Your Guide to Capital One Internships

What does an intern at Capital One do? How can this experience help you grow your career after graduation? If you’re a college student searching for a summer internship opportunity where you’ll gain valuable experience and better understand your career interests, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide to Capital One internships, you’ll learn what to expect from our internship programs, what you’ll gain from the experience and how you can contribute to important projects during your time at Capital One.

What you can expect from your Internship

Capital One is more than just a bank—we’re on a journey to become a leading tech company and digital innovation is at our core. Our internships offer opportunities to gain exposure to many different role types and job responsibilities, and they’ll help you have a better understanding of where your passion lies. When Emily, now a senior Associate in Design, did a summer internship in Design, she was able to try her hand at many things and find what was most exciting to her. She shared, “part of the goals of my internship were to try out all different types of design, so I sat down and made a plan with my manager and the designers I was working with to make sure that I got to try every area of design that I was interested in.” This team work helped Emily plan a path toward finding her best career fit, putting the things she learned in school into practical use. She added, “I felt like in this internship I really gained real life experience. I was taking what I was learning in school and applying it to what I was doing every day.”

A Capital One Internship: The Basics

During your internship program, you’ll face real challenges and situations every day. The work you’ll do will address real-world situations, and you’ll provide real-time solutions that contribute the impactful work our teams are doing. Interns have the opportunity to collaborate with leaders and associates at all levels, and their insights directly influence the innovative work done on their teams. Carlton, a former Technology intern and current Technology Development Program (TDP) associate, shared, “Capital One’s leadership really has a vested interest in these internship and student programs, and it shows.” You can feel comfortable in speaking up because your unique perspective is respected for the insights you bring. Afterall, you could be the key to unlocking the next great innovation or process improvement.

Though our internship programs are virtual at this time, they’re typically hosted at one of our locations in Richmond, VA, McLean, VA, Plano, TX, San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, Chicago, IL or Wilmington, DE. You can apply to a program in one of 8 fields:

• Analytics—This program will help you gain skills in business and data analysis, build leadership skills, and learn how to use technology to find solutions and help customers.
• Commercial Banking—Learn what it takes to define strategic business initiatives, collaborate on client deliverables, roll out new products, review credit and risk exposures, analyze financial statements and more.
• Design—Collaborate with teams to deliver the best experience for our customers and take part in trainings, networking events and mentorship opportunities to expand your knowledge in experience design.
• Finance—Get a sneak peek into finance at Capital One. As an intern, you'll own a project within Capital Markets & Analytics, Financial Planning & Analysis for a line of business or Controller’s Group from start to finish and be provided with a unique strategic perspective, all while building a wide network and learning along the way.
• Human Resources—Learn about attracting, developing and retaining top talent as you explore talent acquisition, learning & development, compensation and more.
• Management—Dive into your leadership skills and passion for problem solving to ensure our projects, systems and processes deliver value to the organization.
• Strategy—Work directly with Capital One executives and as an integral member of project teams, tackling company-defining strategic issues and advising the company’s most senior executives.
• Technology—Hone your technical skills and understand how they enhance business efforts. Connect with leaders and drive results on real-world projects, while highlighting your technical and non-technical skills.

New Virtual Setting, Same Great Internship Experience

In 2020, when the entire company moved to working remotely, the internship experience also shifted to a virtual environment. For Capital One interns, this meant even greater opportunities for growth and learning with established technology that continues to enable collaboration. What can a virtual internship teach you about your personal brand and how you stand out? Our interns learned that while connecting virtually, there are ample opportunities to make your mark and create impact with your personal brand and professional approach.

All our teams were already used to working across different locations and connecting digitally, and the remote work environment allowed for even more opportunities to integrate work and home life. Interns are able to find more flexibility to build a schedule that works for them, while still doing important and impactful work with their teammates. Interns also have the opportunity to connect with their cohort via virtual meet and greets, sessions with senior leaders, and even fun activities, like trivia nights.

The application process for a Capital One Internship

The Internships page on the Capital One Careers site is your go-to place for information about each of the internship programs available. Part of the application process could include an interview, where recruiters and interviewers ask questions to get to know you and better understand your approach to the types of real-world problems you may be asked to help solve in your internship. Since all of our interviews are virtual right now, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared to put your best foot forward.

Your interview process may also include a virtual case interview or other type of activity to help us understand your skills and approach. While this may be a new experience for you, don't worry! Case Interviews are a tool to better understand your unique approach to solving the questions and tasks you will face in your internship. The best way to be prepared is to understand what the interview entails and practice your approach to solving the questions you’re asked. Your recruiter will walk you through the process and provide you with resources to prepare. You can learn more helpful tips to prepare here as well.

Ready to join us?

If you’re ready to take the next step, be sure to explore our internship opportunities here. You can even begin preparing ahead of time, so you are ready for the interview and selection process. Take a look at these virtual interview tips to make sure you are ready to put your best foot forward in a virtual interview.