Internships in Frankfurt for English speakers

An internship abroad is a great idea. An internship in the bustling finance and business hub Frankfurt am Main is an even better idea! This is how you get started.

Bas

5 minute read

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Updated on 14 Jul 2023

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Studying

So, you’ve decided to make Frankfurt your new home? Or maybe you still need a little convincing to move to the Germany city known for its skyline. Frankfurt is a finance and business hub, which also makes it a hotspot for internships for English speakers! Whether you’re looking to make a name for yourself in Finance, IT, Chemical engineering or anything in between: Frankfurt has it all. So, let’s take a look at where you can find an English internship that can kickstart your career!

When looking for an internship in Frankfurt, you also need to think about which neighbourhood you’re going to live in and how much your living costs are going to be. For example, an apartment in Frankfurt is around €1,450 on average. Pretty pricey as an intern, even if you’re earning an intern's salary. Thankfully you can save money by sharing an apartment with another student or intern, a common practice in Germany called Wohngemeinschaft (WG). So, by budgeting cleverly and sharing an apartment, you should be able to keep your monthly expenses close to €1,000 while living in Frankfurt.

Frankfurt is a bustling city. Its skyline is made up of the towering skyscrapers you usually see in the US. It’s a business and finance hub, so Frankfurt is particularly interesting for you if you’re planning on getting into finance or a related industry. That said, in a major city like this, there’s plenty of universities, work and experience to be had in plenty of fields. So, let’s take a look at the top industries for English internships in Frankfurt.

Top local industries for internships

As a medium to large city, you’ll find internship opportunities no matter what your skillset is. That said, ‘Mainhattan’ does shine in a number of industries that make up a large part of the city’s workforce. Here’s where Frankfurt shines in terms of opportunities:

• Finance: Frankfurt is known as the ‘Mainhattan’ of Europe for a reason! Most of the shiny towers that grace the city’s skyline belong to banks, corporate headquarters and other financial institutions, such as the European Central Bank. This makes Frankfurt a coveted destination for anyone who’s eager to make a career in the financial fast-lane.
• Chemical Engineering: A bit to the south-west of the shiny financial centre, you’ll find the beating heart of a different industry entirely! Sliced neatly in half by the River Main, you’ll find Industry Park Höchst, the city’s major hub for heavy (chemical industry). So, if you’re all about getting your hands (or brain) dirty with some of the most advanced technology in the chemical industry.
• Frankfurt airport: That’s right, Frankfurt has its own airport! And where there are airports, there’s international mobility! In fact, it’s the biggest airport in Germany and ranks #13 on the list of the world’s busiest airports. So whether you know all about how airplane engines work, are trying to get experience in international logistics or are more of a people person, you’ll find it all here.

Top internship Corporations in Frankfurt

So, let’s take a look at some of the companies that offer internships for English speakers in Frankfurt! These companies usually list their internship opportunities on their career page. If you’re feeling ambitious and are looking ahead for an internship that won’t start until next semester or even next year, be sure to send in an open application, as you might be able to score an early spot this way. Finding a paid internship at a major company also means you’re well-compensated, earning minimum wage or more!

• The biggest banks in Frankfurt: Which Frankfurt bank will be the destination for your internship in Germany? From an M&A internship at Goldman Sachs or Deutsche Bank to a global investment internship at JP Morgan: Frankfurt houses pretty much the largest banks in Germany, as well as major players in international banking. Their headquarters in Frankfurt are housed in the largest (and shiniest) towers in the city! That means your internship in banking, finance or investment banking comes with one of the best views in the city that go up to 155m in height! They offer a wide range of international off-cycle internships, as well as traineeships that go beyond just finance, but include other departments like IT, HR and marketing as well.
• Europäische Zentralbank (European Central Bank): We’ve already mentioned a big bank for you to apply to, but we can hardly ignore the fact that Frankfurt is home to the European Central Bank! Found on the banks of the rover Main, this institution regulates all things finance in Europe, offering top-level banking services to entire countries. So, if you want to tackle finance at the highest level, as well as get a whiff of European politics, this is where you should offer your services.
• Boeing: If you’ve a passion for aeronautics, as well as dream about developing new technology: Boeing Frankfurt is the place for you. This research centre close to the airport aims to develop a new product every 6 months, so as an intern you might even see a project grow to completion. The research focuses on unmanned flight, improving the
• Hoechst AG: even bearing the name of the industry park, is one of the oldest chemical companies in Germany. They can trace their activities all the way back 1863. These days they’re a part of Sanofi Group, but their name still carries a lot of weight. So, if you’re looking to get started in the chemical and/or pharmaceutical industry, you can’t go wrong with one of Germany’s industrial household names.

Booming startups in Frankfurt

If the corporate ladder is a little too steep for your liking and you’d like to be able to make a massive impact from the start? An internship at a startup means learning and experience while also bearing as much responsibility as you can handle. Many startups also thrive on internationality, so you might even be able to put your native language skills to good use during a summer internship in Frankfurt! What you lose in compensation- I mean, most startups won’t be able to pay you beyond the minimum wage - you make up for in the fast track experience of seeing a company grow, flourish or even explode into success.

So, what are the startups Frankfurt has to offer an ambitious English speaking intern?

• Lizza: What if you ate a pizza that tasted just like any other, but it was a lot more healthy? That’s right, we eat another pizza. Frankfurt startup Lizza is doing just that, making pizza a convenient yet healthy meal that you won’t feel bad about eating. They reduce the number of carbs and add fibre, protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Want to help build ‘healthy convenience’? Send Lizza your resumé right now.
• MINDS Medical: an AI-based startup that aims to help doctors spend more time on what matters and less time on paperwork. Their AI system takes care of some of the more tedious administrative tasks that surround diagnosis and treatment. So, want to make the world a healthier place? Bring your big brain AI knowledge and apply now!
• Africa Green Tech: is the startup that designed and released the Solartrainer, a mobile 50kW power plant. These are then deployed to rural African communities, in order to provide power, water, and internet. Apply now to contribute to empowering people towards “self-determination and prosperity.”

Frankfurt is a city full of opportunity! Interns can find opportunity in industries ranging from finance to aviation to chemical engineering. Major companies are always looking for English speaking talent to reinforce their ranks while booming startups are always in need of fresh, internationally oriented minds to help them reach their goals. The city itself is safe, relatively affordable and an interesting mix, where the old German-style meets the modern metropolis.

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