Last updated: October 2026
The Columbus Blue Jackets post their whole intern class in one spring burst. The 2026-27 season internships went up around 8 April 2026 (the date is approximate), covered at least 18 departments from Broadcasting to Youth Hockey Outreach, and a second wave was already closed by 20 May. The postings we read say plainly that the internship is unpaid, and they ask whether you'll receive college credit. As of 17 October 2026, the club's TeamWork Online board listed four openings and none was an internship. In plain words: you apply in a short window around April to May 2027, and you intern from September 2027 through the end of the 2027-28 season. Nothing opens before spring, so don't count on a fall 2026 application.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Blue Jackets board on TeamWork Online. The club's employment page says internships are posted there. Set a Get Job Alerts notification |
| Application window (2027–28) | Closed now. Applications for the 2027-28 season expected ~April to May 2027. The window has moved earlier since 2021, so it could land anywhere from March to May. Low-to-medium confidence |
| Rolling? | No. Short window: the second wave of 2026-27 roles was already closed about six weeks after the first went up, and no closing dates are printed |
| Eligibility | Enrolled in college: "a four-year college or university" (Broadcasting 2026-27) or "enrolled in college, sophomore or above preferred" (Digital Media 2025-26). Department-specific majors preferred. No GPA or work-authorization rule found |
| Duration | Season-long: September to the end of the NHL season, and playoffs for Broadcasting. Digital Media 2025-26 was 15 to 20 hours a week |
| Compensation | Unpaid. The two postings we read (Broadcasting 2026-27, Digital Media 2025-26) say "Please note this is an unpaid internship." The application asks whether you'll receive college credit |
| Return offers | Conversion rate not published |
| Locations | Columbus, Ohio only (Nationwide Arena and the Arena District front office), in person. No remote option stated |
| # Programs | At least 18 department internships for 2026-27, all season-long |
Nothing is open now: the 2026-27 class closed by 20 May 2026. Applications for the 2027-28 season are expected around April to May 2027, and the window has drifted earlier every year.
Blue Jackets internships lean on content, marketing and sales, so a finished project is something to bring to the spring window. Externships are short, remote programs where you complete a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks. The Pinterest Gen Z Consumer Behavior Externship fits the digital and fan-audience roles, and the Beats by Dre Creative Advertising Strategy Externship fits marketing and creative work. Explore all Externships.
What Is a Columbus Blue Jackets Internship?
A Columbus Blue Jackets internship is an unpaid, season-long role in the NHL club's front office in Columbus, Ohio. The club calls them season internships, titled "2026-27 Season {Department} Intern", and posts them on TeamWork Online. For 2026-27 they covered at least 18 departments, from Broadcasting and Digital Media to Ticket Sales, Business Intelligence and the Foundation. Interns work in person, around the home schedule, from September to the end of the season. Arena part-time jobs, such as security guards and event staff, are separate and aren't internships.
When Do Columbus Blue Jackets Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
The Blue Jackets post one season-long class a year. The 2026-27 roles went up around 8 April 2026, and a second wave of department roles was already closed in a Wayback capture of 20 May 2026. Earlier classes were captured live as early as late June 2021 and 2022, May 2023, May to July 2024 and May 2025, so the window has moved earlier by roughly two to three months in five cycles. That drift is large, so the 2027-28 window is expected, not confirmed, and could land from March to May 2027.
Nothing is open and nothing is expected before spring. Use these months to set a job alert on the Blue Jackets' TeamWork board, choose your departments and build something you can show.
Network and prepare. Reddit commenters stress meeting people at the club early. The 2025-26 application asked whether you were applying to other Blue Jackets internships, so decide your departments before postings go live.
Applications for the 2027-28 season are expected to open. In 2026 the first wave went up around 8 April and the second was closed by 20 May. Apply to your target departments in the first days.
Late-added roles are possible. Earlier classes were captured live in May to July of 2023, 2024 and 2025, but the recent trend is earlier, so don't wait for summer.
Season internships run from September through the end of the 2027-28 NHL season, including playoffs for roles such as Broadcasting. Expect home-game availability and in-person work in Columbus.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
The mode is a short window, though no cutoff is printed. The second wave of 2026-27 roles was already closed in a capture taken about six weeks after the first went up, and a 2025-26 Digital Media role was captured live nine hours after it posted. With no printed deadlines, you can't know how long a role will stay up, so apply the week the board changes. Set the TeamWork alert now and check weekly from March.
Which Columbus Blue Jackets Internship Programs Should You Target?
The Blue Jackets post one requisition per department. These were the 2026-27 departments.
| Group | 2026-27 departments | Format | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media & content | Broadcasting; Digital Media and Content; Creative Services; Video Production; Journalism; Communications; Public Relations | Season-long, unpaid, in person | Audio and video editing, social media, writing |
| Marketing & fan experience | Marketing; Fan Engagement; Premium Experience; Game Operations | Season-long, unpaid, home games | Campaigns, event support, organization |
| Business | Corporate Partnership Activation; Corporate Partnerships Sales; Ticket Sales and Service; Business Intelligence | Season-long, unpaid | Sales, data, Microsoft Office |
| Community | Community Development; Foundation; Youth Hockey Community Outreach | Season-long, unpaid | Outreach, events, communication |
Roles post on the Blue Jackets' TeamWork Online board. We read two full postings (Broadcasting 2026-27 and Digital Media 2025-26); the other departments' text is no longer public, so don't assume their hours or terms match.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
The two postings we read set these requirements:
• Enrollment: Broadcasting asks that you be enrolled in a four-year college or university. Digital Media 2025-26 asked for enrollment in college, with sophomore or above preferred.
• Major: department-specific. Broadcast, journalism and communications are encouraged for Broadcasting, and marketing, journalism or communications strongly preferred for Digital Media.
• Availability: Broadcasting needs all home games from September to the end of the season. Digital Media 2025-26 was 15 to 20 hours a week.
• In person: the application asks you to confirm you'll be in Columbus, Ohio.
• GPA and work authorization: not found in the postings we read.
Do I Need College Credit?
The postings don't say credit is required, but the application asks whether you will receive credit for the internship. Because the roles are unpaid, check with your school before you apply whether it grants credit for a sports-business internship, and plan how you'll cover living costs in Columbus.
What Skills Do the Columbus Blue Jackets Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
We read two full postings, so these are examples, not a market sample. Broadcasting 2026-27: morning-skate audio, editing and posting highlights, radio features and podcasts, with Adobe Audition or Audacity. Digital Media 2025-26: content for BlueJackets.com and social platforms, graphics, photography, videography and copywriting, plus Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite. Both ask for organization and time management.
Note: Only two Blue Jackets internship postings (Broadcasting 2026-27 and Digital Media 2025-26) were readable in full, which is too few for a skills chart. Closed postings show only "closed to new applications", so other departments' text isn't public.
How Is Demand for Communications Interns Moving Right Now?
Communications intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 1,847 in August
For Blue Jackets applicants: the club's TeamWork board listed four openings on 17 October 2026 and none was an internship, and its 2026-27 roles went up around 8 April 2026.
Daily US job-posting counts, Sep 1–30 vs Aug 1–31, 2026. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Each skill below comes from a Blue Jackets posting and maps to a remote Externship you can finish before spring.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Social content and fan audiences | Digital Media: content for BlueJackets.com and social platforms; report content performance | Pinterest Gen Z Consumer Behavior |
| Creative and brand storytelling | Digital Media: graphics, photography, videography and copywriting for campaigns | Beats by Dre Creative Advertising Strategy |
| Ticket sales and business intelligence | 2026-27 Ticket Sales and Service and Business Intelligence departments | Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy |
Finish the project before April and link it in your application. In a short window, a finished piece of work stands out among near-identical applications.
What Is the Columbus Blue Jackets Application and Interview Process Like?
The Blue Jackets don't publish an interview format. Here is what the board and postings show:
1. Set up TeamWork. Create a profile and turn on Get Job Alerts on the Blue Jackets' board. The club says positions and internships are posted there.
2. Choose departments. Postings go up for many departments at once, and the 2025-26 application asked whether you were applying to others.
3. Apply with Apply Now. The application asks about in-person work in Columbus, enrollment and whether you'll receive credit.
4. Don't send resumes off-cycle. The club's page says resumes are only accepted when positions are available.
Interview steps and selection timing aren't published.
What Students on Reddit Say
Reddit has one useful r/BlueJackets thread (November 2025, 12 comments) where two commenters said they had interned with the club, so all three cards below come from it.
Commenters said networking matters most. One former intern said having previous industry or adjacent experience helped a lot, and another, who interned in 2012, said it came down to who they knew.
One commenter warned that a Blue Jackets internship is fully unpaid, which matches the postings, and another said summer intern applications usually open in early spring.
A fan said he asked someone in the fan development department if he could shadow a game, and was told it was a good way to stand out from other internship applicants.
How Do You Stand Out for a Blue Jackets Internship?
Three moves. First, be ready before April. The 2026-27 window was short, so a department-specific resume and a work sample should exist by March. Second, build relationships early. Former interns on Reddit say networking and prior industry experience mattered most, and one fan won attention by asking to shadow a game. Third, be realistic about the terms: the internships are unpaid, season-long and in person, so check credit and living costs before you apply. The Blue Jackets don't publish an applicant count or a conversion rate.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
If you're aiming at the Blue Jackets, these programs sit closest by sport or setting.
- NHLleague-office program, separate from a club front officeGuide →
- Minnesota Wildanother NHL club with its own internship guideGuide →
- Columbus Crewsame city, an MLS club with a different employerGuide →
- Live Nationlive-events and venue alternative to arena rolesGuide →
- ESPNsports media alternative with its own cohortsGuide →
Our sports internships summer 2027 guide maps league, team, media and betting programs in one place.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Columbus Blue Jackets internship?
No. We found no summer 2026 program: the Blue Jackets' current internships are season-long, and the 2026-27 class was posted around 8 April 2026 and closed by 20 May. On 17 October 2026 their TeamWork board listed no internships. The next window, for the 2027-28 season, is expected around April to May 2027.
When do Columbus Blue Jackets internship applications open?
They're expected around April to May 2027. The 2026-27 class went up around 8 April 2026, and the window has moved earlier by about two to three months since 2021, so it could open as early as March. Set a TeamWork job alert now rather than waiting for a confirmed date.
Are Blue Jackets internships paid?
No, based on the postings we read. Both the 2026-27 Broadcasting and 2025-26 Digital Media postings say "Please note this is an unpaid internship." The application also asks whether you'll receive college credit, so confirm with your school before applying. We couldn't read other departments' postings.
How long is a Blue Jackets internship?
Season-long: September to the end of the NHL season, including playoffs for Broadcasting, which needs all home games. The 2025-26 Digital Media internship was 15 to 20 hours a week. Hours for other departments weren't readable, so confirm them at interview.
Do I need to be a college student for a Blue Jackets internship?
Yes, for the postings we read. Broadcasting asks that you be enrolled in a four-year college or university, and Digital Media 2025-26 asked for college enrollment, with sophomore or above preferred. We found no GPA or work-authorization rule, and the roles are in person in Columbus, Ohio.
Which departments take Blue Jackets interns?
For 2026-27 we found at least 18: Broadcasting, Business Intelligence, Communications, Community Development, Corporate Partnership Activation, Corporate Partnerships Sales, Creative Services, Digital Media and Content, Fan Engagement, Foundation, Game Operations, Journalism, Marketing, Premium Experience, Public Relations, Ticket Sales and Service, Video Production and Youth Hockey Community Outreach.
Where do I apply for a Blue Jackets internship?
On the Blue Jackets' board on TeamWork Online. The club's employment page says full-time, part-time and internship positions are posted there, and warns that resumes are only accepted when positions are available. Create a profile and turn on job alerts so you see new roles the day they appear.
Do Columbus Blue Jackets interns get full-time offers?
The club doesn't publish a conversion rate. Two Reddit commenters who interned there credit networking and prior industry experience, not an automatic offer, and that's community-reported. Treat the internship as experience first, build relationships with the staff you work with, and ask about openings while you're there.
Applications are closed until about April 2027, and that window will be short. Use the months in between to build a finished project, and if you want one, a remote Externship takes about 5 to 10 hours a week.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
