Top Tips on Becoming an Intern at adidas
Have you ever considered applying for an internship at adidas? Here are some great ideas to help you start a career with the company you love. This story was updated on September 27, 2018.
The role of internships should never be underestimated: They can give you the step into a company you need to kickstart your career by offering on-the-job-experience, the chance to prove yourself in a real-life working environment and the opportunity to start building your professional network. Given this, it’s important to know how to apply for an internship at adidas, increasing your chances of being successful. Being responsible for the internship program at our global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, today I will tell you a little bit more about the how, when and where.
Most of our internship opportunities are based at the birthplace of our company’s founder Adi Dassler in Herzogenaurach, Germany; however, we also offer a great number of internships at various locations across the globe. These are always advertised on our career site.
Diversity is truly important to us and we emphasize this also on an internship level. In 2018, a total of 47% of our interns in Germany were non-German, with a gender split of 54% female to 46% male. You will meet interns with different backgrounds, bringing a variety of experience as well as different mindsets.

Getting to know the adidas values on the introduction day
Our interns usually stay for 6 months and the reason is quite simple: in 6 months you can get a great learning experience and additionally take on responsibility for own projects, which would not be possible if you only stay with us for a few weeks.
In Herzogenaurach, each year we hire two generations of interns, the first starting in March, the second starting in September. During your internship, adidas offers a variety of events such as an introduction day and career information days that will give you insights into future career opportunities within adidas. Additionally, there are networking/fun events such as BBQs, sports tournaments and a speaker series.
How and when to apply for an internship?
We start recruiting 3-6 months ahead of the starting date. If there’s nothing immediately available in your area of interest, you can create a search agent. The search agent will inform you automatically as soon as new positions are published.
Now it's your turn. Join team adidas!
Mar 21, 2023
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Be aware that the adidas internship application window is limited to four weeks!

If you plan to apply for one of our internships, you should consider the following:
- Carefully read the job description and profile requirements and ask yourself: “Do I fulfill these?”
- Prepare your online application including CV, cover letter and references. If you need help just check one of our previous articles about tips and tricks for the online application.
- Submit your application online and wait for feedback.
As we wish our interns to be creative with their application documents, we also try to make our recruitment process as creative as possible, so watch out for application tasks we might ask you to complete.
Once you have uploaded your application online – and if your profile meets the requirements – the first step is a virtual interview with one of our recruiters. If you´re successful in the first round, the hiring manager will contact you to arrange a final interview. This interview can be either via phone/skype or a live interview. We always try to provide you with feedback as soon as possible; however, sometimes it might take a little longer due to vacations or business trips.
You might think there is tough competition for internship positions at adidas and this is somewhat true, as we do receive a lot of applications. However, if you meet the profile criteria and submit a complete application you will definitely have a good chance to get the role.
At adidas, we believe an internship is the ideal opportunity for students to apply their theoretical knowledge from university in the business world. With that in mind, one key requirement is that you complete your internship during your studies and that you are fully enrolled at university for the entire duration. If you have already graduated from university, you should check out the graduate section on the adidas career website or consider one of our entry-level positions or the trainee programs we offer.
What do you get in return?

An internship with adidas is truly an exceptional and inspiring experience. Not only will it look good in your CV, you will also have the chance to work in one of the world´s most creative companies. As an intern you will be able to take part in all our events, company sports courses and trips, as well as benefiting from the employee product discount. So you’d better come with an empty suitcase as it is sure to be full of cool adidas or Reebok stuff when you leave.
Thank you for these guidances.
I am going to apply for an internship and I was wondering: can I put a picture on my resume or not ?
Thank you for your answer,
Best regards
Stéphane
Great blog!
Does the adidas Group accept applications from PhD students wanting to carry out an internship?
Thank you,
Best regards
Natalie
of course you can put a picture on your resume but this is not required anymore.
Best regards
Regina
thank you.
We only offer internships for Bachelor or Master students at the Headquarters in Herzogenaurach. You could check our career website for direct entry level positions which could be suitable for you.
Best regards
Regina
right now you can only apply for our internships starting in February and March. If you want to do an internship starting in August/September you will have to apply in May when these positions will be posted. The applications for February and March won't automatically be considered for the internships in the second half of the year.
Best regards
Regina
for doing an internship in Germany you will have to be enrolled at a university for the whole time of the internship and the study subject has to be related to the internship you're doing. Otherwise the working permit won't be approved by the authorities.
Best regards
Regina
the internships starting in August will end beginning of February/end of January and the internships starting in September will end beginning of March/end of February. The internships usually last 26 weeks.
Best regards
Regina
Do the internships in Portland REQUIRE you to still be a student? Or could you be a recent graduate? Also, are the internships paid?
Thanks a lot for your time,
Zadok
I applied to an Adidas internship through the career sight two months ago and still haven't heard back. I even tried to follow up and didn't hear back from that either. Should I give up?
Thanks,
McKenna
you must have graduated within 1 year of the internship or we are looking for junior and seniors in undergraduate programs. We also have roles for Masters students.
For detailed answers please reach out to the locations directly.
Best,
Regina
it depends where you have applied. For our internship positions at the HQ in Herzogenaurach we provide feedback latest two weeks after the application deadline has passed.
Best,
Regina
generally all internship positions for all locations are available on our external career website.
www.careers.adidas-group.com
Best,
Regina
I applied for 3 different internships (all of them for design team) and I've received 3 emails saying that I wasn't selected just for the brand-design position in Amsterdam (I think it's because I applied when the internship deadline closed). Should I be worried about receiving the same mail 3 times for the same position? Or could it be a mistake and maybe I wasn't selected for any of the 3 different positions? All the 3 emails specify that I wasn't selected just for the brand design position Id: 148516, but it is normal to receive it 3 times in a row?
Ps. The status on my career website says all 3 positions in HQ are "applications in process" . Does that mean that you havent selected someone for the internship yet?
Sorry for the panic, I'm just really excited about this internship and I'd really like to get some updates.
Kind regards, Regina. Thanks for taking the time to answer all our questions!
our internship program only aims Bachelor and Master students.
Best,
Regina
of course you may also put a picture on your resume but it is not required.
Best,
Regina
Apart from being a super fan of Adidas, I am currently seeking an internship this summer for 6 or 12 months. Are there any opportunities in the UK.
Cheers Aimee
thanks for your question. Great to hear that you're a fan of the 3-Stripes! :)
For me, the adidas Group is the best place to work. I also started my career at adidas as an intern. You can find all open positions on careers.adidas-group.com. Filter by "Position Type" to see only the internships. If there are no open internship positions in the UK, maybe it's worth to think about coming to Germany for an internship?! Here's a great article about working abroad: http://www.gameplan-a.com/2016/07/ask-the-right-questions-tips-tricks-for-working-abroad/.
Good luck,
Nina
Just wondering if you are still taking applications for the 10 Week Summer Internship program?
I can't seem to find where I should submit an application.
Best,
Amanda
Unfortunately, we are no longer taking applications for the 2017 summer internship (10 weeks) in the US. The application process was open in October-November 2016. Please continue to review our career website for internship opportunities outside the US.
Great to read about this opportunity from my favorite sports brand!
Since in heard about a friend's experience as an intern at Adidas, I have had a huge interest in an internship in Germany myself. Right now I am (un)patiently waiting for the new round of openings and just got a lot wiser reading this post.
However, my university requires to have the internship deal closed no later than June 1st and I saw that the openings for August/September will not be published until May. Will it even be possible for me to apply and get an answer and (hopefully) an internship deal before June 1st?
Looking forward to your reply :)
Best,
Sandra
How flexible is Adidas with the 6-month time frame?
I have an co-op term from September to December (but I'm available from mid-August), so I was wondering if I would still be considered for an internship.
Thanks!
Great article there! It was quite helpful.
As a potential applicant still in the running towards the 2017 summer internship program (US), I wanted to know how long it takes for the selection process to finally wrap up. The contact person from adidas did mention through their emails that the team would be in touch with me every 2 weeks, but since it's been longer than that time frame, I was wondering when I would know.
Thank you in advance for your help!
My deepest apologies that you have not been receiving update communication. We strive to provide an updated every two weeks. We are close to wrapping up the design and future internships and you should be hearing back shortly.
Thank you.
you can find the requirements for the different internship positions within the particular job description on our career website. There you can also read which language skills are required for the position.
Best regards and much success for your application,
Michelle
As part of my Masters in Business Administration I would love to do an internship at Adidas, but I don't know where to start or how to begin looking for such a thing. Is there any way you can help me? Unfortunately the Career website doesn't show a lot of traineeships.
Kind regards,
Steven
great to hear that you would like to join the adidas family!
You can find all available internships / traineeships on our career web page http://www.careers.adidas-group.com . As we have fixed starting dates for our programs sometimes there are more open positions available and sometimes less. At the moment most application processes are already closed, but we will start recruiting for spring internships 2018 sometime in October this year.
In order to stay connected with us, you can register with our Career Scout on the Internet and enter your profile there. Moreover, you can activate a search assistant informing you about new job openings at all times.
For further information we recommend the adidas Group blog:
• http://blog.adidas-group.com/2013/07/ten-tips-and-tricks-for-online-applications
We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
Michelle
And if you reach the next stage, check out the top 10 tips for a successful job interview, too: https://www.gameplan-a.com/2014/02/adidas-top-10-tips-for-a-successful-job-interview/.
We got you covered ;)
Good luck and best,
Nina
I recently applied to the NAM Sport Science internship and the NAM Footwear Lab internship in Portland, Oregon for the 2018 summer program. I was wondering if the results have been emailed out yet (as I was told that results would be released no later than December 1st). Just wanted to make sure I was not missing any emails or perhaps ran into some kind of system error.
Thanks for your answer and best regards,
Linda
great - please check out all internship opportunities here:
https://careers.adidas-group.com/jobs?brand=&team=&type=Intern&keywords=&location=%5B%5D&sort=&locale=en&offset=0
We are looking forward to receiving your application.
Best Regards,
Melanie
I am currently applying for the Innovation Engineering and other Engineering internships I believe I am qualified for, however being from the United States our academic year does not conclude until early May, thus making us unavailable to start right in March. In the past how has this been navigated by the company with abroad applicants? I would love to drop everything and start in March but that is not plausible unfortunately. Thank you so much for your time!
Best,
Bradford Eagan
did you check out our summer internship opportunities in Portland, OR? You can find all vacancies here: https://careers.adidas-group.com/jobs?brand=&team=&type=Intern&keywords=&location=%5B%7B%22country%22%3A%22United+States%22%7D%5D&sort=&locale=en&offset=0
Best Regards,
Melanie
many thanks for your interest in joining the adidas team. We are looking for a diverse workforce and are welcoming students from all over the world under consideration of country specific VISA/work permit regulations. Please find all openings for March 2019 by following below mentioned link and stay tuned for upcoming postings for our September 2019 intake (will be advertised beginning of 2019).
https://careers.adidas-group.com/jobs?brand=&team=&type=Intern&keywords=&location=%5B%5D&sort=&locale=en&offset=0
We are looking forward to receiving your application.
Best Regards,
Melanie
I was hoping to apply for 2019 US Internship - Graphic Design (6 months) in Portland but the link isn't working. Is this internship no longer available?
Thank you!
I am so keen to work with adidas.
Student , Footwear and Accessories Designer
University of Northampton
United Kingdom
Dear Concerned ,
Subject:
I am writing to you regarding the footwear designer post vacant in your organisation which I am in pursuit of. I am happy to state that my academic accomplishments meet the necessary requirements as a potential candidate. I am seeking a challenging but a rewarding internship, which is why I was drawn to this exciting opportunity to make us of this summer (June to September)
As a year 2 student at the university of Northampton , I have acquired skills in designing footwear and accessories , CAD knowledge , design development, fashion forecasting ,and consumer research. I currently hold a good record of my grades and am glad to state that I have been my tutors’ list for representing the university. I have honed my creative skills in the following areas:
* Sporting
*Technological evolution in the sneaker world
*Leather as a fashion material
*Consumer Research
*Colour trend
*Creativity and development
*Technicalities in Leather and Fashion
Utilizing my knowledge of the above , I have designed products for real clients as a part of my project.
I can assure you that my broad background will make me an excellent candidate for this position. I look forward to having an interview with you. I appreciate your time and concern taken to read my letter.
CV is attached to the mail as per the request.
Many thanks.
Mohammed Faizal Jahan
for reference purpose contact only
Chris hill; senior lecturer of university of Northampton
email: chris.hill@northampton.ac.uk
Devika here, I am artist and a fashion designer.
I am really interested in joining adidas design academy and there after would love to intern in adidas.
Please guide me how to go about it.
I am going to apply for an internship but in the job descriptions is wrote "Only applies to EU citizens due to working permit regulations". But the fact is: I am from Brazil but I live here in Germany since 2017, I also study here in the University and I have a working permit. Is there any problem?
Thanks!
many thanks for your interest in joining the adidas family.
Due to VISA regulations, this add-on only applies to applicants who are not enrolled at university for the full duration of their internship anymore (so called GAP year students). We are looking forward to receiving your application.
Best Regards,
Melanie
now I'm ready to upload my internship application.
but I can't find the selection for uploading my website(portfolio).
How can I apply?
Thanks,
I am seeking an 6 month undergraduate internship placement in the global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany in either sales or human Resources. Please can I have some information on whether applications for this position are still open and how to apply.
Thanks,
thanks for your interest in joining #teamadidas. Unfortunately, the application window for the next internship program at our global HQ in Herzogenaurach is closed already.
You can find all info about the internship programs here: https://careers.adidas-group.com/teams/students/internships-students?locale=en
We always announce the opening of the application window on our LinkedIn company page @adidas. Make sure you follow it to not miss out.
All the best and keep on rocking,
Nina
I'm in my last semester as a LLB Law Student at the University of South-Africa and want to pursue my MBA afterwards. I'm very interested in applying for an internship at Adidas but I have a few questions (being from South-Africa etc). Is there someone I can contact about the internship program and get more information about my specific questions?
Thank you in advance
Armandt Peens
many thanks for your interest in joining adidas. Please address all questions to Internship@adidas-group.com.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
Melanie
I would like to know if I can apply for two different positions.. I already have experience in HR but I am also interested in acting in a new area. That is why maybe I could try this two different positions...
Thanks!
thanks for your interest in working with us! Working in adidas myself, I can only recommend the 3-Stripes! It's the best place to work :)
You can apply for two different positions. Our recruiters always recommend to ensure that you tick as many of the criteria as possible, which are stated in the job descriptions.
Good luck and all the best
Nina
Truly the world's best sports brand!
I was wondering about how to create the search agent, if there’s nothing immediately available in my area of interest. I could not find the function, can you please help me here and guide me?
I was also looking for internships besides Herzogenaurach like in the Netherlands or Canada. Is there a similar application period as here in Germany?
Thank you very much in advance!
Best regards
Rebecca
NOW IT'S YOUR
Thank you for your advice on how to apply for an internship at adidas. Could you tell me if adidas also offers programs for high school graduates who are going to take a gap year?
Thank you in advance.
Yours sincerely,
Noor
The Netherlands