Exploring Unique Career Pathways: Internships and Growth Opportunities at Kimley-Horn

We’re committed to supporting career growth opportunities at all levels—and that includes our interns. Internships serve as more than just a stepping stone; they’re launching pads for success. Interns are vital to our firm as they contribute to real, client-facing projects—and after last summer, more than 85% of our interns receive full-time offers to join Kimley-Horn after graduation. Our intern success stories come from different career experiences, and hundreds of today’s employees are returning interns, including our current president!

Different Paths, One Purpose

Our Summer Internship Program runs 10-12 weeks to maximize skills and offer new areas of expertise for the next generation of leaders. We hire interns—1,100 this year—to be part of our team from day one because we firmly believe that with the right mentorship, learning opportunities, and support, we can help interns envision a realistic career at Kimley-Horn. Outside of traditional summer internships, we also support students from unique backgrounds—whether that’s graduate, part-time, or mid-career students, our investment in our people ditches a “one-size-fits-all” approach and embraces exceptional and diverse pathways.

From accepting undergraduate and graduate students to crafting skills in business and technical practice disciplines, we offer an extensive range of opportunities to advance in a tailored field. We also offer committed students the chance to extend their internships beyond the traditional summer term if they attend school near a local office that has part-time work opportunities available during the semester. . Additionally, we host students in opportunities that align with various degree requirements through programs like Cooperative Education Programs (Co-Ops). These extended internships allow students to get in-depth and extensive experience in their field and take on more leadership roles over time.

The Kimley-Horn Way

What sets Kimley-Horn internships and career growth opportunities apart from other companies is the hands-on experience students get to produce transformative initiatives and high-impact projects. Interns spend more than 80% of their time serving external clients. This direct contribution to real-world projects sets up interns for success in future full-time roles, allows them to see the tangible impact they make to communities, and helps them develop transferable skills essential for building client relationships and navigating professional environments.

From day one, interns dive right into the program through practical tasks such as designing projects in CAD, joining on site visits, and completing technical training in AutoCAD, MicroStation, and other relevant programs. This exposure to professional development ensures that interns learn through observing and collaborating with partners.

Career growth opportunities don’t just stop at technical expertise—we want interns to find valuable connections and a sense of belonging within our teams. Both personally and professionally, interns have access to mentorship with employees from all levels across the firm. Kimley-Horn prioritizes building strong relationships within the internship program through programmed events like the following:

• Intern Day—a dedicated day for summer interns to hear and learn from mentors and young professionals.
• Office meetings and site visits
• Summer series calls—calls hosted by leaders across the firm that focus on different subjects like culture and benefits.
• VP of Fun events—opportunities to connect with other employees and engage in team building outside of work.

In addition, interns are given lunch coupons to take out leaders from their office and learn more about their career journey.

Interns have a special place at Kimley-Horn. We celebrate what each intern brings to the team by embracing their unique career growth paths, providing them a chance to make a difference through real-world experience, and offering the tools they need for a long and fulfilling career.

Visit our Interns page and discover how an internship with us can launch your professional growth.