thing holding you back from seeking out an internship in the magical city of New York, don’t let it hold you back and check out SharedEasy, while you utilize the other steps mentioned in this article.
Good luck out there, and if you land an internship, enjoy your time in the Big Apple!
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