How to Land a Freshman/Sophomore CS Internship

I recently went through the hectic process of finding a summer internship as a freshman in college and thought I would share what I learned. I am currently interning at Microsoft in Seattle but applied and interviewed with other big tech companies as well. Disclaimer: all of these tips are based on personal experience and do not represent advice from these companies themselves. I truly hope this information helps make this process feel clearer and more accessible. You got this!

1. Get Organized!

Being early with this process and organized before applications open is key since some applications are reviewed on a rolling basis (in order of when they were submitted). I began this phase in August of my freshman year, but if you’re later that is okay! I would not start this process past October at the latest if possible due to deadlines.

Make a spreadsheet. I highly recommend making a spreadsheet with every internship open to freshmen you can find. I applied to Microsoft Explore, Facebook University, Google Engineering Practicum, Amazon Future Engineer, and Bank of America Global Technology Freshman Summer Analyst Program but there are many more. In my spreadsheet, I included the company name, internship title, application deadlines, application requirements, and a link to the application. Some open much later than others, so having the link allows you to quickly check them weekly for updates.

Do your research. The early stages of the process is a great time for company and program research. Each internship and company is extremely different and you should look into current news, company culture, and what you would be doing during the internship. Some allow you to work on current company products/projects while others have separate intern projects. Know the differences and what interests you about each company and position.

2. Resume

For these internships, so many people apply that your resume is very important in making a good first impression and getting past the first resume review. If you are a sophomore, your resume would include more from college and less from high school.

Resume Tips:

• Check for typos. Check again. Have multiple people check.
• Never round your GPA up. Truncate to 3 decimal places if you have to but do not round. If you have below a 3.0, do not put it on your resume.
• List current, past, and future courses so companies can see what you would have taken before starting in the summer.
• Export the document as a PDF to keep your formatting and content constant.
• Use a template that is clear and concise.
• Your bullet points should begin with an effective action verb that illustrates what you gained from each experience.
• Explain the significance of your bullet points. Always mention what your actions did to improve the organization or project.
• Always look for ways to improve your resume! Mine changed so much this year because I was open to criticism and workshopping. Ask for friends/mentors/colleagues to review it and give feedback! Many colleges have career resource centers that do free resume reviews and workshops.

3. First Contact

There are a few options for your first contact with the company that depends on what your school offers.

Career fair. I recognize that companies cannot travel to every school, but if a company you’re applying to comes to career fair this is a great opportunity. At Michigan, ours is in early September which is great timing for this process. At career fair, be sure to have resumes printed and an elevator pitch prepared. Be excited to talk to the companies and ask thoughtful questions about the internship. If things don’t click immediately with the recruiter that is okay. What is important is that you showed interest and curiosity about the position.

Company events. When companies are in town for career fair they might hold events with orgs at your school. These could be Tech Talks, Q&A panels, resume reviews, or smaller networking events. If a company your applying to is having events, go to all of them. This will absolutely make you stand out and help you get to know the employees and recruiters. You can also have 1:1 conversations and dive deeper into the company and the position. I went to a Microsoft Tech Talk with GEECS at Michigan and my entire perspective on the company changed through 1:1 conversations with employees. Have thoughtful questions prepared. Always bring resumes!

Recruiters. If companies you’re applying to are not coming to your campus, that is okay. You can still make a great first impression by reaching out to your recruiter. You can email the company at their recruiting/internship email address and find out who your recruiter is (they are assigned by location or school). Send an intro email with your elevator pitch and some meaningful questions!

4. Apply!

Keep an eye on when the applications open and close. Some are rolling so make sure to apply as soon as they open or shortly after! All that I applied to were online applications.

Resume/Cover Letter. Have your resume polished and ready to go. I added a cover letter to some applications since I wanted to explain my connection to the company or position. Do not do this unless you truly have more to add to your application, as recruiters do not have time to read repeated information.

Essays. Some applications require essays. Approach these similarly to college admissions essays. Tell a story and show them who you are and what your goals are. Have friends/classmates proofread these and give you feedback!

Follow up. If you made any connections with employees during career fair or other events be sure to follow up and let them know that you applied. I did this and believe it helped my application, also I am still in contact with some of these people which is wonderful. Thank them for their guidance!

5. Interviews

If you made it to interviews that is awesome! Getting past the first round of reviews is the most difficult. Interviews for these internships are usually both technical (coding questions) and behavioral (questions about you).

Prepare, prepare, prepare. This is my #1 piece of advice for interviews. The more you prepare, the more confident/less nervous you will be. Also, this helps you be ready for various types of questions or scenarios. I looked up questions from past years for the internship (they are all online) and thought of how I could answer them. I also created a list of experiences/stories that I could share as answers to questions (Ex: a time I overcame a challenge, a technical problem I solved, a time I showed leadership, etc.). Do practice interviews! I did one with the director of an organization I am in.

Research. Know the company, what their goals are, what they are currently working on, and their culture. Have 2–4 thoughtful questions for the interviewer about them/the company.

Coding questions. Practice online coding interview questions for technical concepts. Also, make sure to practice out loud with a friend so you can get used to speaking your thoughts/decisions. Sometimes it is okay if you do not get the question right if you show your thought process and that you are considering efficiency, alternatives, edge cases, and testing. The more practice you have, the better! Ask an older CS student to give you a mock technical interview.

Follow up. If you were able to get the contact info of your interviewer (or your recruiter), always email them and thank them for their time. Kindness and gratitude go a long way.

6. Offers

If you get an offer, congratulations! These programs are extremely competitive and wonderful experiences for learning and growth. Be organized with acceptance deadlines and communicate competing deadlines if you have them. I received offers from Microsoft and Amazon and chose Microsoft because of the company culture and our shared priorities (inclusion, empowerment of others, and innovation).

If you do not get an offer, please do not feel like a failure. There is absolutely no need or pressure to have an internship as an underclassman. Learning how to navigate this process is very valuable and a big accomplishment. Make plans for the summer (research, summer job, study abroad, etc.) and go for it again next year! I believe in you!

Hello! My name is Allie and I just finished my freshman year at the University of Michigan studying Computer Science in Engineering! I hope this advice helps!