Internships and early careers to grow your future
Three key takeaways:
- Build real-world skills at an organization known for helping early careers talent grow, with hands-on projects that improve how care is delivered.
- Learn through mentorship, structured programs and exposure to diverse career paths.
- Gain early access to evolving technologies and tools shaping the future.
Start strong in a career that keeps evolving
Choosing your first job or internship is more than getting started. It’s about finding a workplace where you can learn quickly and contribute meaningfully.
For students and recent graduates, early career opportunities open the door to a wide range of paths, including sales, data and analytics, digital platforms, and patient care. You are not just observing how things work. You are helping build solutions that improve outcomes across healthcare.
Support that helps you do your best work
A strong foundation matters. Early career opportunities are enabled by benefits and resources designed to help you succeed personally and professionally.
You can expect the following support and more:
- Competitive pay, plus opportunities for career development and advancement.
- Robust benefits and well-being programs that help you show up as your best self each day.
- Generous paid time off for full-time employees so you can focus on yourself and recharge as needed.
- A 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions to help you save for your future.
- Flexible arrangements so you can balance personal and professional responsibilities.
Grow across a variety of roles and functions
From medical data analytics to business insights to strategic financial planning and more, you can flex your skills across disciplines. Supported by a global team of more than 380,000 people, UnitedHealth Group is driven by a shared mission to help people live healthier lives and improve the health system for everyone.
The following are just some of the programs you can join to launch your career:
“I didn’t expect growth to show up so clearly in the day-to-day. A lot of companies talk about development, but here, it’s built into how work actually happens.”
Fiona S., Technology Development Program Associate
Grow faster with structured learning and mentorship
Early career programs are built to help you develop both depth and versatility.
Through structured onboarding, mentorship and hands-on experience, you gain:
- Guidance from experienced professionals invested in your growth.
- Opportunities to explore different career paths as your interests evolve.
- Exposure to real-world tools and technology applications.
- Continuous learning through formal programs and on-the-job experience.
As Olamide A., Technology Development Program associate, shares, “The combination of structured learning, hands-on experience and supportive mentorship has helped me grow immensely since joining the organization.”
That same foundation supports growth across career paths. For clinicians early in their careers like Nailea R., a registered nurse (RN), development often comes from combining hands-on experience with consistent mentorship and support. Nailea reflects on her transition from intern to independent practitioner, “I received extensive training and regular check-ins with our leadership team.”
“Everyone was extremely helpful and encouraging, ensuring any questions I had were answered. This prepared me to feel confident in providing care to our patients independently once I became a licensed RN," she said.
Oladmide A., TDP Associate
Nailea R., RN
Build your skills while finding your path forward
Growth is shaped by what you do every day. Through hands-on projects, dedicated learning time and the freedom to explore new opportunities, early career experiences are designed to help you build skills and define your direction.
Ben B., sales director, offers advice for early career talent looking to establish their path ahead, “Go the extra mile with everything that you do, whether that’s helping a team member, supporting the consumers we serve or following up after a networking conversation.”
Samantha K., actuarial analyst intern, shares how learning often comes from doing, “I learned more from this experience than if [someone] would’ve just told me how to do it. I’ve seen growth throughout the summer by not being afraid to make mistakes.”
That mindset is supported by team members who make development part of the routine. Fiona explains, “My team sets aside Friday afternoons for personal and technical development, and that time is protected. It creates space to focus on learning, whether that means building a new skill, working toward a certification or exploring new tools.”
Ben B., Sales Director
Samantha K., Actuarial Analyst Intern
Grow through real experiences and new opportunities
From day one, you are given opportunities to build skills through hands-on experience.
You are encouraged to ask questions, try new approaches and take ownership of your learning as you work on real projects. Chloe Z., tech product manager, highlights what this can look like in practice:
“I spend a lot of time helping teams become comfortable with AI by hosting training sessions, doing one-on-one coaching and testing out new functionality.”
Chloe Z., Tech Product Manager
This type of environment supports continuous development by helping you:
- Learn by doing and applying new skills in real time.
- Build confidence by testing ideas and refining your approach.
- Strengthen your technical and professional capabilities through experience.
Rather than focusing on outcomes alone, the experience is designed to help you develop the skills, mindset and confidence that support long-term career growth.
Ben highlights how the Sales Development Program (SDP) played a role in helping him get where he is today as a leader: “The SDP helped me think big picture and understand how different departments connect back to the work we do every day.”
Olamide says, "After graduating, I was invited back [from my internship] to join the Technology Development Program (TDP), which played a huge role in my professional growth and gave me exposure to different technologies, teams and ways of working."
Whether you begin in sales, technology development, data analytics, providing clinical care or something else, you’ll gain skills and experience and be supported throughout your career journey.
Ready to get started?
Take the next step toward building your future with our full-time and internship opportunities.
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