Build a list of employers who match your ambitions

Identify your goals and preferences

Start by narrowing down the types of companies that align with your goals and work style preferences.

• Field of interest Determine the industry or field you want to gain experience in.

• Location Decide if you prefer to stay locally, work in a specific city or are open to remote opportunities.

• Company size Consider if you want to work at a large corporation, a startup or a nonprofit organisation.

Example You are passionate about environmental sustainability. Look for organisations like environmental NGOs or green tech companies in cities known for eco-friendly initiatives such as Portland or Oregon.

Research potential organisations

Explore a mix of companies that suit your goals—from big-name industry leaders to innovative startups and local gems.

• Industry leaders Look for top companies and organisations within your field of interest. Use industry rankings, trade publications and professional association directories to find them.

• Local companies Use local business directories, Chamber of Commerce websites or city-specific career resources to find companies in your area.

• University or college career services Check if your educational institution has partnerships or connections with companies offering internships.

Example If you are interested in finance, explore companies like Lloyds Bank in the UK or Wells Fargo in the US. Both are well-known institutions that offer accessible and structured internship programs.

Use online resources

Start exploring online to uncover exciting internship opportuniites.

• LinkedIn Search for companies and see if they have internship programs listed. Follow company pages and look for posts about internship opportunities.

• Company websites Visit the career sections of companies you’re interested in to find internship postings and contact information.

• Job boards Platforms like Indeed, Glassdoor and specialised job boards are great to find open internship opportunities.

Create your target list and get hold of the right person

Create a list of companies you’re excited about and identify the best contacts to reach out to.

Company name Start with the basics – write down the names of companies you are interested in.

Contact person Depending on the company size and brand reputation, it may take time to find the right person to approach. Use LinkedIn to find these details and see if there are any people in your network who are connected to a contact within your desired company.

Insights Record what you know about this company, what appeals to you about interning there and any industry news or interesting insights that make this company stand out to you.

Top tip - try approaching the job titles below based on the size of the company you are targeting. It's also beneficial to target ‘Head of’ job titles to reach specific department decision makers with companies of all sizes:

• Startup / SME Founder, CEO, Owner, Co-founder, COO
• Mid-size HR Manager, HR Co-ordinator, Head of HR, People & Culture Manager
• Multinational Lots of large companies have internship programs. Try Job Titles with ‘Internship’, ‘Graduate’, ‘Mobility’

Contact information Collect email addresses, phone numbers and LinkedIn profiles.

Website Include the company’s website URL for easy access.

Top tip We highly recommend emailing a personal email address for the contact you are hoping to reach, rather than a generic hello@company.com address. In our experience your response rate from employers will be low from these types of email addresses.

Try Hunter to find email addresses. Just enter the person's name and company domain and the system will give you the email address.

Organise your list

Use a spreadsheet to track your contacts. Include columns for company name, contact person, contact details, date of outreach and follow-up actions. Download our employer outreach tracker here.

Prepare your outreach strategy

Make each message count by personalizing your outreach and planning a timely follow-up.

Tailor your message Customise your outreach email or letter for each organisation. Highlight why you’re interested in their company and how your skills align with their needs.

Follow up Plan to follow up if you don’t receive a response within a reasonable timeframe (usually 1-2 weeks).

Network and leverage connections

Build connections that can open doors and guide you toward valuable internship opportunities.

Alumni networks Reach out to alumni from your school who work in your field of interest. They might provide valuable referrals or insights.

Professional associations Attend industry events or join associations where you can network with professionals who might help you identify internship opportunities.

Review and refine

Keep your list up-to-date and adjust your approach based on feedback to stay on track and find active opportunities.

Regular updates Continuously update your list as you gather new information or as companies respond.

Assess effectiveness Evaluate your outreach efforts and adjust your strategy based on the responses you receive.

List of websites posting open internships vacancies

This list is just a starting point, new resources are always emerging.

• LinkedIn (Worldwide) - Networking and internship listings
• Indeed (Worldwide) - Broad job and internship search
• Digital Irish Business Directory (Worldwide) - Irish businesses and industry connections
• Jobsora (UK) - UK-specific internship opportunities
• Handshake (US) - Student internships
• Handshake (UK) - Student-focused internships in the UK
• Bright Network (UK) - UK internships, events, and career resources
• GlassDoor

Action steps:

Ready to kick off your internship search? You can have these done in about 1-2 hours!

• Start your list identify the first 3 companies that interest you and begin researching them.

• Create a spreadsheet Organise your findings, including contact details and insights about each company. Use our employer outreach tracker to get a head start.

• Draft your first outreach email Write a tailored email to one of the companies on your list. Check out our example templates here.