Internships in Calgary, Canada

Calgary in Alberta, Canada, is situated at around 80kms from the Canadian Rockies. It is the biggest city in Alberta and the third largest municipality in Canada.  According to a 2011 census, the city has a population of 1,096,833. Calgary’s metropolitan area houses the second largest number of corporate head offices from Canada’s 800 largest corporate companies. The city’s robust economy includes energy, financial services, transportation and logistics, film and television, technology, health and wellness, manufacturing, retail, tourism and aerospace sectors.

The city famously became Canada’s first city to host the Olympic Winter games in 1988.

What’s Calgary Like?

The once only oil-centric city of Calgary has flourished into a diverse economy that employs a vast number of people in industries in addition to energy. The city was the fastest growing economy in Canada in 2009. Situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Elbow and Bow rivers, the city suffered a massive flood that left most of the downtown area with power. The city quickly recovered, showing the resilience of its citizens and is once again a booming city, full of life.

Calgary has a dry, humid continental climate, and receives the most amount of sunshine of any city in all of Canada. The city is also the least prone to tornadoes making it a great city to live in weather-wise. It has a pretty balanced male vs. female population, and like most of Canada, the city is culturally diverse, as home to many people of many different cultural backgrounds.

Calgary has a considerably low crime rate and is the transportation hub of most of central Canada. The city has a well-developed and well-maintained public transportation system that is used by hundreds of thousands of people every single day.

What Kinds of internships are available in Canada?

Calgary is home to several institutions of higher education including the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University. These universities have several study, work and student internship programs that link students with leading companies and allow them to explore interests related to all kinds of different disciplines. The booming energy industry employs a large number of Calgarians; and offers several prestigious internships. Other industries like media, tourism, transportation and logistics also provide an array of internships to aspiring students.

How to Find Internships in Calgary

Students have a choice of enrolling in student work or internship programs or applying through school portals that help students find internships with leading companies.

If you are not a student in a Calgary university a few online portals such as Calgary.ca, ca indeed.com and workopolis.com are good places to start. Perusing newspapers is another way to go. Most corporate head offices located in Calgary also offer internship programs to people pursuing a graduate or post-graduate degree. High school graduates have special student internships that are designed for either summer or winter breaks to allow students to continue studying while working.

In conclusion

Calgary is a great place to live. It is a fast growing city with some of the best weather in Canada. The city has a large multi cultural population that is very accommodating to people from across the globe. Calgary is a city that is undergoing a lot of change in terms of economic growth. It is rated among the top cities to live in, coming 5th in world rankings.

The city’s several corporate head offices allow you to search for internships in an array of fields. Your best bet in Calgary would be energy and transportation and logistics, while other industries are on the cusp of growth. Time is of the essence. So get to it!