Ultimate Timeline for Landing a Summer SWE Internship

I won’t yap for too long and keep this post straight to the point. With Apple’s internship applications already being out, it is no mystery that the recruitment season is here. So, here’s the timeline on what you should be doing every week leading up to the school year/interview time in order to best prepare for this year’s recruitment cycle.

I would like to point out that I am no expert in this matter nor am I a recruiter. I am simply sharing the lessons I have learnt from my experiences as a first-gen immigrant woman trying to break into big tech. I hope you enjoy this piece!

Overall things that you should be doing:

• Network and connect with recruiters and industry professionals to expand your opportunities.
• Build and refine your portfolio and resume by reviewing last year’s applications to identify the essential skills needed in your specific field of Software Engineering.
• Enhance your online presence by writing blogs, documenting your tech journey, and increasing your activity on LinkedIn.
• Practice extensively on LeetCode to sharpen your coding skills.

This is honestly the most efficient way for me to organize the timeline. With each and every one of these parts of the recruitment season, there is always a way to go the extra mile. However, it is up to you to decide how much you want to give to this process. After going through one of the toughest cycles this past year, I can confidently say that you truly get what you put into this experience.

Things I regret from this past year:

• Not prioritizing Leetcode and doing Mock interviews
• Not connecting with more women in tech at conferences like Grace Hopper
• Not forgiving myself each time I failed

I hope this short article helps you prioritize the right tasks during this cycle. Feel free to comment below with any questions/suggestions or if you’d like to discuss any of these topics in more detail!

Thank you for reading!