Your Guide to Internships in New York City

Looking for paid summer internships in New York City? Start with this comprehensive guide.

Besides fulfilling your childhood dreams of living in an exciting city, interning in New York City is a great launchpad for your career. New York is known for finance, media, and fashion internships and has a rich and vibrant theater, art, and intern scene.

Summer internships provide you with many valuable experiences, giving a real taste of what it’ll be like to work in your preferred industry down the line. You’ll connect with potential mentors, learn trade secrets, and build relationships with coworkers with a range of expertise. Internships beef up resumes, provide valuable avenues to letters of recommendation, and can even turn into full-time jobs. If you consider all of these perks of interning and add the benefit of exploring a diverse city that’s full of opportunities, you have a very compelling list of reasons to intern in New York City.

Tips for your resume and profiles

Before you get started on sending out applications, make sure that you have your resume up to date and have fully filled out all your Handshake profile details. With a complete profile, an impressive New York City internship is more attainable than ever. Recruiters are much more likely to message a student with a complete profile that says you want to work in NYC than an unfinished one.

Tips for your internship interview

When you do land your first interview, be it a virtual interview or in person, make sure to come prepared and dressed to impress. Review your resume and cover letter to make sure you have specific examples of your experience to share, from clubs or coursework. You can even schedule a mock interview with your university’s career center or, if you’re tight on time, ask a trusted friend to grill you on some common interview questions.

Tips for networking at your internship

Once you’ve landed an internship in New York and settled into the flow of day-to-day life at the office, start chatting with your coworkers. Whether they’re industry professionals or fellow interns, it’s important to treat them with equal respect. You never know what insights they could lend, or who could be a valuable connection down the line, five or ten years from now. Don’t be afraid to ask your new colleagues out for quick coffee chats, or request 15-minute informational interviews about their career trajectory.

Tips and tricks to surviving your NYC internship

If you’re a transplant or even if you’ve called New York City home forever, it never hurts to review advice for living in the city during your internship.

Buy a MetroCard

No matter where your apartment is located or where you’re commuting to, you’re almost always going to need public transportation to get there. Your destination is always $2.75 away. Purchasing a MetroCard is highly recommended to make reloading funds a breeze.

If you’re frequently commuting and feeling savvy, go for the 30-day pass! For $127 you’ll be able to mindlessly ride the subway during busy commute hours and have swipes for extra errands on the weekends.

Don’t get (too) lost, download Citymapper

This transit app will help get you oriented to the city and find the right connections to wherever you’re going.

4 essential NYC restaurants to try during your internship 

1. Carbone
2. Blue Hill Farm
3. Scarrs
4. Los Tacos No. 1

Things to experience during your time in NYC

1. Whitney Museum of American Art
2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
3. Central Park
4. Brooklyn Bridge
5. Empire State Building

3 neighborhoods to considering living in during your internship

1. Bushwick
2. Bed-Stuy
3. Ridgewood

How do I find an apartment in NYC?

Consider these resources to help your NYC apartment search:

1. StreetEasy
2. Zillow
3. Intern Housing NYC
4. Roomi
5. Join a New York City Housing, Rooms, Apartments, and Sublets group on Facebook

Where to order food from in NYC?

1. GrubHub
2. Postmates
3. Seamless
4. Caviar
5. Check out your neighborhood’s local delivery restaurants

Finding an internship in New York City

How do I find paid internships in NYC?

When searching for a paid internship in New York City, it’s key to use the location filters provided on Handshake. You’ll be able to pinpoint internships exactly where you want to intern just by selecting the city you want in the search bar.

You can also research top companies in New York City by visiting our list of Handshake employers and typing New York City into the “Location” search bar. This way you’ll be able to see employers in your desired location. Once on the company’s page, you can read reviews from students who have interned there or study up on some interview questions.

Where do interns live in NYC?

To find rentals, many interns use resources like StreetEasy, Roomi, and other sites specifically for apartment hunting. If you have any connections in the city, it’s also always good to consider those first.

To start your hunt, try searching in popular neighborhoods like Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, or Ridgewood.

How can an intern live in NYC?

Moving to a new city is equal parts exciting and nerve wracking–make sure you have all your details squared away for your internship before you pack your bags.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Have you checked out tips on how to land an internship?
• Do you need your internship to provide compensation?
• Are you renting in an affordable neighborhood?
• Are you comfortable using the subway frequently?
• Will the food options available work for you?

How can I get an internship without experience in NYC?

If you don’t have previous experience and want to kickstart your first internship in NYC, don’t fret! There are definitely ways to land that role you’ve had your eyes on.

Start by reviewing your resume! Read it over a couple of times and then consider the types of internships you’re going to be applying for. Think back to courses you’ve taken at university, as well as any extracurriculars, volunteer work, or even organizations (clubs or greek life for example) that you’ve participated in. Organize the skills that you’ve gained from those experiences and add them to your resume and Handshake profile. Even though you might not have held an internship or job before, there are still ways to prove your worth through other skills and experiences.

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