Why do internships in high school?
Before we jump into a long list of business internships for high school students in Los Angeles, it is important to understand why these opportunities could matter for your future. According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a US News top 50 University have completed at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities serve as a way to distinguish yourself in the admissions process by showing that you have gone out and verified your future goals through experience. Doing internships will help you enter college with a clearer idea of the professional environments you enjoy or don’t enjoy, which will make it easier for you to recruit into a job you love after graduation. Students who have done at least one internship in high school also typically have an easier time recruiting into college internships and pre-professional organizations such as finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Business Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
The best way to find business internships for high school students in Los Angeles is through online search tools and lists. The StandOutSearch database provides the largest free resource that lists almost every internship program for the high school age group and allows you to search by interest area. MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of High School Internships.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, so if you are serious about finding a summer internship in high school, you should also prepare a cold outreach strategy. You can read more about how to form a cold outreach strategy to find a high school internship at the end of this article. We also include email templates to make finding an internship or research position through cold outreach less daunting.
7 Business Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
Most of the business internships for high school students in Los Angeles below have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower, given that there are many more high school students looking for internships relative to official programs that provide them. We recommend choosing at least five opportunities to apply to. If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program created thanks to investment from UChicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation that matches high school students with internships in their interest area. Students interview with potential mentors who are leaders and innovators within their area of interest until they are hired for a two-month internship. Many students then receive optional return offers to continue with their internship for as long as they would like.
Ages: 16-18
Location: LA, California
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Not announced yet
As a Student Leader, you will participate in an eight-week paid internship at a local nonprofit organization where you will learn first-hand about the needs of your community and the critical role nonprofits play. In addition, you will learn valuable civic, social and business leadership skills. Each Student Leader will attend the Student Leaders Summit held in Washington, D.C. where you will learn how government, business and the nonprofit sector work together to address critical community needs.
Ages: 14-18
Location: LA, California
Timeline: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Deadline: Rolling
The Career Technical Education (CTE) internship program provided by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) offers technical assistance, curriculum/professional development, and monitoring/documentation/reporting services to school districts throughout the county. The program focuses on providing students with the knowledge and skills required to enter career training, post-secondary education and the workforce. The program offers courses that integrate technical training and academics, with a problem-solving approach and real-world relevance, in 15 industry sectors that are highly employable. For further information, schools and individuals can contact LACOE's CTE program through the phone number (562) 922-6850 or email CTE staff directly using the email addresses provided in the newsletter.
Ages: 15-18
Location: LA, California
Timeline: Winter
Deadline: Rolling
A High School Student Worker assists regular employees in the more routine aspects of their jobs and carries out specific assignments under supervision. Duties may vary from routine clerical assignments in an office setting to manual labor assignments in departments involved in maintaining parks, beaches, roads, etc. Some positions may be eligible for bilingual incentives depending upon operational need and certification of skill.
Ages: 14-18
Location: LA, California
Timeline: Fall, Winter, Spring
Deadline: Not announced yet
Junior Achievement's Job Shadow Blended Internship Program is designed to help high school students identify their career interests and goals, and provides a comprehensive experience that includes both blended and self-guided activities. The program encourages students to discover their strengths, passions, and values through a career assessment survey, which generates a broad list of career possibilities. The students then engage in informational interviews with professionals to narrow down their options and identify their top potential career choices. The Job Shadow Blended program also includes a workplace site visit and multi-hour job-shadowing experience to help students gain hands-on experience and exposure to different industries. The program emphasizes reflection and analysis, and provides career-planning tools to help students enhance their networking, interviewing, and online profile skills. JA teachers and volunteers can implement the program in a classroom-based, remote live, or after-school setting, with flexible implementation options based on local needs.
Ages: 17-18
Location: Locations across the US, California
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April
Whether you're interested in being a producer, a journalist, a web developer, an engineer, a business executive, a PR agent, a sales representative, or any other career in media or tech, the EBF Internship is here to help you get your start. If selected, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in these organizations so you can learn, grow and put yourself on the fast-track to career success.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations across the US, California
Timeline: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Deadline: Not announced yet
The U.S. Department of State’s Pathways Internship Program includes both the Internship Experience Program (IEP) and the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP). Both programs are targeted toward U.S. citizens enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions from high school to graduate school and professional academic levels. Both programs provide students with opportunities to explore Federal careers while being paid for the work performed.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If the opportunities listed above don’t turn out to be a fit, the next step to finding a business internship for high school students in Los Angeles is to launch a cold outreach strategy. This may seem intimidating at first, but the guide below should make it much more simple. As an added note, please exercise caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know. It is always safest to interview or meet virtually.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Use LinkedIn to find small companies where you can help with skills such as social media, coding, content/grant writing, or graphic design. Smaller companies that need more hands on deck will be the most likely to hire high-school-aged students. Try to find personal connections with the professionals you reach out to, such as being from the same state originally or liking the same sports team.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can use online university staff directories to find professors to reach out to for research positions. Note that if you are looking for a remote research position with a professor, you should be aware that these opportunities tend to be harder to come by. Professors typically have high school students help with more manual laboratory tasks such as washing beakers or running equipment and usually do not have very much use for interns at a high school education level within a remote setting. The exception is if you are doing computational research, which generally requires introductory knowledge of Python or R to parse large datasets. You should be able to learn Python or R on your own for free within a few months using resources such as Coursera’s R Programming Course or Python for Everybody.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to potential internship providers. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which should be no more than one page while you are in high school. UChicago provides a helpful free resume template and guide. We recommend including your resume as a Google Drive link because including it as a PDF will sometimes negatively impact the deliverability of your email. However, be sure to check that the sharing settings on the document allow anyone with the link to view its contents. It can also be a good idea to include work samples in your resume, such as the link to a website you designed, a social media account you manage, or your GitHub profile.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you are unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can customize to your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I read about your company on LinkedIn and found the concept quite interesting. For context, [briefly state how the company relates to your interests or experience].
I was wondering if you might be looking for interns. I know I would have a great deal to learn from working with you, and I would love to contribute in any way I can. I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I recently read your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was quite intrigued by [part you found interesting]. I was wondering if I might be able to intern for you over this summer. [Elaborate on your relevant skills and experience and why you are passionate about the field].
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Whether you are applying to established programs or launching a cold outreach strategy, the name of the game when looking for a business high school internship or research position is perseverance. These opportunities can be extremely difficult to secure, but most high school students find it worth it in the end to get a head start on building their careers. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to save it for later or share it with a friend. Good luck on your internship search journey!