Ranking The Best Summer Internships

Nickelodeon not only was named Best Media & Telecommunications Internship; it also climbed to No. 9 overall in Vault’s annual ranking

INTERNS AGREE: NICK IS NICE

Among the notable companies in other categories are Nickelodeon, whose Animation Studio Nickternship Program was voted Best Media & Telecommunications Internship and jumped five spots to No. 9 in the overall rankings. That’s big movement, and it’s thanks in part to a focus — like other top companies in the Vault rankings — on developing a strong corporate culture, Loosvelt says.

“Nickelodeon is seen as a little more progressive, a little more tech-minded than some of the other firms in the top,” he says. “That’s something students really are caring about more and more.”

In the other categories, Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP’s Summer Internship was voted Best Accounting Internship; Bain & Company Associate Consultant and Summer Associate programs was voted Best Consulting Internship; Western Energy Internship Program was named Best Energy Internship; Northwestern Mutual Internship Program was voted Best Financial Services Internship; RAI Internship Program was voted Best Retail & Consumer Products Internship; Capital One Technology Development Program was voted Best Tech & Engineering Internship; and Elliott Davis Decosimo’s ENVISION Summer Internship Experience was named Best Internship for Quality of Life. “The people at the firm are amazing from new hires to partners,” one survey respondent said of Elliott Davis Decosimo, which has offices in four Southern states. “The office is in a great location and is new and fully equipped with amenities and space. The work is rewarding. Benefits and compensation are highly competitive. They really care about their employees.”

In a new category, Best Healthcare Internship, Aetna Summer Associate Program took top honors.

CULTURE, INNOVATION THE BUZZWORDS OF THE MOMENT

“As everyone knows, an internship is essential to college students looking to advance their careers in a chosen industry,” Tara McCaffrey says, pointing to Vault’s web portal for helping students conduct research. “Companies are looking to recruit top talent before they graduate college and are using internships as the best way to assess potential employees. At the same time, college students view internships as the best way to test-drive their chosen career path. These rankings offer students an opportunity to determine which companies are the best fit for their career goals.”

The rankings are only a snapshot of student inclinations. But it’s fascinating, Loosvelt says, to see how ephemeral factors like media coverage or major issues like financial trouble (or success) are reflected in the rankings. And to watch some trends emerge, and predict others.

“This year we saw the trend of students really focusing on culture and focusing on this sort of ‘cool’ factor,” Loosvelt says. “Tesla is a good example. There are companies that are prestigious but aren’t necessarily doing quote-unquote good for the world, and they get criticized for that in the comments we see. I’ve seen the beginning of that here, and I’m really betting that I’ll see more that next year.”

See next page for top consuming, accounting, health care, investment banking, and financial services internships.