Originally published March 18, 2013. Cluster framing added Jun 14, 2026. The 2013 #InternsWanted recruiting-campaign coverage follows below.
MasterCard ran a recruiting campaign in 2013 targeted at finding the best interns from across the world to help the payments-industry player promote a cashless future. The program targeted millennials "with high hopes and big ideas for a cashless future" who were also proficient in the use of social media.
The #internswanted campaign addressed college students enrolled full-time from accredited post-secondary institutions around the world and challenged them to compete for the company's internships through social media. By around the world, MasterCard meant six countries — US, Canada, Turkey, China, Italy and Singapore.
To enter the competition, applicants submitted an idea for a product, system, app, or technique that would help people of the future go cashless. Applications were validated through social media with the #InternsWanted hashtag. Although the company selected its own interns, the more likes and retweets a participant earned, the better their chances of being selected. Students submitted their cover letter, resume, and creative entries — photos, blog posts, and videos — on LinkedIn.
#internswanted ran until April 7, 2013 in Canada and April 10 in the US, with winners announced April 15. Dates for the remaining four countries were not in the official press release. To promote the campaign, MasterCard launched a series of videos featuring aliens dealing with cash-related issues of an imaginary future.
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
