Meet the summer interns

This is what it's really like to be a summer intern at Equinor

What does a summer intern actually do? How much responsibility do you get? What’s the social side of the experience like? And should you apply? You'll find the answers here.

In the summer of 2024, Mathilde joined Equinor as a summer intern.

At the time, we filmed her and asked what it was like to be an intern. She hadn't seen that video since.

When she later returned to Equinor as a graduate, we had an idea. What if we showed her the video again? Would she still feel the same way?

There was only one way to find out.

We asked her to sit down with us, talk about her experience as an intern, and surprised her by showing her the old video:

"The projects interns work on are always relevant to what's happening in the company right now."

Jack was in the same position as Mathilde in 2024 and has also since returned as a graduate. His team worked on a project that mattered to the organisation, and at the end of the summer they were given the opportunity to present their work to a wider audience.

"It was the first time I'd delivered a major presentation in a professional setting. Just knowing that people were actually coming to hear what we had worked on and would use it was a really rewarding feeling," he says.

Are students heard?

Many students wonder whether they'll really be listened to when they join a large company as an intern.

Mathilde was surprised by how much attention the interns received.

That is a key part of the thinking behind the internship programme. You don't need to know everything from day one. What matters most is being curious, eager to learn and willing to contribute.

For Jack, this is exactly what stands out when he looks back on his internship. In the video he recorded in 2024, he said: "Your voice matters here."

When he watched the clip again two years later, his reaction was simple:

What if I don't know what I want to do after university?

An internship is about more than gaining work experience.

It can also be an opportunity to discover what you actually want to do next.

When Mathilde started as an intern, it was her first internship and she wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Looking back, she sees that the summer helped her better understand the opportunities available to her and what she wanted from working life.

"I started thinking about the fact that I was actually going to have a job after university. I became more aware of what I enjoyed and what direction I wanted to take."

Jack describes a similar experience. He expected to learn more about Equinor, but ended up also learning a great deal about himself.

For Jack, the internship became an important reason for later applying to Equinor's graduate programme.

In fact, she believes one of the most important lessons she learned as an intern is something she still relies on as a graduate today.

"I learn something new every single day, largely because of the people I have around me."

For Jack, the biggest surprise came from somewhere completely unexpected.

He assumed most of the learning would come through his tasks and formal training. Instead, many of the most valuable insights came through conversations with colleagues, coffee breaks and informal discussions throughout the working day.

What's the social environment like?

You won't be the only intern in the office. Every year, Equinor welcomes around 100 summer interns, and both Mathilde and Jack highlight the social side of the experience as an important part of the programme.

Both worked at Fornebu, where the interns quickly became a close-knit group that spent time together both during and outside working hours.

For some, the internship is the end of a summer. For others, it's the start of something more. When Jack returned as a graduate, he already felt he had a network within the company.

"I understood how the company worked, who I could ask for help and what kind of work was being done. It made it much easier to get started quickly and contribute."

For Mathilde, the internship was also an important transition between university and working life.

"It gave me a very gentle introduction to both the company and professional life. I learned early on how much you gain by being curious and asking questions."

For both Mathilde and Jack, the internship became much more than a summer job. It gave them experience, insight and a network they continue to build on today.

For some, the internship lasts six weeks. For others, it's the beginning of a career.