Home to numerous thriving industries and the largest economy in Europe, Germany is an excellent place to launch your career. AIFS Abroad offers internship programs in Berlin, Germany’s capital. Whether you’re interested in creative industries like art and fashion or technical ones like business or computer science, Berlin has a rewarding full-time internship or Study + Internship program waiting for you. And beyond your internship, Berlin’s nightlife, art scene, and convenient access to the rest of Europe make it easy to have fun and explore the continent. Ready to learn what it’s really like to intern abroad in Germany?
Hear from three college students who interned abroad in Germany with AIFS Abroad!
Harnoor: Product Management Internship in Berlin
Meet Harnoor from the University of California, Riverside, who did a product management internship at a local startup in Berlin. Harnoor chose Berlin for its unique atmosphere and strong career opportunities aligned with her studies in finance and statistics:
“I picked Berlin because, honestly, there’s no city in Europe like it. It’s bold, diverse, creative, and always full of life. And with Germany’s economy and innovation, it’s the perfect place for someone in my major.”
During her internship abroad, Harnoor discovered even more reasons to love Berlin:
“My favorite thing about Berlin is how limitless it feels. There’s a community for everyone—whether you’re into punk, fashion, or a part of the LGBTQ+ community, there’s always space for you here.
Berlin has this rare mix—it’s a little edgy, raw, and bold, yet still so beautiful. You’ll see graffiti-covered walls and then peaceful parks and stunning pre-war buildings. It’s a city that has it all. I like to think of Berlin as a mirror—it reflects the energy you bring in. If you’re here for art and culture, you’ll find it everywhere. If you’re focused on your career in tech or finance, the city pushes you to grow. Whatever you’re seeking, Berlin gives it right back to you.”
Whether you intern abroad in Berlin or elsewhere, with AIFS Abroad, you’ll always have plenty of opportunities to make friends with other program participants, as Harnoor did:
“Before coming here, I didn’t know anyone, but once I arrived, I started going to AIFS events and meeting people right away! I’ve made some amazing friends and love hanging out with my roommate—it’s been such a fun experience.”
Interested in how Harnoor spends her time during the week? Below, she sums up a day in the life:
“A typical workday starts around 9 AM, sometimes from home, a cozy coffee shop, or the office (I go in at least once a week). I’m currently managing a company project while helping with smaller tasks my boss assigns… I handle everything from developing the lead generation process to organizing outreach, tracking company KPIs, and making sure the whole system runs smoothly… I usually wrap up around 4:40 – 5 PM, cook dinner, and relax with my roommate. Some days I head out for dinner or hang with friends—just enjoying city life.”
Reflecting on her internship in Berlin with AIFS Abroad, Harnoor emphasized how the experience would benefit her professional future:
“This experience has helped me grow on a global level—working with international clients and adapting to different work cultures has strengthened my communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills. It’s an experience that will have a lasting impact on my career.”
Matthew: Business Internship in Berlin
Matthew did a summer business internship at a local startup in Berlin. As a rising senior and international business major at Fairfield University, this was an excellent opportunity to get some hands-on professional experience before graduating.
Berlin, along with many other major European cities, is well-known for its excellent public transportation system, which includes trains, trams, and the subway. Hear Matthew highlight just how convenient it is to get around in Berlin:
“There are [tram] stops everywhere, and if you can’t get onto one of those, you can get on the U-Bahn (subway) or S-Bahn (commuter rail), which are everywhere and they’re always running every 5 minutes—they stop at 3 AM, but they’re amazing. The public transportation here is very, very good, and along with all of that, [there are] rentable scooters anywhere you go, there’s about a million of them, which makes transportation so easy.”
To make the public transportation even easier and more affordable, AIFS Abroad provided participants with a reusable ticket, as Matthew describes:
“AIFS provided us with a Deutschland ticket, which you can use for any public transportation [in Germany] for free for our time here. You can just scan it from your phone if they ask for your ticket. I’ve never seen an easier system.”
Public transportation is far from the only great thing about Berlin. As a global city home to people from all corners of the world, it’s an excellent place to expand your palate by sampling international street food along with local cuisine:
“[The food is] so good. There’s so much international food, and also native German food. It’s all authentic and fresh. I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”
Teddy: Business Internship in Berlin
Teddy from Saint Michael’s College did a business internship in Berlin during the fall semester. For Teddy, deciding to intern abroad was a no-brainer:
“I’m a business major and econ minor. What brings me here is I’m a semester ahead in my academics, so I had a great opportunity to [go] abroad and do an internship… [My internship] fits in with my major, and it’s been great.”
Some highlights of Teddy’s internship in Berlin included learning how to update the host company’s system with a new software and collaborating with his friendly colleagues:
“I’m interning at an event [space]/café—[it’s a] beautiful, great place to work. I have a great time… My tasks [involve] a lot of computer work, which is fun—I’ve been doing a lot of Excel. We had an old software, and we’re importing the old software into the new software, which is a whole new experience for me…but it’s really cool to learn and play around with the software and learn from other coworkers. I have a lot of great colleagues here, mostly all German; they’re very friendly and…easy to work with.”
Thinking back on his business internship in Berlin, Teddy noted how this experience would benefit him when he enters the professional world after college:
“This internship is definitely going to help me on my resume and put me out there. An internship abroad is huge, [it lets you] learn [about] the culture in different countries of the world and experience how here in Germany [a company] can be totally different than a company in the U.S. It’s really cool to learn…how companies are run here.”
Ready to discover all Germany has to offer? Intern abroad in Berlin with AIFS Abroad like these three college students did!
AIFS Abroad offers a wide range of intern abroad programs in Germany, each tailored to meet specific academic, professional, and personal preferences. Whether you’re interested in business or product management—like Harnoor, Matthew, and Teddy—or looking to break into one of Berlin’s other thriving industries, there’s a program in Germany for you! Plus, when you intern abroad in Berlin with AIFS Abroad, you’ll receive all of our valuable program inclusions (which really take the stress out of planning!), such as housing, trips and excursions, social and cultural activities, the travel pass, comprehensive insurance, career readiness programming, 24/7 emergency support, and the support of our trusted on-site staff.
