{"id":4303,"date":"2023-05-24T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/?p=4303"},"modified":"2024-08-01T09:49:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T13:49:02","slug":"software-engineering-internship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/careers\/software-engineering-internship","title":{"rendered":"How to Get a Software Engineering Internship (With No Experience)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Interested in becoming a software engineer<\/a>? A software engineering<\/a> internship is a great place to build skills, network, and start launching your career. Yet what exactly do software engineer interns do, how can you land a software engineer internship, and what software engineering internship positions are open right now? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a Software Engineering Internship?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A software engineer internship is a short training program for students interested in becoming software engineers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Software engineer interns work with professionals to build their software development skills and learn what working in a professional environment is like. Depending on the internship, interns might complete tasks like writing, reviewing, testing, and debugging code, writing documentation, and improving software performance. Interns also receive mentorship opportunities and participate in professional development<\/a> events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Software engineering internships are great ways to build the skills you need to succeed in your career path. Completing one also increases your chances of getting hired post-graduation. Furthermore, many companies use internships <\/a>to find candidates they want to hire for entry-level roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

>>MORE: <\/strong>Guide to the Software Engineer Career Path<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Get a Software Engineer Internship <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Landing a software engineering internship with no experience isn\u2019t necessarily a walk in the park. Still, you can increase your chances of landing one you love by applying strategically and preparing for the interview process<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start Early<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Software engineering internships can be competitive. Applying early is a smart way to reduce some of that competition. Why? Many companies review applications on a rolling basis, not after the deadline. A rolling deadline means employers look through applications as they come in and move candidates through the process even before the deadline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be sure to research companies you\u2019re interested in to determine when they typically open their software engineer internship applications. Some companies even give you the option to set alerts when their applications open. You\u2019ll want to apply as close to this date as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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>>MORE: <\/strong>Ultimate Guide to Internship Application Deadlines and Open Dates<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complete a Free Job Simulation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Need help figuring out where to apply to a software engineering internship with no experience? Looking to boost your software engineering skills? Curious about what the internship will be like? A free Forage job simulation<\/a> in software engineering can help you feel more confident going into the application process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, completing a job simulation signals to the company that you\u2019re interested in working there and that you already have the skills to succeed in the internship. Putting a Forage job simulation on your resume and discussing what you learned in an interview is a great way to stand out in the competitive application process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forage job simulation<\/strong><\/td>What you’ll do<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Electronic Arts Software Engineering<\/a><\/td>Write a proposal for and develop a new gameplay feature.<\/td><\/tr>
Verizon Cloud Platform<\/a><\/td>Use python skills to secure a new cloud-based application.<\/td><\/tr>
Wells Fargo Software Engineering<\/a><\/td>Build and implement a data model to help financial advisors manage their customer portfolios.<\/td><\/tr>
Citi Technology Software Development<\/a><\/td>Use machine learning to build an internal real-time stock market dashboard.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apply to Less Popular Locations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re willing to intern somewhere other than a major city, you\u2019ll likely be up against less competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

>>MORE: <\/strong>Should I Move for a Job?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe salaries that engineers have been commanding in San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and a few other major cities have been making life tough for employers,\u201d Jeremy Grunfeld, director of student success at Forage, says. \u201cEmployers have responded by building out engineering hubs in up and coming regions. That means there are heaps of roles available in these locations, but not so many students aware and applying there. If you look at a job application and one of the location options is a smaller city or town, you can be confident that you\u2019ll have the best chance of landing the role if you apply there. These locations are frequently in states like Ohio, Texas, Florida, Delaware, and a range of others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reach Out to Recruiters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Connecting with recruiters<\/a> at companies you\u2019re interested in can give you a leg up in the application process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAttend events, introduce yourself, and send the recruiter a thoughtful message on LinkedIn or via email,\u201d Grunfeld recommends. \u201cStart this early, in your freshman year ideally. Frustratingly, who you know still makes a difference, so this is a great way to be \u2018known\u2019 by one of the gatekeepers for the job and to have someone advocating for you within the business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

>>MORE: <\/strong>How to Find and Reach Out to Recruiters on LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prepare Your Resume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need much, or any, professional work experience to write a software engineering internship resume<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHiring teams are looking for potential as much as they are for demonstrated experience and competency,\u201d says Archie Payne, president of CalTek Staffing, an IT and technical staffing firm. \u201cInterns need to be open to constructive feedback and have the kind of growth mindset<\/a> that will allow them to learn and improve over the course of their internship. Demonstrating this alongside those skills mentioned above will put candidates in the best position to land the internship over other applicants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you show that potential? On your resume, be sure to include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relevant Skills<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

List your key technical and hard skills<\/a> like programming languages and software engineering concepts. Only list skills you know and can talk about in an interview \u2014 you don\u2019t want to get caught in a question about a skill you claim to be proficient in, but aren\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your soft skills<\/a> are essential, too. Consider: When have you collaborated with others? Led a team? Problem-solved<\/a>? In your resume\u2019s \u201cexperience\u201d section, describe how you worked with others to find solutions or get a job done. You don\u2019t need to include professional experience if you don\u2019t have it. You can include academic projects, or extracurricular activities, like clubs or sports teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Degree<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The company will likely outline what majors it\u2019s looking for in the internship job description. For software engineering internships, this is usually computer science<\/a>, information technology, software development, or another related technical degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GPA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>\u201cThis isn\u2019t always the case and can differ from firm to firm, but as a guide, having a GPA above 3.2 out of 4 will put you in a solid position to be considered further,\u201d Grunfeld says. (Learn more about when to include your GPA on your resume<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Criteria the Company Is Looking For<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If the company is looking for specific requirements, be sure to include them. For example, companies might be looking to hire students from particular class years or within specific graduation dates. You can include your expected graduation date in your education section. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relevant Experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Your experience section can include any professional work experience, internships, externships<\/a>, volunteering, and extracurriculars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is helpful if a candidate has this experience, but I can imagine what you\u2019re thinking, \u2018If I\u2019m applying for an internship, of course I don\u2019t have experience, that\u2019s what I\u2019m wanting to get,’\u201d Grunfeld says. \u201cThat\u2019s totally fine. If the candidate doesn\u2019t have prior work experience, [they\u2019ll want to know] has the candidate completed personal projects or virtual experiences on Forage? This demonstrates that you\u2019re going beyond what you learn in class and are taking opportunities to apply your skills. The more work experience you have, the less essential projects are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Independent Projects<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

So, what kinds of projects should you include? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSharing links to personal GitHub accounts, demonstrating prior participation in hackathons\/specialized competitions, and highlighting personal pet projects all help to catch my eye and make an application really shine,\u201d says Denis Litvinov, CIO and Co-founder of FunCorp, a mobile entertainment app development company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have an online portfolio<\/a> that demonstrates coding projects you’ve worked on, be sure to include the link. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crush the Coding Test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first part of the software engineering internship interview process will likely be a coding test, where the employer aims to assess your programming skills<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an independent coding test, the employer will share a link to a common code editor. You can choose what language you want to program in. The company should give you instructions on how long you\u2019ll have to complete the coding problems and whether you can leave the coding editor during the test. You might also have to do a whiteboard coding test. A whiteboard test is when you complete coding problems live in front of an interviewer. When completing this coding test, it\u2019s crucial to explain your problem-solving<\/a> process so the interviewer understands how you approach challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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Girls Who Code Technical Interview Prep<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Practice common coding questions and learn what employers are looking for in a technical interview.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnroll Now\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t5-6 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhiteboard challenge, array, matrix, dynamic programming, software engineering, \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnroll Now\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy understanding though is that the interviewer is more focused on the way you approach problems than the answer itself,\u201d Grunfeld says. \u201cSo don\u2019t rush to start coding, start by explaining your thinking and rationale first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Prepare for a Coding Test<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

How do you prepare to crush a coding test? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll keep it simple, the advice for technical assessments (e.g., HackerRank<\/a> and HireVue) is practice,\u201d Grunfeld says. \u201cYou can be an amazing coder and terrible at technical assessments<\/a> and the other way around, technical assessments are a learned skill.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

>>MORE: <\/strong>Learn how to ace a one-way interview<\/a> on a platform like HackerRank or HireVue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free resources like LeetCode<\/a> are a great way to practice your coding skills and familiarize yourself with the types of problems you might encounter in a coding test. Try solving a handful of problems a day about two weeks to a month before your interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to be able to solve every problem on LeetCode. Companies don\u2019t expect you to have advanced-level programming skills \u2014 more so basic competency in programming. Generally, you should be able to complete \u201ceasy\u201d level problems and attempt the \u201cmedium\u201d level problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPractice performing fundamental software engineering tasks under a time constraint,\u201d Payne says. \u201cInternship applicants tend to be very early in their careers and often don\u2019t have much (if any) experience interviewing for these kinds of roles. Because of that, they don\u2019t know what to expect, and this can make the whole process much more intimidating. Having some practice under your belt can help you feel more confident going into the interview, and that makes it more likely you\u2019ll perform up to your full ability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ace the Interview<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After the coding test, you\u2019ll likely have an interview<\/a> to review your knowledge of technical concepts and share more about your experience. (Spoiler alert: it\u2019s OK if you don\u2019t have professional work experience. You can talk about projects you\u2019ve worked on, academic courses, and extracurriculars!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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BCLP Interview Preparation: Own Your Story<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Learn how to identify your strengths, prepare answers to common interview questions, and craft your professional story.\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet started\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t3-4 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSelf-reflection, career and self-development, research, storytelling\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet started\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cKey technical skills include knowledge of fundamental concepts like software architecture, object-oriented design, SQL and databases, and software testing\/debugging,\u201d Payne says. \u201cThey also look for transferable skills<\/a> like communication<\/a>, analytical and creative problem solving, and a sharp eye for details.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

>>MORE: <\/strong>Entry-Level Software Engineer Interview Questions (With Answers)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open Software Engineer Internships Right Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ready to start applying for software engineering internships for summer 2024, fall 2024, and summer of 2025? Here are a few companies that currently have open roles where you can land a software engineering internship with no experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BCG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n