How I Landed My Summer 2025 Internship at L’Oreal by Alice Yuan
Editor’s note: Welcome to Behind The Offer, a series aimed at connecting early-career professionals with personal essays from their peers about how they landed their dream role—and how they can too!
Expect real application and interview advice from real people, as well as insider info on how to land your next internship, campus ambassador role, rotational program, and everything in between.
Today’s essay is from Alice Yuan, a Summer 2025 Digital Marketing Intern at L’Oreal.
Alice’s Bio:
Hi, I’m Alice! I am a senior at New York University, concentrating in Marketing, Management, and Technology. Throughout my professional and academic journey, I have gained experience in product marketing, digital strategy, and business development across industries, including beauty, technology, finance, fashion, and sustainability. I am passionate about integrating data-driven insights, user research, and evolving technologies to create innovative and sustainable solutions. For fun, I enjoy trying out new restaurants and visiting art museums and galleries with friends! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn!
This summer, I wrapped up my internship at L’Oréal Groupe, the number one beauty company in the world with a massive portfolio that spans Redken, YSL Beauty, La Roche Posay, and Lancôme. For anyone considering applying, I wanted to share a glimpse into my experience and the steps I took to get there. These resources have been so helpful to me, so I wanted to try and share my advice.
My Internship Experience
I had the opportunity to join L’Oréal as a digital marketing intern (the role is hiring now!) in the Professional Products Division. I was placed on the Data-Driven Experiences (DDX) team. My project involved optimizing the loyalty programs for Redken, Kerastase, and Pureology.
Coming from a more creative marketing background, I was a bit nervous but excited to strengthen my analytical skills. Walking in, I didn’t know much about loyalty programs. However, after my 11 weeks at L’Oréal, I developed a comprehensive understanding and was able to deliver actionable strategies to drive member engagement and retention.
What made the experience so valuable was the team's support. My colleagues and manager, Steff, were amazing mentors. They patiently reviewed my data analysis insights,
“…taught me technical skills in platforms like Excel, Google Analytics 4, and PowerBI,”
and gave me the autonomy to take my project in the direction I felt was most impactful.
Each week, I presented a new, completed component, and Steff provided honest and straightforward feedback, connecting me with the right people to move forward. Even in such a large company, I truly felt my work was heard and made a difference.
“…Interns are randomly assigned across teams and brands, so every experience is different; however, mine was a balance of strategy, data, and creativity that I truly valued.”
The culture at L’Oréal is extremely welcoming and everyone is so talented. People are open to coffee chats, and interns are encouraged to network and explore different teams if they are interested. Outside of my main project, I supported fun and creative photoshoots with the social team simply by reaching out.
There’s also the incredible opportunity to return after graduation through L’Oréal’s two-year rotational Management Trainee (MT) program, depending on your performance and final presentation.
The MT program is a full-time post-grad opportunity where you rotate across two teams in different divisions/brands over 24 months (around 12 months each), plus a period of “field training” in physical stores.
I think the program is amazing because it allows you to continue to explore different areas of marketing in the beauty industry and receive training, rather than diving into one permanent role right away.
Throughout the internship, the Early Careers team provides information about the MT program and addresses any questions you may have through informational sessions and bi-weekly office hours.
Some tips I have would be:
Be a self-starter and take initiative
Build a strong, communicative relationship with your manager (and your manager’s manager),
Collaborate cross-functionally,
Invest time to deeply understand the topic and the users of what your project entails as much as you can!
And of course, the most famous perk: the beauty products.
At orientation, you are welcomed with a giant duffle bag filled with products across every category from fragrances, skincare, haircare, and makeup. There are tons of random, free product drops and samples given at the weekly happy hour. If you want something in particular, you can go down to the company store and get it for 50% off! I love gift-giving, so having a stash of high-quality products to share with friends and family was a dream.
It’s the best and you will run out of bathroom space.
Where I Was Before Applying
Over the past two years, I have gained experience through a combination of paid and unpaid internships at startups, volunteering with climate organizations, holding executive board positions in student clubs, and even launching my own fashion project. By the time junior year rolled around, I was eager for a prestigious corporate internship.
My parents are immigrants who built careers in the medical field, so the guidance they could give me was how to prepare for the MCAT and emotional support. After deciding Pre-Med wasn’t for me after I took a biology class my first semester, I had to figure out the business path primarily on my own.
As a first-gen student, I learned from my peers, mentors, and resources like The Ninth Semester, which I am so grateful for.
The only thing I knew for sure was that I needed a junior-year internship and that I wanted to spend the summer in New York City.
Tips For Applying
Here are a few tips that I would give my past self.
1. Take Advantage of School Resources and Be Ready to Pitch Yourself
One of the most important lessons I learned was to utilize the resources my school provides and always to be prepared to communicate who I am.
The summer before junior year, I randomly registered for an NYU career fair I saw in my inbox. What I didn’t realize was that there was a second registration step I had missed. On the day of the fair, I happened to walk past the building, saw the sign, and decided to go in. Everyone inside was dressed in suits and had printed resumes in hand. I was in grey yoga pants (not exactly my top recommendation for a career fair outfit).
On the phone, my sister encouraged me to go anyway, so I explained my situation to the organizers. Luckily, they let me in for the remainder of the session. Exploring the different booths, I was drawn to L’Oréal’s table (maybe the free beauty samples had something to do with it). That’s where I first learned about their internship program.
While waiting in line, I listened as students crowded the recruiters. Many were freshmen and sophomores, but I noticed one recruiter in particular seemed most interested in juniors for their internship program.
When it was my turn, I shook her hand, introduced myself, and confidently shared my past experiences and extracurriculars. She asked me to fill out a form and apply as soon as possible.
When speaking to the L’Oreal recruiters at the career fair:
Prepare an introduction of yourself
A list of a few questions surrounding the values, mission, and culture of the company,
Ask about next steps
“…That moment at the career fair played a big role in my application process. My biggest takeaway: always take the chance. Don’t get discouraged by competition. ”
What matters is being able to clearly express who you are and what you bring.
2. Apply for the Right Program at the Right Time
L’Oréal offers different opportunities depending on your year in school, so it’s important to know where you fit:
Freshmen: Apply to Brandstorm (18+), join clubs, explore smaller internships, and start learning about the company.
Sophomores: Apply to the Fellowship Program, which can help you bypass the initial resume screen for the summer internship.
Juniors: Focus on the Summer Internship Program. For marketing, applications are open for digital marketing, marketing, and other departments right now!
Seniors: Apply to the Management Trainee Program, a two-year rotational program after graduation.
Understanding which program is right for you not only saves time but also helps you show recruiters that you know where you fit in their pipeline.
3. Align with L’Oréal’s Missions, Values, and Interests
My biggest advice on how to stand out in the application process is figuring out how your past experience and story connect to L’Oréal’s missions and values. A good starting point is L’Oréal’s website - especially their mission and values pages. Go through their commitments and responsibilities and think about where your experiences naturally align.
“…For me, that connection was sustainability. “
As Deputy Director of Climate Calling and Brand Marketing Lead at Climate Cardinals, the world’s largest youth-led climate nonprofit, I immediately resonated with L’Oréal’s environmental commitments. I also drew on my experience at a sustainable fashion-tech startup, showing how I could apply my marketing skills from various industries into the beauty space, while bringing an environmental perspective to my work.
I asked a few of my intern friends how they aligned with L’Oréal in their application and interview process:
One intern worked as a Beauty Sales Associate at Sephora and had limited prior internship experience. In his cover letter, he highlighted his passion for beauty, his ability to collaborate with diverse teams, and his firsthand knowledge of consumer behavior, gained from helping clients with makeup consultations.
Another intern was a UGC creator who leveraged her expertise in social media and content creation.
A fellow NYU intern from the Shanghai campus talked about her global background and experience in related fields.
“…The point is, there’s no one “right” profile for L’Oréal. What matters is that you highlight your strengths and connect them to the company’s values in a way that feels authentic.”
Final Thoughts
If you’re interested in applying to L’Oréal’s internship program, I hope this gave you some insights on the culture and application process! I had an amazing experience and am grateful for all of the friends, mentors, skills, and confidence I gained.
