Business & Leadership Internship

In this section

Students in the Business Leadership Program complete one internship as a graduation requirement. These internships expose them to real-world situations. Most students fulfill this requirement early in their college careers at Puget Sound and many complete more than one internship for additional experience. In order to fulfill their internship requirement, BLP students must submit the internship recognition form to the Program's Director for pre-approval.

For current BLP students, here is a direct link to the BLP Internship Form (DOC)
Seeking an internship requires the same kind of preparation as any job search. Several Puget Sound resources provide a great place to start your search for an internship placement. Remember to start your search early; for more information, go to CES.
Check out more information about the Summer Immersion Internship Program!

Here are a few testimonies about BLP internship experiences:

Edrick ('18)

My Target Executive Store Internship was both the most challenging and insightful position I have ever held. During my time at Target I learned a considerable amount about myself, my personal style of leading, and what I hope to find in a future career. As an Executive Team Lead (ETL) intern, I was essentially acting as an ETL within the store, only with slightly less access than an actual ETL. Going into the internship, I felt that I was well-informed of what the internship would entail. I was told that every day presents a new challenge, and that although things would sometimes not go according to plan, I would have to think of the best business practices and strategies to try to make it work on a day-to-day basis. As daunting of a task as it was, I was able to regularly direct both Team Members and Team Leads alike effectively and efficiently by utilizing the tools I had gained in the previous training periods. I was constantly surprised by how much I knew, while my mentor was impressed with my progress and ability to quickly adapt to any learning opportunities she had raised. I felt that I grew as both a leader and a follower during my time at Lacey Target. Even now, I sometimes catch myself thinking about and practically applying the skills I learned there in both the classroom and my current jobs!

Connor ('19)

In the Summer of 2016, I completed an internship with Bank of Hawaii working in their Branch Division. Bank of Hawaii has been nationally ranked on Forbes' Best Banks in America every year for the past 8 years, and took the top spot in 2009 & 2010. Each year, there are over 350 applicants to the internship program, of which only 31 and 34 were selected in 2016 and 2017, respectively. After the completion of my internship in 2016, I was asked to come back as one of the co-lead interns in 2017.

This past summer, I worked in the Commercial Credit Group within Bank of Hawaii, where I analyzed financial reports, completed vendor financial reviews, and got to see businesses that were clients of the Bank. I was also tasked with helping to program the internship experience, such as the community service day, where we partnered up with Goodwill to put on their annual event, Goodwill Goes Glam! Over the summer, I learned an incredible amount about how banks finance small businesses, as well as how to analyze a company's financial performance. I also learned more about the relationship business, and continued to work on my professional skills.

Bank of Hawaii has an incredible internship program, and I am extremely grateful to have been a part of it for two years. Each year, the program allows the interns to have lunch with Peter Ho, the CEO of Bank of Hawaii. They also provide the interns with over 60 hours of professional development courses, to ensure they are getting the most valuable experience possible. Another benefit is that interns get lots of visibility within the upper management of the bank. I scheduled over 17 meetings with various senior executives to create a more intimate setting for the interns to get to know the leaders of the Bank. The two summers with Bank of Hawaii were unforgettable and I am so grateful for these experiences!

Leslie ('20)

This summer (2017) I was very fortunate to complete an internship abroad with the Madrid Association for Tourism. It was an incredible opportunity to learn about the management of public funding, global marketing, and graphic design. I also improved my Spanish immensely by translating for international journalists, travel agents, and entrepreneurs. I’m looking forward to continuing learning about international tourism in my studies here at Puget Sound

Elnora ('18)

I was a retail management intern at Nordstrom. I interned in Women’s Active and At Home and worked closely with my manager to learn all aspects of a department manager’s job. I worked in sales for approximately 50% of the internship and the other half I learned about the company culture, preformed managerial tasks and was introduced to all the job opportunities within Nordstrom (buying, designing, the quality center, etc.). Additionally, I worked on a project to digitally enable Nordstrom’s customers, making a link between digital experiences and the brick and mortar store. I had a great experience, I learned how to run a team and to be a stronger leader. Now I have an assistant management position after school