How to find internships in design

An internship isn’t just a line on your resume—it’s where you get a taste of real deadlines, feedback, and working with a team. But finding the right one can be tricky. Where should you look? How do you stand out? Don’t stress—we’ve got some tips to help you figure it out, insights from Readymag’s design team, and maybe even just the right tool to help.

Contributors to this article include:

Alexander Moskovskiy, Head of Design.

Aleksandra Golubeva, Product Designer.

Francisco Pires, Marketing Designer.

Denis Deviatko, Marketing Designer.

Why are internships important at the beginning of a career?

Beyond the cliché of “gaining experience”, a good internship is about surviving and adapting to the real world. When you work on a training project or a personal case study, you control everything: the task, the deadlines, and even your role as art director. An internship throws you into a world of constant revisions, deadlines that were “due yesterday”, and multiple stakeholders. That’s what turns a novice into a professional.

Looking at the numbers, internships are more than just a stepping stone—they’re a direct pathway to job offers. NACE research highlights that work experience leads to professional development, expanded networks, and increased social capital. In their 2022 survey of four-year college students, paid interns received an average of 1.61 job offers compared to 0.94 offers for unpaid interns and 0.77 offers for students without internship experience. For employers, internships are a key recruiting tool, and 8 out of 10 employers claim that internships provide the highest return on investment compared to traditional methods like career fairs or campus visits.

Speaking from his personal experience as a hiring designer, Alexander Moskovskiy notes that, “Internships with the right company, team, or mentor can be a huge advantage. They teach you a lot and broaden your horizons.”

“The work you do during an internship often carries more weight than a personal project done independently.”

Aleksandra Golubeva agrees: “Interns typically gain experience in many areas, so it’s great when a candidate has that background. To me, it signals that they’ve developed various competencies—like website layout, drawing icons, and the ability to understand a bit of everything.”

When it comes to choosing where to intern, opinions vary. Denis Deviatko prefers internships at well-known studios or companies because “successful studios often have a wide range of tasks that are both exciting and useful for practicing idea generation.” Aleksandra Golubeva, on the other hand, believes that while internships at large corporations look good on a resume, smaller studios and companies often provide more hands-on experience with a broader range of tasks and deeper involvement in real projects.

Paid or unpaid internships?

Ideally, all internships should be paid—work deserves compensation. But the reality varies, and deciding whether to take an unpaid internship requires careful thought. Here’s what to consider:

• Will you have a mentor who provides feedback and guidance?
• Will the internship allow you to work on meaningful projects for your portfolio?
• Is there potential for a job offer, recommendation, or future connection?

If a company only offers experience for the sake of experience, steer clear. But if you see the potential for learning from a strong team or contributing to impactful projects, it could be worth exploring—even if it’s unpaid.

The contradictory nature of unpaid internships is also reflected in the experience of Francisco Pires: “After finishing my master’s degree at ELISAVA, one of my professors gave me positive feedback, and I reached out to see if his studio was hiring. They offered me an unpaid internship, explaining that without university funding—which I had missed due to a deadline—they couldn’t offer a paid role. I accepted, on the condition that I would be given a paid position within six months. They kept that promise, but the salary barely covered basic living expenses. This wasn’t unique to me—many studios in the area relied on unpaid or poorly paid workers. Still, that internship shaped me into the designer I am today. Professionally, it was a valuable experience, and it was where I truly learned how to design.”

Where to look beyond LinkedIn

The first layer of job hunting is obvious: general HR platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and design-specific sites like Behance and Dribble. For startup roles, platforms like Work at a Startup can be valuable. But some of the best opportunities aren’t listed on traditional sites. 

• Design communities. Explore Discord, Slack, and Telegram. Many opportunities surface there before hitting public boards. Start with this collection of Slack communities around the world. 
• Conferences, hackathons, and contests. Companies often scout for new talent at these events. Winning isn’t everything—just participating can put you on their radar.
• Direct outreach. Don’t hesitate to reach out to companies that interest you, even if they haven’t advertised an internship. Proactive candidates often find themselves considered for unexpected opportunities.

Alexander Moskovskiy emphasizes the importance of direct outreach: “I always recommend following people directly on social media rather than relying on job aggregators.”

“When people message me about internships—whether at my company or elsewhere—I always try to help them find an opportunity.”

There’s a reason for that: organizing large, structured internship programs via social media is something only well-funded companies can manage. But if you take a personal approach—introducing yourself and sharing your work—you’re more likely to create a unique, flexible opportunity that benefits both parties.”

Aleksandra Golubeva’s own career began this way: “My first design job was an internship at a small studio working on projects for local branches of international companies. I initiated the internship myself because I didn’t quite meet the requirements of their open position. It turned out to be an amazing experience, and the studio eventually hired me. That internship was my only way to start a design career and learn the craft since I don’t have a design degree.”

How to land your dream internship

Internships are highly competitive, but you can boost your chances by tackling these key stages:

1. Polish your portfolio. Select 3-5 strong projects that showcase your problem-solving process and ability to adapt. Don’t just display the final product: highlight challenges, mistakes, and solutions. And if you’re looking for a way to have total creative freedom while making your portfolio stand out, we know just the tool for that.
2. The portfolio is the key to getting through the selection process. As Denis Devyatko explains: “There’s usually a selection process, so it’s essential to prepare a strong portfolio with a tool like Readymag. The projects you include don’t necessarily have to be real, they just need to showcase your design thinking and feature a variety of visuals relevant to the tasks you want to take on and your chosen design direction.”
3. Write a standout cover letter. Personalize it. Explain why you’re interested in that specific company and how you can contribute. Go the extra mile—suggest a couple of potential design improvements or ideas you could help implement.
4. Build a personal brand. Publish case studies on Medium or LinkedIn, join competitions, and expand your network. Even a single well-presented public project can make you stand out from other applicants.
5. Prepare for the interview. Research the company’s products and services, identify areas for improvement, and prepare a few ideas. More interviewers are interested in your approach to problem-solving, so don’t be afraid to discuss your failures and how you learned from them. Also, be ready to ask your own questions. This demonstrates initiative and helps you evaluate whether the company is the right fit for you. Some organizations like Spotify offer specific advice on standing out during the application process—tips that are often relevant across the industry.