Securing Intern Interviews in the Competitive Tech Industry

Internship is the first step for many students to enter the tech industry, but in the competitive tech field, how can one stand out and secure desired internship opportunities?
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Most full-time positions for software engineers require relevant work experience, so compared to full-time positions, internships are more do-able for students to get their foot in the door of the tech industry.

However, the tech industry is highly competitive, every year there could be tens of thousands of students applying for internships. So how can you stand out and secure a desired internship opportunity?

In this article, I would share some strategies to help you get interview opportunities for software engineering internships, and I hope it could be particularly helpful for students who are going to look for internships in the tech industry.

Job hunting usually has two steps: getting interviews and doing well in them. Here are some tips to help you get interview chances:

Start Early

Compared to other industries, the recruitment cycle in the tech industry starts much earlier, with large tech companies like FAANG+ starting their recruitment even a year in advance. Generally, the earlier you apply, the greater your chances of getting an interview. Therefore, the best practice is to regularly update your resume, and when there are new job postings, you could customize your resume based on the job requirements then submit your application as soon as possible.

Build side projects / side hustles

If you haven't worked in the tech industry before, doing personal projects is a great way to make your resume stronger.

These projects can be anything like making a website, creating an app, or contributing to an open-source project. By doing these projects, you can improve your technical skills, and more importantly, you can show your passion in programming and demonstrate a willing-to-learn attitude to recruiters. These projects can make your resume stand out. Plus, they can be great topics to talk about in future interviews, helping interviewers get to know you better and remember you.

Contribute to Open Source Projects

In addition to building your own projects, contributing to open-source projects is also a good method. By contributing to large and well-known open-source projects, you can understand the development process and standards of large projects, which can add highlights to your resume.

Join Hackathons

Hackathons are events where you work with people from different schools and backgrounds to create something within a short time. You have to come up with an idea, build it, and show it off, all in a short time. By joining hackathons, you can get better at tech stuff and also get better at talking and working with others. And you can add these experiences to your resume.

Also, lots of tech companies go to hackathons to find new people to hire. They have booths where they talk about their company and might even offer internships. So joining hackathons can also be a good way to network with recruiters and get interview chances.

Build Personal Websites

Instead of just a resume, you can make a personal website to show off your work and experiences. Personal websites are more flexible than regular resumes. They let you show your skills and passion in a better way because you're not limited by resume rules. Plus, making and sharing a personal website can also show off your skills in full-stack web development, which is important for many software engineering jobs.

Related article: Tips of building a personal website

Internal Referrals

If you know people who work at companies you like, ask them to recommend you. In the competitive tech world, companies get lots of job applications. Sometimes your resume isn't seen because there are too many others. Getting recommended by someone inside the company can help your resume get noticed faster and increase your chances of getting interviews.

Some people might worry about bothering others, but in tech, it's common for employees to recommend people for jobs. It usually doesn't cause problems (fun fact: some companies even give bonuses to employees who recommend someone who gets hired).

One internal referral could be more effective than dozens of regular applications. So if you have a chance to get a referral, go for it!

After Securing Interview Opportunities

Getting interviews is just the start. The goal is to do well in the interviews. The next article will have more tips on how to do that.