“When people ask what college I graduated from, I say: I didn’t graduate from college. I graduated from Nike. I started my career as an intern getting coffee.” – Maverick Carter
You spend your entire childhood putting together the perfect college application — getting stellar grades, participating in extracurriculars, and forming relationships with mentors who can send you off with a glowing letter of recommendation. Graduating from an elite university can certainly open a few doors for you, but academics aren’t everything when you finally enter the job market.
Employers want to see real-world experience, which is why getting an internship is such a critical milestone for your career path. Not all internships are created equal, though, as you’ve probably heard a few horror stories about demanding bosses taking advantage of their interns without teaching them anything about the industry.
Fortunately, these are not those companies. These are the top tech companies to intern for in Arizona, with the very best perks, an engaging mission, and fun workplace culture that are the envy of every soon-to-be college grad.
Best Tech Companies to Intern For
GoDaddy
The largest web-services company in the world is located in Tempe. It also has one of the best internship programs in the industry, which highlights its flexible and supportive company culture that values work-life balance. Even though this is a company with thousands of employees, interns feel seen by their supervisors and get valuable guidance on how to survive in the tech industry. That’s what makes GoDaddy one of the best tech companies to intern for.
Company Mission: “To empower entrepreneurs everywhere, making opportunity inclusive for all.”
Employee Count: 2,428 people
Perks: Unlimited time off and tuition assistance.
CDW
The only Fortune 500 company on the list, CDW is a great company for interns to kickstart their careers You’ll have a hands on experience in a corporate setting while participating in a variety of business activities and social
opportunities to grow your professional network.
Mission: “CDW’s purpose is to help our customers achieve their goals by providing them with the technology advice and products they need, when they need them.”
Employee Count: 13,900 people
Perks: gym memberships, and employee discounts.
Upgrade
One of the smaller companies on this list, Phoenix’s Upgrade is one of the best tech companies to intern for if you’re interested in the financial sector. This isn’t a stuffy Wall Street type of firm, instead sporting a laid-back company culture where the employee’s needs come before corporate profits. Interns are treated to all sorts of free meals, snacks, and the company’s health insurance plan is entirely free.
Mission: “Our goal is to offer our users more value and a better experience than they receive from their traditional bank.”
Employee Count: 350 people
Perks: Free health coverage and lunch.
Axon
This company is best known for producing the TASER and body cams worn by thousands of police officers every day. While many tech companies’ products exist only on servers and hard drives, Axon makes something tangible that you can see the benefits from. Interns benefit from a high level of independence, with supervisors preferring to see what’s possible when individuals take the initiative and feel invested in their work.
Mission: “Your mission every day is to protect life. So is ours. We are Axon, a team committed to pushing the boundaries of technology to help you feel more confident in the field, at the station, and in court.”
Employee Count: 1,700 people
Perks: Unlimited time off and employee discounts.
Workiva
While the company is headquartered in Iowa, Workiva has an office in Scottsdale and was named as one of the “Best in Cool” businesses in Arizona. Thanks to flexible schedules and a company culture that values workers for more than the number of hours they put in, Workiva is often rated as one of the “best places to work”. Workiva runs internship programs year-round and during the summer that are renowned for the autonomy afforded to workers, allowing them to craft their own solutions to problems while having access to superb leadership.
Mission: “To build trust in the global economy with transparent data and connected reporting.”
Employee Count: 1,300 people
Perks: Free lunch and gym membership.
Enter A Hopeful Job Market
Today’s employers know that finding and retaining quality employers is the key to a successful business. Their employees are always looking for bigger and better opportunities, and the same is true for their interns. BestCompaniesAZ is here to help prospective interns find those opportunities and take advantage of them. Take a look at what’s out there with our current job openings at some of Arizona’s top companies.
