Applications for the 49ers Internship Program presented by University of the Pacific go live on Dec. 18. The program is designed to give college graduates hands-on experience in the sports industry throughout the course of a 49ers football season. In addition to working within a 49ers business department, interns have the opportunity to learn from executives through Q&A sessions, participate in networking and community service opportunities, and shadow other departments across the organization.
Ahead of applications opening, 10 current 49ers interns decided to share some words of advice for prospective applicants. Below is a culmination of their application tips, interview insights, and takeaways from the internship program.
Nate Stovak, Business Strategy & Analytics
What drew you to apply to your current role?
- I was drawn to this role because of its proximity to San Francisco, my family in the area, and my lifelong love of sports. I was also motivated by the challenge it represented. I knew I had the technical skills, passion for sports, and drive that many other applicants possessed. The only way to earn this position was to push myself beyond the baseline by doing the preparation and due diligence necessary to have great interviews.
What is your biggest tip for standing out in the interview process?
- My biggest tip is to be personable and genuine. First, you must clearly demonstrate that you can handle the technical requirements of the role. After that, the decision often comes down to something simpler: would I want to have lunch with you? Many candidates share similar skills, technical ability, and competence. Standing out requires convincing the interviewer on a personal level that you would be someone they would enjoy working with and spending time around.
What's something that surprised you about your role?
- The most surprising part of this role has been how friendly and genuinely enthusiastic everyone is across the organization. At the 49ers, people are here because they care deeply about the environment and the mission. There is real excitement around coming to work and making an impact, driven by a shared focus on improving the fan experience. Knowing how much time, passion, and loyalty fans invest in the team makes our work feel meaningful and makes it easy to show up motivated every day.
Eli Makaron, Business Strategy & Analytics
How did you strengthen your application materials?
- I took time to understand the backgrounds of people who have had the job in the past and tailored my application to reflect that. Also, digesting the job description and seeing how my experiences would be transferable was an important piece of my prep. As much as you want the job, you have to prove why it would be a great fit for both sides.
How did you prepare for your interview?
- I did two things that I believe helped me stand out. I developed really thoughtful questions connecting industry knowledge to the role and to my interviewer. If you are able to weave in these ideas to each question, it will go a long way. Additionally, identifying key experiences and how that relates to different key skills and themes in the job description was an emphasis for me.
What is your biggest tip for standing out in the interview process?
- Humanize the experience to stay relaxed. Understand that you are talking to a person at the end of the day -- they want to get to know you for who you are, not who you might pretend to be.
Pedro Penaloza, Technology
What is your biggest tip for standing out in the interview process?
- Show a willingness to learn and a commitment to putting in the work.
How does the organization help interns build connections across teams?
- This organization depends on collaboration with many departments. Over time, those relationships naturally grow. This internship allows you the opportunity to engage and meet with leaders in different departments and ask them questions.
What's your favorite project you've worked on so far?
- My favorite project was helping One Court provide an innovative in-stadium experience for fans with low or no vision in Levi's Stadium.
Justin Holmes, Brand & Fan Engagement
How did you strengthen your application materials? (Resume, writing samples, etc.)
- Before submitting my resume and cover letter, I not only made sure that all of my information was up to date and clearly written, but I also tailored both documents specifically to the role I was applying for. I made sure that the skills required for the position were clearly highlighted in both my resume and cover letter.
What is your biggest tip for standing out in the interview process?
- Make sure that you have a very strong "why". If you have a very strong reason for why you want to work for this company, and why you want to work in your specific role, it will separate you from candidates with similar skills and experiences.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned at the 49ers?
- Don't be afraid to ask for help or a favor. Most of the time, people will be more than willing to help you.
Malik Shumpert, Graphic Design
How did you find the internship?
- TikTok.
What is your biggest tip for standing out in the interview process?
- Showcase personality and ask deep level questions. Avoid asking questions that can be simply answered with one word. Also, when you make it to the late interview stages, don't focus on talking strictly about work when asked about your goals. Instead, touch on what you want to accomplish in life.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned at the 49ers?
- Time management takes you a long way, especially as a designer. Balancing multiple tasks at once is a majority of the workflow and very rarely will you ever have one assignment on your plate. Also, building trust is emphasized as an intern and even a regular employee. For me, gaining the trust of my peers has allowed me to work on some of the most important campaigns our team has had to offer because they can count on me to deliver creatively, on brand, and on time.
What's something that surprised you about your role?
- How many different tasks not directly involved with Graphic Design I've had to do. From painting jerseys to recording podcasts and other random things, it has been a truly fun and unpredictable ride!
Ines Diaz, Digital Marketing
What drew you to apply to your current role?
- When I was first applying to internships, I knew I wanted to be in a marketing role and had some previous experience with email marketing, so the digital role was definitely at the top of my list. I had never worked on anything related to a mobile app or SMS, but I was open to the challenge of learning something new!
What is your biggest tip for standing out in the interview process?
- Ask good questions! I was always taught to word them in a way that helps your interviewer learn something about you, shows you did research on the company and what they do, and will make your interviewer think and help you learn something new about the role you are applying for.
How does the organization help interns build connections across teams?
- The internship program involves more than just your role in your assigned department. We have monthly Q&As with different executives in the organization, shadowing sessions with departments of our choice, and opportunities to help out during events organized by the team. Staff also really emphasizes the importance of reaching out to people internally and outside of our assigned department to learn more about their jobs, and everyone is always willing to make some time to answer any questions. My favorite opportunity so far was our shadowing of the Business Strategy and Analytics team with Max Kahn. We got to gain some great insights about their day-to-day work and how BSA collaborates with different teams, and it was really cool to see how they use data to make sure everything is working smoothly during gamedays and the fans are getting the best experience possible.
Kailyn Cover, Brand & Fan Engagement
What drew you to apply to your current role?
- I've had previous experiences with planning and hosting events, as well as paying attention to detail on brand marketing campaigns within my internships and college courses. As somebody who's passionate in creating positive social impact towards communities, I felt the most connected to this role.
What is your biggest tip for standing out in the interview process?
- My biggest tip to stand out in the interview process is to know your "why" factor when it comes to applying yourself in the role. It's important that you know the core reason as to why you want this job and why you know you're the best candidate for it.
If you could describe the environment of working for the 49ers in one word, what would it be?
- Transformative!
What's the biggest lesson you've learned at the 49ers?
- Always be open to experiencing something new every day you come into work. One thing that stuck with me from our very first Q&A session with Al Guido was "Before you wrap up your internship, be at a high-school level understanding with every single department within the organization." I use this everyday when learning how other teams work and apply it to my own role, as well as using it as an opportunity to explore the possibility of working in different roles!
Aidan Birenbaum, Game Presentation & Live Events
What is your biggest tip for standing out in the interview process?
- Be personable. Also, if you have the chance to work on a practical assignment, do everything in your power to knock it out of the park. Use your resources!
How have you found community while working at the 49ers?
- My department is super close-knit and has a really strong sense of community. We get together to celebrate birthdays, always have lunch together, and spend probably too much time chatting during the workday. I have really great mentors within my department who I rely on for advice! Having this amazing team to support me has been super beneficial for both my personal and career development.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned at the 49ers?
- The biggest lesson I've learned during my time with the 49ers is to trust my instincts. In live events, there's no time to ask for help or for reassurance. My first few games, it was hard to trust myself, as I was new to the team and to NFL gamedays. However, I learned that I am capable of far more than I ever thought, and I produced the best results when I trusted my intuition and acted on my own. I think the same idea holds true in the office as well. When I get assigned projects and tasks, there's always questions, but I learned that I can usually answer my own questions and figure it out on my own by using the resources I have at my disposal.
Avery Lee, 49ers Foundation
How have you found community while working at the 49ers?
- Our Employee Resource Groups like Women Connect and APEX have hosted some wonderful events that have been great to meet new people and build connections! Our monthly team huddles are always so fun as well to be able to catch up with people in other departments and parts of the organization.
If you could describe the environment of working for the 49ers in one word, what would it be?
- Passionate!
What's your favorite project you've worked on so far?
- Our Players for a Purpose 2025 event that raised a record-breaking $1.4 million!
Elyse Martinez, 49ers Foundation
How did you find the internship?
- I originally found the internship on LinkedIn when I was graduating from college. I applied, but didn't make it through the first round. I hadn't planned on applying again until I met some of last year's interns at a networking event. They told me more about the program and encouraged me to reapply.
What drew you to apply to your current role?
- I studied accounting in school, and in searching for which industry I wanted to pursue, I discovered that I really enjoy working in the non-profit realm. I was especially drawn to the way sports team foundations can create impact across different areas of community support. In learning more about the 49ers Foundation — the largest team foundation in the NFL — I was inspired by the number of programs and events they host and support. I was, and still am, in awe of the meaningful work being done here, and that passion is what drew me to apply.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned at the 49ers?
- No job is too small. Every responsibility — whether part of the day-to-day work, a gameday, or a special event — plays an important role in supporting the team's success. Whenever you have the opportunity, offer to help because even the smallest contributions matter.
