Interning at Lenovo: An Inside Look

Lenovo is a global technology company that designs, develops, and manufactures a wide range of products, including laptops, desktop computers, tablets, smartphones, and other smart devices. If you’ve got a love for all things tech and you’re gearing up for an internship, you might be interested in taking a look at Lenovo’s summer internship program, which was recently featured in Vault’s Latest Internship Rankings. Today, we’re going to take an in-depth look at the program, along with insider information about Lenovo’s hiring process. Let’s begin.

A Variety of Pathways and Benefits

Lenovo’s internship program takes place during the summer and lasts from 6 to 12 weeks. The program is available to students at all education levels, including PhD candidates, and internships occur at many of Lenovo’s global locations including North America, China, and Latin America. Lenovo is known for providing interns with direct pathways to full-time employment at the end of the program.

Lenovo offers potential interns a variety of exciting pathways to choose from. You could go the tech route by taking on an internship in Research and Technology or Engineering, or you could choose from one of several other areas of expertise including Sales and Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing and Communications, Finance and Business, or Data Analytics. The bottom line is, you don’t have to be a tech enthusiast to apply for an internship at Lenovo.

Interns will have access to a mentor matching program, where they will be paired up with seasoned professionals who can aid in skill development, provide insights, and offer up expertise. Along with this, Lenovo offers its interns enrichment and networking opportunities, which are extremely valuable for young professionals.

What It’s Like to Intern at Lenovo

Every year, Vault surveys thousands of interns at hundreds of internship programs in order to put together our annual Internship Rankings. Lenovo was among the nearly 300 companies and organizations we surveyed, and its internship program ranked No. 5 in the Best Internships for Sales, Marketing & Communications category, while also ranking in the Best Tech & Engineering Internships, and Best Internships for Quality of Assignments categories.

Students who had the opportunity to intern with Lenovo had many positive things to say about their experience. When asked about the quality of life at Lenovo, one intern said “The work culture at Lenovo is amazing, and everyone is very welcoming and willing to help! The atmosphere [was] very fun because they had social events for all the interns.” Interns were thrilled with the company culture, explaining that it was "extremely accommodating and flexible,” and that the professionals at Lenovo “[wanted] you to succeed.”

In certain cases, internships may feature a hybrid or remote schedule. Interns who had the opportunity to work remotely at least part of the time said it was a “great virtual experience,” and that “Team chats help [interns] keep up to date with assignments and communication.” Lending credence to the idea that workers feel more productive when working remotely, one intern told us, “The virtual days exceeded my expectations because I was still very connected with other employees and was still very productive, and was never left to [do] busy work when I was remote.”

In terms of career development, interns spoke highly of Lenovo’s mentorship program: “I had a mentor for all my time here; my manager was always available to help, and I felt extremely engaged with my assignments.” Throughout the program, interns receive support and guidance from experienced mentors, which is crucial for young professionals. Lenovo encourages interns to ask questions and reach out if they need help, creating an environment that is conducive to learning and professional development. One intern said, “Everyone at the company wants to help you learn and teach you something new, so the opportunity to ask questions is endless.”

When asked about any advice Lenovo interns had for those who are thinking of interning with the company, one intern told us “There are so many people and so many teams that you should ask how to get plugged into different parts of the organization and meet as many people as possible,” while another advised “Form good relationships. Key for a successful internship.”

Landing the Internship

Lenovo interns were also surveyed regarding their experiences with getting hired by the company, as well as the interview process. One intern told us, “I first spoke with someone from Lenovo at my career fair, where I then knew I wanted to follow through with the interview process. I then had a virtual interview and another interview with someone from HR. Everyone I spoke to during the recruiting process was very friendly, and I thought the interviews were very typical and not too challenging.”

Lenovo’s hiring process has been described as being “professional and organized,” and several interns we surveyed also provided us with interview questions they encountered. Those who are interested in applying to Lenovo’s internship program should be prepared for questions such as “Why did you apply for this role?” “What are your interests in your field?” “Tell me about a time you were successful on a team,” and “What do you like to do for fun?” If you’re looking for more on how to answer tricky behavioral interview questions, check out our newly updated Vault Guide to Behavioral Interviews.

Lenovo visits colleges and Universities between September and October. The resume screening process also takes place during the fall, with on-site and virtual interviews scheduled throughout October and November. Lenovo hires summer interns starting in January each year; however, certain internships run year-round, which means the company will post openings and hire as needed throughout the year. If you’re interested in interning with Lenovo, you should prepare your resume and application materials early in the summer. To apply, check out Lenovo’s internship page.

Further Reading

If you’d like to learn more about Lenovo’s summer internship program including intern testimonials, internship hiring contacts, locations of internship programs, and more, check out their Internship Profile on our website. For the full list of top internship programs, check out our latest Internship Rankings.