Salesforce Internship: Types, Positions, Pay & How To Apply

Undeniably, Salesforce is a leader in creating cloud-based software solutions for the customer relationship management (CRM) industry.

It’s not hard to see why working there would be a goal for an aspiring tech student.

How can you get in on the action if you don’t have enough experience yet?

Well, a Salesforce internship program might just be the thing you’re looking for.

Does Salesforce Have an Internship Program?

Yes, it’s possible to land a Salesforce internship.

In fact, the company’s programs rank as one of the top 100 internships nationwide!

Types of Internships Offered by Salesforce

Aside from off-cycle postings, there are a few Futureforce programs to consider:

• Summer Internships: These are the most common types you can find on a year-to-year basis.
• Future Leaders Program: If you have an eye on future management positions, this 18-months training program might be a good fit.
• Part-Time Internships: Occasionally, Salesforce also offers part-time internships over the span of 12 months. Just keep in mind that the duration is often non-negotiable.
• Student Worker Internships: Some students can land part-time offers for 6-12 months in various departments.

How Many Interns Does Salesforce Have?

The Futureforce program alone received 1,200 interns in one round.

The ones that got hired over the years are around 9,700!

Salesforce Internship Positions

Regardless of the program type, the position will fit into one of those departments:

1. Tech Internships

If you opt for tech internships, you’ll tackle the following areas of focus:

• Engineering/Software Development
• Security
• Technical Writing

2. Product Internships

In a product internship, you’ll get to work on keeping the platform in tip-top shape. This includes aspects like:

• Design (UX/UI)
• Associate Product Management (APM roles)
• Data Science

3. Sales Internships

The sales team deals with strategy, representation, and enablement. As an intern, you’ll probably start as a Business Development Associate.

4. Marketing Internships

Salesforce’s marketing department focuses on two main areas: corporate and product marketing.

As an intern or a trainee, you might be able to join the customer marketing team.

5. Customer Success Internships

The Customer Success Group (CSG) works with a whole lot of other departments to boost customer engagement and growth.

If that sounds interesting, you can consider an internship in CSG.

6. Corporate Internships

Interning in the “corporate” part of Salesforce means that you’ll work in teams like:

• Finance and Strategy
• Accounting
• Legal

7. Research Internships

A researcher internship means working with concepts like:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Deep Learning
• Natural Language Processing (NLP)
• Reinforcement learning (RL)

What Does an Intern at Salesforce Do?

Interns at Salesforce shadow mentors/trail guides.

The exact nature of the assigned tasks varies drastically from one program to the other.

All in all, you can expect to do the job description for a hired employee in the department, but on a smaller and supervised scale.

What Does an Intern at Salesforce Usually Focus On?

Regardless of program specifics, a typical day should include a lot of hands-on work.

For instance, a Future Leader program intern might need to do the following roles on a daily basis:

• Work on cross-functional projects between departments.
• Attend team meetings.
• Take part in reporting and presenting data.

Who Does Salesforce Target for Internships?

The Futureforce university recruiting and summer internships focus on students (from all years) and new grads.

You might even find them visiting your campus soon!

That said, there are opportunities for postgraduate students as well.

What is a Salesforce Internship Like?

In some ways, the internships mirror the work environment for hired Salesforce employees.

Salesforce Internship Process

The process is rather simple; you see a position you like, then you apply (for up to three roles), and pass filtration to move on to the interview phase.

Just keep in mind that some programs might also need extra testing.

Take, for instance, HackerRank for tech internships.

If you pass, you start the internship and could be eligible for trainee positions later on.

Is It Hard to Intern at Salesforce?

The work environment in Salesforce is dynamic but not particularly hard.

What will be the best part of your day?

Well, Salesforce doesn’t limit interns with bland schedules or office hours.

What Notable Projects Can Interns Potentially Work On?

Interns at Salesforce get to handle high-value projects like:

• Internal campaigns that support webinars and Live Twitter Q&As
• Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measure or V2MOM for short (yes, an intern actually helped write these!)
• Storytelling Enablement Program for sales representatives
• Dreamforce events

Keep in mind that Salesforce’s client base covers major names like Spotify, Adidas, and PayPal.

A lot of the projects and tasks the interns work on are notable.

How Many Hours Do Salesforce Interns Work?

Many Salesforce internships are full-time, so you should expect up to 40 work hours per week.

For part-time student worker programs, you can expect a load of around 15-20 hours per week.

The good news here is that the company seems to shift away from the typical 8-hours workday.

Instead, the culture there seems in favor of other flexible options.

Salesforce Internship Benefits

There are quite a few appeals to interning and working at Salesforce:

• B-Well wellbeing services
• Ohana culture that brings teams together
• Representation and equal pay initiatives
• 1-1 sessions with trail guides for interns
• Giving back to society through paid volunteer time off and the philanthropic 1% pledge.

What Do You Learn In a CRM Internship?

Interning in a CRM company can pave your way into a leading segment of the tech industry.

After all, the market for CRM solutions has a value of over $57 billion, and we only expect it to go up in the coming years!

It’ll also teach you to work on cross-functional projects, which is a vital skill for the tech industry in general.

Are Salesforce Interns Paid?

Yes, Salesforce offers paid internship programs. In fact, it ranks third after Facebook and Amazon for intern salaries.

How Much Are Salesforce Interns Paid?

The applications don’t always disclose the rates for programs.

It’ll mostly relate to the region and title itself.

The median take-home is over 7K monthly, according to CNBC.

Plus, interns and new grads might be eligible for monthly wellness reimbursements.

Some positions also cover meal vouchers and paid volunteer time off.

Requirements for Getting an Internship at Salesforce

Each Salesforce program has its required skills and recommended background.

However, talent and attitude are key factors in any given position.

Salesforce Internship Acceptance Rate

It’s hard to get an official word on the exact acceptance rate.

Generally, major tech companies like Salesforce could have an average rate that’s as low as 0.55%.

Suggested Areas of Study for Salesforce Interns

Quite a few fields of study can make you eligible for Salesforce internships.

Here are the top options:

• Information Security
• Data Analytics
• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Business (MBA/PGDM courses)

Research internships, in particular, are a good fit for Ph.D. and MS candidates in related specialties.

Does Salesforce Care About GPA?

The programs usually don’t set a minimum GPA for applying.

They might not assign a lot of value to the number itself.

Instead, the interview and assessment phases put the applicant’s skills to the test.

Recommended Skills for Salesforce Interns

Depending on which program you’ll apply to, any of these skills can come in handy:

• CS fundamentals and coding skills (for the HackerRank assessment)
• Data mining and analytics tools
• General awareness of CRM and cloud data warehouse
• Knowledge of the Salesforce platform and products
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• OWASP Top 10 (for security roles)

Does Salesforce Background Check Their Interns?

It’s expected that Salesforce could look into your credentials and criminal record.

Certain internship positions, like GovCloud software engineers, require US citizenship.

They’re also contingent on Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) checks.

You might want to double-check if the role you’re applying for is a Moderate Public Trust position.

Does Salesforce Drug Test Their Interns?

Drug testing doesn’t seem to be an issue for new hires at Salesforce.

Still, you might want to double-check the fine lines when you get the offer.

There, you should find more details about regional regulations.

Do Salesforce Interns Get Hired?

There’s no guarantee that your internship will turn into a full-time job.

Don’t let that discourage you; it’s still a possibility.

How Likely Will an Internship at Salesforce Turn Into a Full-Time Job?

There is an 80% chance that an eligible intern will get hired with Salesforce after the duration of the program.

It’s okay to get your hopes up if you leave a good impression on your mentors!

How Do I Get an Internship At Salesforce?

With such a low acceptance rate, getting an internship can be tricky. However, knowing how to navigate your way from application to interview can give you a better shot.

Where to Find Salesforce Internship Opportunities

You can find the available programs on the company’s Futureforce listings. Of course, you can also follow Salesforce on LinkedIn to stay in touch.

Interview for a Salesforce Internship

In most cases, you can expect an interview with a hiring manager that could last an hour.

If you pass that primary sit-down, you’ll scale up to the next phase. This usually means meeting senior team members for a second round.

Keep in mind that these interviews are both technical and behavioral. You might even need to finish up a live coding exercise during the second interview for software engineering roles!

What Should I Wear to a Salesforce Internship Interview?

Business casual is going to be your safest bet here.

So, grab a plain button-down and neat slacks, but go easy on the accessories.

Even if a part of the interview phase is virtual, you’ll still want to maintain this image—at least the top half!

How to Answer “Why Do You Want To Work at Salesforce?”

Answer this one by being authentic and confident!

Odds are, you’re joining because you think this internship will launch your career.

You probably believe you’re a good fit for the position, too.

In that case, just speak from your heart and let your interviewer know how passionate you are.

How Do I Prepare For a Salesforce Internship?

The educational Trailhead platform might be your lifeline here.

You can use it to brush up on your knowledge before the internship.

If your program requires a skill test, you can always take a practice run first.

This can help you pass assessments like HackerRank.

Meanwhile, you can prepare your portfolio if you’re applying for a technical writer or UX role.

Is Salesforce a Good Internship?

Salesforce offers rather enticing benefits and salaries.

Yet, you might be wondering about the technical and educational aspects.

Well, Salesforce is a market leader with a whopping 23.8% market share in the CRM segment.

It’s only natural that you’ll learn quite a bit.

Is an Internship at Salesforce Worth It?

The filtration, assessment, and interview process might seem daunting, but it’s not in vain.

So, if you find a role that can make a difference in launching your career, it can be well worth the effort.

Frequently Asked Questions

By now, you should have a clearer picture of the Salesforce internship programs.

Still, a couple of common questions can help shed even more light.

Wrapping Up

Overall, landing a Salesforce internship can help get your career in CRM started.

The diverse culture and benefits can be tempting for students and fresh grads.

Yet, the best part is that there’s a whole lot to learn by shadowing your trail guide and doing hands-on projects.

Don’t let the interview process scare you away; do your homework and hope for the best!

Check out the Salesforce summer internship program.