Last updated: September 2026
LKQ Corporation is built out of other people’s totalled cars. Founded in 1998 with the acquisition of a single Akron, Ohio auto recycler, LKQ (Nasdaq: LKQ) grew through more than 200 acquisitions into a Fortune 500 (#257) company with 1,684 locations, roughly 44,000 employees and $13.65 billion in 2025 revenue. The name itself is a salvage-industry grading term: “Like, Kind and Quality.” For a student, the interesting part is what that means operationally: LKQ is simultaneously a vehicle recycler, a parts distributor, a logistics network and a data business that has to price and locate a specific used fender across 585 US sites. The honest catch is that LKQ does not run a structured internship program. As of September 2026 there are 617 open requisitions on its Workday board and not one of them is an internship. When LKQ does hire interns, it posts individual requisitions rather than a cohort class, and the roles have ranged from a Cyber Security Intern for Summer 2026 to a Software Development IT Intern in Nashville for Summer 2025 to an Accounts Receivable Intern at a Pennsylvania operations site.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | lkqcorp.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/ExternalCareerSite-LKQ. Also join the Talent Network |
| Application window (2027–28) | Not published. LKQ posts intern requisitions individually and sporadically. The Summer 2025 software intern req closed in mid-January 2025, suggesting a winter posting pattern |
| Rolling? | Unknown. LKQ posts single intern requisitions rather than a class; apply the day one appears |
| Eligibility | Not published. No live intern requisition exists to specify requirements |
| Duration | Not published. Prior-cycle titles include “Summer 2026” framing, suggesting a standard summer placement |
| Compensation | Paid, confirmed by a former intern. No rate published by LKQ; Indeed has no data for a generic LKQ intern |
| Locations | Nashville, TN (North American HQ, primary); Chicago, IL and Exeter, PA confirmed for past intern placements |
| # Programs | No named program. Individual intern requisitions posted in Cyber Security, Software Development/IT, Data Engineering, Accounting and Accounts Receivable |
LKQ does not run a named internship program. It posts individual intern requisitions sporadically, and no Summer 2027 role is live yet. The single most useful thing you can do right now is join the Talent Network and set a saved Workday search.
Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you finish a real project with a real company. The Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Visualization Externship and the Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship build exactly the data dashboard and security skills that LKQ’s past intern requisitions have asked for. Explore all Externships.
What Is a LKQ Corporation Internship?
An LKQ Corporation internship is a paid placement on a working corporate team at a company that processes, prices and distributes alternative and specialty auto parts across 1,684 locations worldwide. LKQ (Nasdaq: LKQ) is the Fortune 500 company (#257) behind brands including Keystone Automotive, Euro Car Parts, Stahlgruber and Rhiag. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, it reported $13.65 billion in 2025 revenue and $608 million in net income under CEO Justin Jude. Unlike most Fortune 500 employers, LKQ does not run a named cohort internship program. It posts individual intern requisitions when a department has a need, and those roles have included cyber security, software development and IT, data engineering, accounting and accounts receivable. A former intern in Chicago rated the experience 5.0 out of 5 on Glassdoor, calling the staff “super knowledgeable” and highlighting the paid nature of the role. An accounting intern in Nashville described a “laid back atmosphere” punctuated by 7-to-10-day financial close cycles.
When Do LKQ Corporation Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
LKQ does not publish an internship application window, a deadline or a recruiting calendar. What can be said is this: the company has posted individual intern requisitions in past cycles (a Cyber Security Intern for Summer 2026, a Software Development IT Intern in Nashville for Summer 2025, and an A/R Intern at a Pennsylvania operations site), and the Summer 2025 software intern req was recorded as closed on January 14, 2025. That mid-January close date, combined with a lower requisition number than reqs posted later that year, suggests LKQ’s intern postings appear in the winter-to-spring range rather than the autumn range typical of Fortune 500 cohort programs. As of September 2026, the LKQ Workday board carries 617 open requisitions and zero internships.
Zero internships on LKQ’s Workday board across all 617 live requisitions. LKQ posts intern roles individually, not as a cohort class. Set a saved search for “intern” on the Workday board and join the Talent Network now.
The Summer 2025 software development IT intern requisition closed in mid-January, suggesting a winter posting pattern. Check the board weekly through November, December and January. Apply the day a requisition appears, because LKQ fills single seats rather than a class.
If posted, recruiter screens and interviews. First-hand accounts of LKQ hiring describe a straightforward process, though no intern-specific interview detail has been documented.
If hired, placement on a working corporate team in Nashville, Chicago or another LKQ site. Prior intern roles have covered cyber security, software development, data engineering, accounting and accounts receivable.
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
LKQ does not run a cohort. When a department needs an intern, it posts one requisition, fills it, and closes the posting. There is no second wave, no rolling class, and no reason for the hiring manager to keep the seat open once they find someone. The Summer 2025 software development IT intern req was recorded as closed on January 14, 2025, and the Cyber Security Intern for Summer 2026 is already closed on the board today. In both cases, a student who checked the board a month late would have found nothing. The practical rule is simple: set a saved Workday search now, check it weekly, and apply the day something appears. This is not a company where you can afford to wait until spring to start looking.
Which LKQ Corporation Internship Programs Should You Target?
LKQ does not run a named internship program with a fixed structure. Instead, individual departments post intern requisitions when they have a need. The functions that have hired interns span both technical and corporate roles, and the placements have appeared at the Nashville headquarters, in Chicago, and at a Pennsylvania operations site.
| Role | Function | Location | Key details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Security Intern — Summer 2026 | Cybersecurity within the corporate IT organisation | Not recorded | Posted on LKQ’s Workday board (R66117); now closed |
| Software Development IT Intern — Summer 2025 | Software engineering and IT | Nashville, TN | Recorded as closed on January 14, 2025 |
| A/R Intern | Accounts receivable at an operations site | Exeter, PA (KAO Operations) | Posted on LKQ’s Workday board (R70892); now closed |
| Data Engineering Intern | Data engineering, dashboards and database tooling | Not recorded | Self-reported by a former intern; deliverables included a Power BI dashboard and a C# SQL CLR tool |
Search for openings on LKQ’s Workday board. Because LKQ posts intern roles individually rather than as a program, the specific departments hiring and the number of seats will vary from year to year.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
LKQ publishes no internship eligibility criteria because it has no live intern requisition and no early-careers eligibility page. When a posting appears, the requisition itself will carry the requirements. Based on the roles LKQ has actually hired interns into, the following patterns are observable:
• Enrollment: not published. LKQ’s campus recruiting statement describes “current students and recent graduates from colleges and universities all across North America,” but that language covers entry-level full-time roles, not internships specifically.
• GPA: not published. No GPA requirement appeared on any LKQ careers page or in any retrieved requisition.
• Majors: not published as a list. The documented intern functions — cyber security, software development, data engineering, accounting, accounts receivable — imply relevant technical or business degrees, but LKQ states no requirement.
• Work authorization: not published. No visa sponsorship or work-authorization statement was found on any LKQ careers page or in any requisition body.
Why the Eligibility Gap Actually Matters
LKQ’s intern roles have ranged from an accounts-receivable position at a Pennsylvania operations site to a software development role at Nashville corporate headquarters. Those two roles carry very different qualification sets, and because LKQ publishes no program-level eligibility, the requirements will be entirely specific to whichever requisition posts next. Read the individual posting carefully when it appears rather than assuming a standard Fortune 500 eligibility template. LKQ is not that kind of employer.
What Skills Does LKQ Corporation Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
LKQ publishes no internship job descriptions, and no live or archived intern requisition body could be retrieved. The skills picture therefore comes from two sources: the functions LKQ has demonstrably hired interns into (cyber security, software development and IT, data engineering, accounting and accounts receivable), and the one documented intern project. A former LKQ data engineering intern described building a Power BI system monitoring dashboard and a C# SQL CLR tool for database connection validation, working with SQL Server, Python, C#, Power BI, Redgate Flyway, Liquibase and ArcGIS. That is the only concrete LKQ intern toolchain evidence that exists, and it points squarely at internal-platform and data-infrastructure work rather than consumer product development.
Note: No live LKQ intern requisitions existed at research time. LKQ does not run a structured internship program; intern roles are posted individually and sporadically.
How Is Demand for Auto Parts & Distribution Interns Moving Right Now?
Auto parts & distribution intern hiring right now: September 2026
Across US automotive parts and distribution intern postings tracked this week · aggregate market data, all employers
September 2026 is this tracker’s baseline month. The signal is that data-literate candidates who can also speak the language of parts distribution and logistics are the ones the sector is competing for.
Method: aggregate analysis of US auto parts and distribution intern postings, September 2026 baseline. Sample indexes under half of all US postings; figures show direction and relative level, not total market share.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
LKQ’s intern requisitions have asked for technical and operational skills that map directly to remote Externships where you finish a real company project before a posting appears.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Data visualization & dashboards | The one documented LKQ intern deliverable is a Power BI system monitoring dashboard; data engineering, SQL and dashboard work appear across LKQ’s technical intern roles | Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Visualization |
| Cybersecurity & network defence | LKQ posted a Cyber Security Intern requisition for Summer 2026; a distribution company with 585 US sites has a large operational-technology attack surface | Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense |
| Operations strategy & logistics | LKQ’s core business is warehousing, grading, pricing and distributing auto parts across 1,684 locations; operations and supply-chain skills underpin every non-technical intern placement | Amazon Fulfillment Center Operational Strategy |
How close is the overlap? The Data Visualization deliverable is exactly the kind of internal-platform dashboard the documented LKQ data engineering intern actually built, the Cyber Defense project maps directly to LKQ’s named cyber security intern seat, and the Amazon operations project builds the distribution and logistics vocabulary that every LKQ interview will test.
What Is the LKQ Corporation Application and Interview Process Like?
LKQ publishes no internship-specific hiring process. The general company hiring flow and the limited intern evidence suggest a straightforward process:
1. Set a saved search on LKQ’s Workday board for the keyword “intern.” This is the only board that matters; the branded site at jobs.lkqcorp.com mirrors the same requisitions.
2. Join the Talent Network so a recruiter can surface your profile when an intern requisition opens. LKQ invites this: “Whether you choose to apply or just leave your information, we look forward to staying connected with you.”
3. Apply immediately when a requisition posts. LKQ fills single intern seats, not a class. The Summer 2025 software development IT intern req closed in mid-January; there is no second wave.
4. Recruiter screen and hiring manager interview. No intern-specific interview detail is documented. Indeed’s community FAQ shows 24 answers about LKQ interviews generally, describing a mix of phone screens and in-person conversations.
5. Offer and onboarding. Nashville is the likely location for corporate placements; operations-site placements may be at any of LKQ’s 585 US locations.
Because LKQ posts intern roles individually rather than running a cohort, the timeline from application to offer can vary widely by department. The strongest move a student can make is to be in the Talent Network before the requisition appears.
What the Community Says
LKQ has no Reddit internship community, and neither Glassdoor nor Indeed has more than one intern-labelled review. The cards below draw on every first-hand intern account that exists: one Glassdoor review, one Indeed review, and one Reddit resume post documenting an LKQ intern’s deliverables.
A former LKQ intern in Chicago rated the experience 5.0 out of 5 across work/life balance, culture, career opportunities and senior management. They called the staff “super knowledgeable” and said the internship was paid. Their only note under cons: “Really no cons at all. I thoroughly enjoyed working here and take the skills I learned here into the professional world.”
An LKQ accounting intern in Nashville described the office as “laid back” for most of the month, with the last 7 to 10 days consumed by financial close. They noted that advancement opportunities exist specifically on the analyst track, and that the company “feeds you a lot — it seems like every week there is some type of food or meal offered.”
A former LKQ data engineering intern documented two shipped deliverables: a Power BI system monitoring dashboard and a C# SQL CLR tool for database connection validation, built in a SQL Server environment. That is the only publicly documented LKQ intern project, and it points at internal-platform work rather than consumer product development.
How Do You Stand Out at a Company That Doesn’t Run a Program?
Three moves, all executable before a requisition appears. First, join the Talent Network at lkqcorp.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com and set a saved search for “intern.” When LKQ posts one seat rather than a class, being already in the recruiter’s pipeline is worth more than a fast application. Second, understand what LKQ actually is before you interview. It is not a parts retailer. It is a recycler, remanufacturer and distributor that has to grade, price, locate and move a specific used component across 585 US locations. Any answer that shows you understand alternative parts versus OEM parts, or salvage grading (the company is literally named after the “Like, Kind and Quality” grading term), will land. Third, bring a shipped internal tool. The one documented LKQ intern deliverable is a Power BI monitoring dashboard plus a C# SQL CLR validation tool. LKQ’s technical intern work is internal-platform work, not consumer product work. A finished data-visualisation or security project from a remote Externship gives you a concrete artefact to point at in an interview that might happen with no notice.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
LKQ’s peer set spans automotive parts distribution, vehicle lifecycle and the used-car economy, all with early-career programs that recruit from the same candidate pool.
- AutoZoneaftermarket auto parts retailer with a large, well-documented internship program and national retail footprintGuide →
- Advance Auto Partsdirect competitor in aftermarket parts distribution with a structured summer intern cohortGuide →
- CarMaxused-vehicle retailer with strong reconditioning operations and a well-documented internship pipelineGuide →
- Carvanaonline used-vehicle platform with heavy data, logistics and technology investment across inspection and delivery operationsGuide →
Our supply chain internships guide maps the full landscape of distribution and logistics opportunities, timeline by timeline.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 LKQ Corporation internship?
No. The Cyber Security Intern requisition for Summer 2026 is already closed on LKQ’s Workday board, and the board carried zero internships as of September 2026. The next opportunity will be whenever LKQ posts a Summer 2027 intern requisition, which based on prior-cycle patterns could appear in the winter of 2026–2027.
Does LKQ Corporation have an internship program?
Not in the traditional sense. LKQ does not run a named cohort internship program with a fixed season, a published class size or a structured development curriculum. Instead, individual departments post intern requisitions when they have a need. Prior-cycle roles have included Cyber Security Intern, Software Development IT Intern, Data Engineering Intern, Accounting Intern and A/R Intern.
Are LKQ internships paid?
Yes. A former LKQ intern in Chicago listed “Paid internship” as a pro in a December 2021 Glassdoor review. LKQ does not publish an intern rate, and Indeed’s generic LKQ intern salary page contains no data at all.
Where are LKQ internships located?
Nashville, Tennessee is the most likely location for corporate placements. LKQ’s North American headquarters moved to the Antioch section of Nashville in December 2018, and both the documented software intern requisition and the accounting intern review are Nashville. A Glassdoor intern review comes from Chicago, and an A/R Intern requisition was posted at Exeter, Pennsylvania.
When does LKQ post internships?
LKQ publishes no window. The only timing signal is that the Summer 2025 Software Development IT Intern requisition was recorded as closed on January 14, 2025, which points at a winter posting pattern rather than the autumn cycle most Fortune 500 companies follow. Check the Workday board weekly starting in late 2026.
What kind of work do LKQ interns do?
The one documented LKQ intern project is a Power BI system monitoring dashboard and a C# SQL CLR tool for database connection validation, built by a data engineering intern. An accounting intern in Nashville described work driven by the 7-to-10-day monthly financial close cycle. Prior-cycle requisitions also covered cyber security, software development and accounts receivable.
Where do I apply for an LKQ internship?
The only live LKQ job board is the Workday site at lkqcorp.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/ExternalCareerSite-LKQ. The branded site at jobs.lkqcorp.com mirrors the same requisitions. Set a saved search for “intern” and join the Talent Network through the same site.
What is LKQ Corporation’s overall employee rating?
Indeed shows 3.0 out of 5 across 2,141 reviews, with management and job security both at 2.6. Glassdoor shows 3.4 out of 5 with 58% recommending the company. Those scores are dominated by warehouse, driver and dismantler roles. The two intern-labelled reviews that exist are both positive, including a 5.0 out of 5 from a Chicago intern.
LKQ posts intern roles one at a time, not as a class, and there is no published season. The highest-value action right now is joining the Talent Network and setting a saved Workday search. While you wait for a requisition to appear, a remote Externship turns “interested in auto parts distribution” into a finished project an application can point at.
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.
