Innovative Companies to Launch Your Technology Career
In such a fast-paced and constantly-evolving industry like tech, it can be hard to get your foot in the door. It can be scary to try your hand in the startup world, but legacy companies can make securing a job feel as competitive as your favorite reality dating show. How do you know where to invest your energy? Where is the best place for you to land when you’re eager to gain some hands-on experience?
The good news is that there are so many companies that offer internships for current students and programs for new grads to help you get your feet wet in their company and expose you to career trajectories within the industry you may not even have considered. We’ve collected a list of innovative organizations — not all of which are exclusively tech companies — that have ample opportunities for you to launch your technology career and grow the soft and hard skills you need to succeed in the industry.
Asurion is a global technology solutions company working to repair and innovate tech of all types — from your game console to your smartwatch. With an eye on empowering future tech leaders, Asurion created a series of unique internship programs for rising seniors to gain a sneak peak into the tech solutions industry. Interns are welcomed into full-scaled projects that have a major emphasis on the company, and are treated to impressive benefits like fully-accommodated housing, networking opportunities, and access to leaders and mentors from day one. Plus, Asurion is not one to bid their interns farewell after the summer. In fact, 95% of Asurion interns fulfill full-time positions upon graduation.
Amazon subsidiary Audible is the leading creator and provider of audiobooks, changing the storytelling landscape through the power of voice. Dedicated to cultivating up-and-coming tech talent, Audible’s college technology internship program gives “innovators and creators” the chance to work on meaningful projects over the summer in the company’s engineering department. All interns — who must be undergraduates or Masters students studying computer science, engineering, computer vision, or a related major — are assigned a mentor and manager, and talent may be recognized with full-time job or return intern offers.
Though known for their mobile devices in the early 2000s, BlackBerry has pivoted to become a leading AI and cybersecurity provider, developing end-to-end mobility solutions that are secure and trusted. Tech wizards looking to find a place in a company that dreams of “more smart, less phone” can start in the company’s internship and co-op programs, which are fully integrated with BlackBerry teams and projects. Interns will have the opportunity to work full-time in a four-month summer program, and can look forward to building strong relationships with other program participants and employees through team-building exercises and mentoring opportunities.
CarMax, the nation’s largest retailer of used autos, revolutionized the automotive retail industry by driving integrity, honesty and transparency in every interaction. The company, which has been recognized for 17 consecutive years as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®, is continuing to look for ways to innovate and shape the future of automotive retail. CarMax is growing in the number of employees it is looking to hire, and is working to advance technology solutions through machine learning, data science and software development to make the car buying process easier. For those looking to jumpstart their career in tech at an award winning company, CarMax offers an entry-level, 24-month Business Analyst Rotational Program for students of all majors. You can expect hands-on learning from day one, training in software such as SQL, Python, and Tableau, and to play a key role in the future of CarMax’s success.
CGI is one of the largest providers of comprehensive, scalable, and sustainable IT and business consulting services, operating in 400 locations worldwide. Young professionals looking to be a part of a digital future can discover their potential through one of CGI’s many global developmental programs, such as Finland’s Future Talent Program “traineeships,” or the Czech Republic’s IT training “boot camps.” Internships and dozens of entry-level openings are also offered throughout the U.S., as CGI works with campus recruiters to find programmers, analysts, software developers, and other skilled young professionals to build out their teams.
CrowdStrike is on a mission to stop security breaches — our cloud-native platform detects and prevents threats in real time to allow our customers to better protect themselves from cyberattacks, ransomware, and data theft. For those looking to explore their options or start their careers in the cybersecurity industry, CrowdStrike has ample opportunities for you to gain real-world training. Students and recent grads can join CrowdStrike’s mission by applying to the company’s University Programs, in which interns work on meaningful projects related to cybersecurity while receiving one-on-one mentoring. Plus, the program allows you to learn from and work alongside some of the world’s best professionals in the field. CrowdStrike recruits students from all majors for its University Programs — so it’s truly a great opportunity to learn about the cybersecurity industry even if you haven’t yet considered it a career option."
FactSet creates financial data and software solutions for investors around the globe — and is excited to turn to students and recent graduates to help it shape the future of financial tech. The company hires interns across its organization to both learn about FactSet’s business and contribute to the company from day one. While many of its internships combine classroom lectures with hands-on assignments, others involve “complete immersion” with its teams. Interns are set up with mentors, and offered professional development opportunities to help prepare them for a full-time role at FactSet. Looking for a full-time role? For graduates, FactSet offers entry-level positions with a customized learning program designed to give them all the necessary skills to thrive at the company.
The goal of science-led global healthcare company, GSK, is to be one the world’s most innovative, best-performing, and trusted healthcare companies. For students and recent grads looking to make a large social impact with their tech career, GSK has opportunities for young talent at every stage. While college students can have a hand in various company operations ranging from analytical chemistry to drug product delivery through GSK’s internship and co-op programs, recent grads can develop their leadership skills and begin to shape their careers at GSK through the company’s Future Leader Graduate Program. If you are looking to take on some of the world’s biggest health problems, you should highly consider further developing your tech skills to GSK.
Invitae is a leader in medical genetic testing, helping people build a blueprint for better health. Invitae team members are dedicated to using genetics to improve healthcare and mainstream medicine, including those who are early in their careers. Invitae’s summer internship program (The Invitern Program) offers various opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to grow their tech and engineering skills through mentorship, networking opportunities, and impactful work. The company offers competitive compensation and benefits, family-friendly policies, and remote options, encouraging “Inviterns” to join the team as full-timers.
Landing is innovating apartment living by transforming the way we think of rentals — offering its members an online platform to access tens of thousands of furnished and unfurnished apartments in more than 200 cities that they can explore with a click of a button. Landing, which prides itself on being a people-first company, is growing rapidly and looking to fill roles in a variety of departments, including on its product and engineering team. For those just starting out in the job market or looking to make a career change, Landing has a two-year, fellowship opportunity to work full-time at its Birmingham headquarters and participate in training, development, and community engagement opportunities.
McMaster-Carr is an e-commerce company that stocks and distributes more than a half a million products, serving companies in a diverse range of industries around the globe. The company prides itself on its visual and informative product merchandising and its innovative systems and technology, built in-house. Not only does McMaster-Carr have an innovative approach to building tech, but the company also has an incredibly impactful way of building talented teams.
Curiosity and a love for learning is embedded in McMaster-Carr’s culture, and it shows in how they hire new grads. In fact, the company offers two standout experiences for students to develop their skills and kickstart their professional careers. The Management Development track provides an avenue for new grads to hone their leadership skills, take ownership of high-impact projects, and gain exposure to multiple areas of the business while the Development and Design track teaches the fundamentals of programming and system design. What’s especially unique about the Development & Design track is that McMaster-Carr seeks out problem solvers from all academic backgrounds – not just Computer Science majors – to join their Systems department, making a tech career accessible to all majors. Regardless of the career path candidates pursue, both offer immersive training and support – empowering new grads to pursue a rewarding and challenging career for an always-innovating company.
Oracle is a global cloud technology company — and calling on the next gen of talent to join its mission to help people see data in new ways. Oracle has ample opportunities for students and grads looking to jump into the tech industry, such as its “Class Of” program, which teaches recent college graduates the fundamentals of its business while preparing them for a full-time role at the company. Oracle also invites students to apply for internship opportunities based on what they are most interested in exploring and learning more about — from the analytics cloud to its database and system technologies. Plus, the company offers a scholarship program in partnership with UNCF to support students from underrepresented communities who are studying in the STEM fields.
PagerDuty is a cloud computing company that supports organizations’ IT departments to better respond to incidents that may impact their customers. For those looking to transform the way modern businesses function, PagerDuty offers a Career Accelerator Program (CAP) for early career professionals to gain hands-on tech experience to help prepare them for a career at PagerDuty. Throughout the program, which runs for up to 16 weeks, participants may help to build new customer-facing features for the company’s platform, collaborate with the product and UX teams to deliver high quality web service, and participate in code reviews with their team members.
Proofpoint is a leading cybersecurity and compliance solutions provider, protecting people and data on every channel of the internet. Proofpoint believes that protection starts with people, and its internship program offers emerging leaders the opportunities they need to work hands-on and grow in the tech world. Interns work closely with senior team members on defined projects, attend important company events, and make connections that will take their careers to the next level. The program includes summer internships, work-study internships, and co-op internships. Plus, its summer program ends in a “Showcase” in which its summer and year-round interns can demonstrate the projects they have been working on during their programs.
Sage is a cloud software provider helping small- and medium-sized businesses manage finances, operations, and people — and is the lookout for early career techies looking to dive deeper in the industry. For those still pursuing their degrees, Sage’s internship program, which runs anywhere from one to 12 months, provides real-world experience working alongside leaders in tech and the chance to pursue a full-time role at Sage after graduation. Sage also offers a program for graduates to launch their careers in the fast-growing sector, and develop their skills working on some of the world’s most advanced technology.
Solidigm is an industry leader reinventing how data is stored, accessed, and used — empowering its customers to “unlock data’s ability to do good.” The innovative company has high ambitions when it comes to modern technology, and says that it is run by a team of inventors, engineers, and problem-solvers who “want to change the world.” If any of that sounds like you, Solidigm offers internships to undergraduate technology pros, giving young professionals the opportunity to work on innovative projects alongside other experienced team members. Tech roles for interns — such as software engineers and product development engineers — are offered across the U.S. and globally.
Symbotic is a robotics and automation machinery manufacturing company working to “reinvent the warehouse and reimagine the supply chain.” The company understands that its technology is building the future, so leadership prioritizes STEM education for employees and communities. Symbotic’s summer internship programs provide interns with in-depth experience in the automation and engineering fields as they design, build, and problem-solve on high-impact projects. Ideal candidates are graduate students studying computer software or software engineering, with strong programming skills (writing complex functional code is a big plus!)
UnitedHealth Group, a health and well-being company, is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and bettering the health system. Recent graduates with a degree in STEM, who are interested in the capability of technology to save lives, should consider the company’s Technology Development Program (TDP). Program participants will spend the twelve-month opportunity rotating through different tech departments at the company, such as data engineering. TDP also offers internships each summer, where participants are immersed in healthcare tech and receive mentoring opportunities that can shape their careers. UnitedHealth Group also offers internships in other departments, such as sales and finance, among others.
While “tech” can seem like an untouchable and ambiguous industry in which to begin your career search, remember that there are a variety of companies dedicated to building out their talent networks with young learners as they break new ground. Whether you are just beginning to explore your opportunities for internships to grow your tech skills, or you are preparing to apply for full-time positions in the industry, take note of the companies with programs designed to both ease you in the workplace and help you develop your skills through hands-on training and other growth opportunities. To begin your search for the perfect fit for you and your passions, set up your RippleMatch profile today!
