How to get an internship at a company like WEX

These days, getting hired for a summer internship is more competitive than ever, and landing the internship of your dreams requires some legwork. In this article, folks in HR at WEX, current and former interns, and the people who’ve managed them provide pointers on how to secure the perfect summer internship.

When and how to apply for summer internships at WEX

WEX offers a variety of internships that are tailored for students looking to gain professional learning experiences and contribute meaningful work. Learn more about our internship program and search for all our internships on the career section of our website by filtering for the word “intern.”  You can also search for us on WayUp and other job posting sites.

When you fill out an application, our talent acquisition team will automatically consider you for various roles. If there seems to be a good fit, WEX will reach out to you for a screening call. Candidates who move forward in the process will then speak with the hiring manager and peers as part of a formal interview process. WEX typically fills its internship positions by March or early April.

WEX not only looks for candidates with skills that align with the job description, but also who exhibit an eagerness to learn and grow their careers in a fast-paced setting. To make your application stand out, Hannah Jabar, Early Career Talent Pipeline Program Manager at WEX recommends:

• Formatting your resume to highlight the skills requested in the job description.
• Researching WEX to understand its market and solutions. The company’s corporate blog, “Inside WEX” has many ”Meet a WEXer” feature stories which can help you understand company culture and what it’s like to work at WEX, including this one on four returning interns. Read about the experiences of full-time employees Liliane Ruvakubusa and LaTaschia Velasquez.
• Bringing energy and enthusiasm to your interview(s).
• Being prepared to share examples of your experience, successes, and learnings.
• Sending thoughtful follow-up notes to everyone you meet as part of this process.

“Often the best internships are the ones that challenge you, and nudge you outside of your comfort zone,” Hannah says. “This is your safe space to fail and learn. Take advantage of that space and the opportunity in front of you.”

Types of people who excel in the WEX internships program

Many employees at WEX demonstrate behaviors that help cultivate the company’s culture. WEXers pride themselves on passionate problem solving, and using their tenacity, ingenuity, agility, grit, and empathy to deliver customer experiences that delight. Learn more about what makes a WEXer by reviewing the company’s Culture Playbook.

When hiring for any position, WEX seeks candidates who are curious and ask, “Is there a better way?”  People at the company are critical thinkers, self-directed, and motivated to achieve excellence. Interns share these qualities.

“The intern experience is what you make it,” Hannah says. “Take advantage of opportunities, especially in a remote setting, along with all the support resources. As with any job, it’s on you to take hold of it and run forward to success.”

The WEX values are on display every day, and are really important to the organization. Alignment with company values is a key component of success at WEX. “WEX’s emphasis on the core values is easily translatable to the way leadership interacts with and develops their intern talent,” hiring manager Jessica Houk, Director, Global Fleet Product Operations says.

“Interns have the opportunity to bring innovative new ideas to our teams; they can network and forge relationships across the organization to assess where they can make an impact,” he continues,”Ideally, they bring their authentic selves to every interaction and provide honest feedback. They can also choose to embrace WEX’s commitment to the community by participating in volunteer days.”

Internships are also a time to explore career options. Intern turned full-time employee, Christin Ehrichs, Service Manager in WEX Health reflects on her internship experience at WEX: “I was looking for a technology role and knew I wanted to be more on the software side of healthcare administration, but wasn’t exactly sure where I wanted to land,” Christine says.  “When I interviewed at WEX, it felt like a really good fit. I was looking for a mentor to help me start my career, and I still look for advice from the two women who I reported to as an intern.”

A supportive team is instrumental in helping an intern find their way and excel. Kayla Cho worked in Global Fleet Product Development as a Product Portfolio Intern. When she reflects on her experience, “One of the biggest factors that contributed to a good internship experience was my colleagues. Everyone was extremely encouraging, supportive, and great at what they do.”

Cho continues, “I was also given the opportunity to work on different types of projects that allowed me to explore many aspects of product management and collaborate with various types of teams and people in a variety of roles.”

Because WEX values interns as part of the larger team, everyone’s perspective gets heard. Fellow intern Mohnish Raj Ganesh echoed Cho’s sentiments. “It’s always great to collaborate with fresh minds,” says Mohnish, “It is a two-way street since we both benefit from the collaboration in terms of knowledge and skills.”

Jessica Houk, who hires interns at WEX, emphasizes how having interns on the team strengthens the leadership skills of managers. “The opportunity to teach our interns to complete tasks and accomplish goals provides powerful personal motivation for WEX managers to hold themselves to a higher account and act as stronger leaders.”

How to get the most from your summer internship

We asked WEX interns to share tips on how to make the most of an internship experience. See advice from Christine, Kayla, and Mohnish below.

“I learned that being respectful and self-aware goes a long way. Own up to any mistakes you make and ensure they are not repeated by taking on additional training, slowing down, or asking for help,” Christine shared.

“For internship candidates, I would recommend talking to as many people in the organization as you can so that you can get a sense of the type of people who are in the organization and what different roles and opportunities you might find within the company,” recommended Kayla.

She continued, “My biggest piece of advice is to not be afraid to ask questions. People don’t know what you know and won’t know unless you speak up and ask. Everyone knows you’re new so they don’t expect you to know everything.”

Mohnish outlined four key behaviors that served him well:

• Build connections: it’s natural to feel the need to prove yourself and to want to try and do all tasks by yourself. Looking back on my experience now, building connections across the organization was key. Collaboration drives innovation and offers perspectives and knowledge that can be hard to get when you are trying to solve complex problems all alone.
• Learn to say no and set expectations: Understanding your bandwidth and current knowledge is a very underrated skill. This self-awareness takes time to develop, so practice it with your manager to help ensure you deliver consistently.
• Take ownership and be accountable: WEX treats interns as employees where their work and opinions are highly valued and considered.  Share opportunities and ideas with your managers and see how you can leverage your skills and connections.
• Be open to learning: There is a gap between academic knowledge and knowing how to work in a professional setting. The key to success lies in the synergy of the two.

WEX is a leading, global fintech solutions provider, simplifying payments and back-end business processes in the fleet management, benefits management, and corporate and travel payments areas.  WEX values diversity and equity and is an equal opportunity employer. Search jobs on our careers site.