How to Find Internship Opportunities

How I would go about finding a summer role as an international student First, you need to know it’s not too late to find a summer internship! I know how challenging it can be to find an internship as an international student, but with the right strategy and a proactive approach, you can still land a role. Here’s how I’d go about it: 1️⃣ 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 Not all companies can or will sponsor visas, so start by targeting those that do. Use platforms like: ⭐ MyVisaJobs.com (for sponsorship trends) - https://lnkd.in/eC7W8Bsu ⭐ H1BGrader (to check past sponsorships) - https://h1bgrader.com/ ⭐ Simplify and Handshake (filter for visa-friendly employers) - https://lnkd.in/eveZBcg2 ⭐ FrogHire.ai (helps international students find companies open to sponsorship) - https://lnkd.in/eEubGzFR 2️⃣ 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 & 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 Many roles have rolling deadlines, so apply ASAP! Don’t wait to mass apply. Apply within 7 days of the job posting going up. It’s not a hard rule, but it’s a good way to stay competitive. 3️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬 & 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 Your friend group can be a great resource for job leads and company insights. Back in college, my friends and I would recommend each other to recruiters and share our knowledge of companies that sponsored international students. If you don’t know someone at the company yet, a warm referral can really help your application stand out. 4️⃣ 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 & 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⭐ Engage with company recruiters on LinkedIn. ⭐ Find professionals in your field (working for the company of interest) and ask for informational interviews. ⭐ Join community centered or professional networking groups like ColorStack for additional support. 5️⃣ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 If traditional internships are limited, consider: ⭐ Research assistant roles at your university or other universities. ⭐ Micro-internships with Parker Dewey - https://lnkd.in/ekQxh6_E. ⭐ Summer research programs. See list here: https://lnkd.in/eJWieBN9 To get you started, here are some non-FAANG companies known to hire international students:  🌸 Salesforce 🌸 Bandwidth Inc. 🌸 Eli Lilly and Company 🌸 EBSCO Information Services 🌸 Cisco 🌸 EY 🌸 Deloitte 🌸 Dell Technologies 🌸 HubSpot 🌸 Duolingo 🌸 IBM 🌸 Slack 🌸 Amgen 🌸 The Home Depot 🌸 ServiceNow 🌸 DEKA Research & Development You can also follow Put Me On to see new roles that opened recently. 💬 If you know other companies open to hiring international students, drop them in the comments. You never know who you’ll be helping. If you’re an international student still searching, don’t get discouraged! Roles keep opening daily. Stay proactive and remember, I’m rooting for you 💙 #putmeon #internationalstudent #hiring #internships #college #studentsoflinkedin #jobs

Most engineering students and early-career engineers use only one strategy to land their next internship or first job. That’s the mistake. You actually need three things working at the same time. First: get clear on direction. Define the role you actually want. The type of engineering, the industry, the kind of work, and the locations you’d seriously accept. Then apply aggressively within that lane. Volume matters early in your career, but only when it’s focused. Random applications don’t create momentum. Second: target people, not just postings. Find engineers already doing the work you want to do. Junior, mid-level, and senior. Follow recruiters and headhunters who hire for your niche. Connect with them. Comment thoughtfully. Share their content when it’s useful. Over time, you stop being a name in a pile and start becoming familiar. Third: make yourself visible. Post consistently on LinkedIn. This doesn’t mean becoming an influencer. Share projects, labs, design decisions, lessons learned, or your perspective on breaking into your first role. Show how you think. The goal is to be seen as a real person doing real engineering work. Hiring rarely comes down to a single application. It’s about clarity, credibility, and timing. When those three align, opportunities find you faster. This is how you stop hoping and start steering your career.

Most students approach internships like this: Find posting → Apply → Hope. Stronger candidates do something different. They research how internships actually work on the inside before they apply, interview, or start. Not job boards. Insight platforms and communities built by interns and early-career engineers. Here are a few under-the-radar resources students should know about: • InternDB (https://interndb.io) Built by early-career engineers. Great for interview breakdowns, intern expectations, and what success actually looks like in the role. • Blind (https://www.teamblind.com) Unfiltered conversations about teams, onboarding, intern conversions, and culture. Look for patterns, not one-off rants. • Levels.fyi (https://www.levels.fyi) Helpful for understanding how internships connect to new-grad roles and how companies really invest in early talent. • Pitt SCI / CS student community (Discord-based, student-run) https://lnkd.in/eDgKTyW8 Just one example - Many clubs link Discords through their org pages or GitHub. Student run sites are often the most current source of interview experiences and internship reflections. How to use these effectively: Before applying → target the right companies and teams Before networking → ask smarter questions Before onboarding → know what past interns say matters in the first 30–60 days During the internship → deliver work aligned with how interns are actually evaluated Job boards help you find internships. These tools help you win them — and turn them into momentum. If you’re a student: research these sites. If you mentor students: share it. Other tech internship experience resource options? Please comment below 👇 #Internships #EarlyCareer #ComputerScience #EngineeringStudents #CareerPrep #TechCareers

Application season is here and I get a lot of questions from students and early-career folks about internships, particularly at companies building in complex domains. Sharing a few things I genuinely encourage when applying, based on what I’ve seen work. First, be proactive in your outreach. Don’t rely only on job portals. Reach out on LinkedIn, email, or both and thoughtfully. Second, customize everything. Your resume and opening message should clearly show that you’ve researched the company and the industry. Highlight projects, coursework, or experience that actually maps to what they do. Third, do something for the company before asking for something in return. Engage with their posts. If they have open source, fork it and contribute. Or build a small, relevant side project and share it, even a short video walkthrough helps. Fourth, understand the supply-demand gap. There’s a lot of inbound. The more time you spend on pre-work, the more you stand out. Fifth, think about the stage of the company. Early-stage teams and larger companies need different kinds of help. Reach out accordingly. And finally, meet people where you can - Events, meetups, warm introductions, those conversations still matter. The strongest internship applications show intent, curiosity, and effort. Not just a list of skills. Early stage companies need different resources at different times as they scale. Figure out what is the most pressing need for the company you want to get into and customize accordingly. All the best for your applications!

If your job search strategy is “apply and pray”, it’s time to wake up. You’ve got the polished résumé. Your tracker is even color-coded. But if nobody knows you, nobody hires you. Welcome to Part 2 of this no-fluff series on how to actually land that job/internship quickly, the smart way. Let’s talk networking, not the awkward, copy-paste DM kind. I’m talking warm, strategic, “this-person-stays-in-my-head” networking. Here’s how the ones getting callbacks are doing it: ➤ Go where the energy is. Stop hiding behind applications. → One event a week. That’s it. Virtual or physical just show up. Tech talks. Product meetups. Twitter Spaces. Anything. Because you can't get seen if you’re never in the room. ➤ Ask that question. You don’t need to be the loudest. Just be thoughtful. → “What’s one mistake interns make when starting out?” → “How can someone without traditional experience break in?” That question puts your name in lights. And opens doors for real convos after. ➤ Talk to speakers. Sponsors. Panelists. Not to beg(very important because they can see if you will be a liability or an asset) but to build. “Hey [Name], I loved your take on X. I’m working on Y and your insight helped me rethink Z. Mind glancing at my résumé for 2 mins?” (I should add that some of you are doing this to me already 😂) That 2-minute ask has started careers. And the follow-up? That’s where the relationship begins. ➤ Start showing up online. → Follow 5 people in your dream industry → Engage with their content (thoughtfully) → DM after a few days: “Been learning a lot from your posts. I’m hoping to break into [industry], could I ask a quick question?” That’s a warm DM. And warm gets answered. ➤ Make your name hard to forget. → Post weekly (your journey, insights, challenges) → Comment daily (meaningful, not spammy) → DM with purpose, not desperation → Attend events like it’s your part-time job You don’t need magic. You need memory. And memory comes from consistency. TL;DR: Stop job hunting like everyone else. Start job building — with strategy, visibility, and genuine connection. So before Friday ends and vibes take over, do one thing from this list today. → Drop a comment with your favorite tip. → Share this with someone who needs it. → Or better, go network smart. Because the job isn’t just on LinkedIn. It’s in the minds of the people you’re not talking to, YET.

College students… internship recruiting season is here! If you’re hoping to land a Summer 2027 internship, now is the time to prepare. After several years in Early Careers recruiting, here are some things I wish every student knew: ✅ Research the company—and know YOUR “why.” Saying, “JPMC is a large global company,” isn’t wrong… but it doesn’t tell me why you want to work here. Learn about the company’s mission, values, culture, and business. Then connect those to your own values and career goals. ✅ Become best friends with your Career Services office. Resume reviews. Mock interviews. Career fairs. Networking events. Use EVERY resource they offer. That’s what they’re there for! ✅ Know when applications open. Many large companies post internship opportunities a year in advance. For example, JPMorgan Chase GFBM Summer 2027 internship applications open in July 2026. If you’re waiting until fall or spring, you may already be too late. ✅ Network strategically. Set up coffee chats and informational interviews with people actually doing the work you’re interested in. Recruiters are often focused on running the current internship program during the summer, so connecting with professionals in the role can be incredibly valuable. ✅ Don’t send unsolicited resumes. For JPMorgan Chase, I can only consider candidates who have applied through our careers site and completed the required HireVue interview. If your application isn’t in the system, I can’t review it. ✅ Apply early. Don’t wait until the deadline. The strongest candidates are often applying in the first few weeks after roles are posted. ✅ Parents… this one’s for you. I know you want to help, but please let your student lead the process. I’m hiring them, not you. It’s time to land the helicopter. 🚁 ✅ Know what your recruiter actually recruits for. Not every recruiter hires for every role. Read our LinkedIn posts, profiles, and recruiting information. For example, I recruit students graduating December 2027–Spring 2028 for Corporate Finance/Global Finance & Business Management opportunities—not Investment Banking or other front-office roles. ✅ Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Review the job description, practice interviewing, polish your resume, and understand the hiring process before you apply. And one final note… If you see me repost an experienced hire opportunity, I’m simply helping a colleague increase visibility. I don’t recruit for those roles and unfortunately won’t have additional information beyond what’s in the posting. Wishing all students the best as recruiting season begins. Preparation really does make a difference. Good luck—you’ve got this!

If I did not have an internship, here's what I would do to increase my chances for next time. Multiple students have asked me in mentorship calls, "What to do if they don't have an internship?" Sharing a few options: (I followed #4 and #2) 𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: - Pick one technology (e.g., React, Python, AWS) and build a comprehensive project around it. - Example: If you're interested in AI, build a sentiment analyzer and deploy it on Hugging Face or Streamlit. 𝟮. 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 (focus on AI usage in every domain): - Clearly document your projects on GitHub using professional READMEs. - Add detailed explanations, architecture diagrams, and deployment links. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲: - Even small contributions count. Use sites like goodfirstissue.dev or explore GitHub repositories in your domain. - Document your contributions clearly on LinkedIn or your resume. 𝟰. 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀: - Engage in academic research projects or summer schools offered by universities or organizations. - This provides experience, mentorship, and networking opportunities. - Explore options like Stanford University Summer Session, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summer Research Program, or the Amgen Scholars Program. Many universities globally offer virtual or on-campus summer research and learning programs -> check their official sites for deadlines and details. Ex: https://oge.mit.edu/msrp/ | https://lnkd.in/gPXEqgxn - 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦? In my freshman year, I joined the Stanford Summer School and Research Program. At the same time, I built my web portfolios to increase my chances of securing interviews with big tech companies. 𝟱. 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: - Post weekly or bi-weekly updates on LinkedIn explaining what you're learning or building. - This boosts visibility and demonstrates initiative to recruiters. 𝟲. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: - Leverage high-quality online resources like Coursera, Udemy, or FreeCodeCamp. - Example: Deep Learning Specialization or AWS Cloud Practitioner. https://lnkd.in/ggPDt7qV Internships are beneficial, but your career growth isn’t limited by not having one. Strategic skill-building and visibility can position you strongly for future opportunities.

I've been reviewing applications and interviewing LOTS of students this week for #SummerInternships at Battelle as we look to finalize our incoming intern class. If you're still seeking an internship and submitting applications, here are some (hopefully helpful) tips to set yourself up for success: #Resumes: We know you're not coming in with decades of engineering or coding experience, and that's OK! Be sure to highlight class projects, clubs, student orgs or hackathons that highlight you know HOW to apply those wonderful technical skills you're learning about in class. If you read something in the job description that reminds you of a project you've done, be sure that you add that "something" to your resume before you apply. 📎 #Interviews: Know your WHY. Practice your answer to pretty much every interview's first question: "Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and why you're interested in this role with our company." Energy, enthusiasm & a strong introduction go a long way and will set you up for confidence & success for the rest of the interview. Using the STAR method can help you stay poised and focused while ensuring complete responses to questions. And speaking of questions, be sure you have some genuine and thoughtful questions to ask at the end of your interview! 👏 #Network: Find people currently in roles that you see yourself in and reach out to them! People generally love talking about their career paths, lessons learned and offering advice they wish they would have had as a student. Plus - that's a great way to make a new contact at a company you might like to join! 😎 And remember - not every role is the right one for you. If those "thank you for applying, but we've decided to move on with other candidates" emails are piling up in your inbox, it's easy to get frustrated. Use your resources & meet with the amazing and dedicated #CareerDevelopment teams on your campus! Practice, practice, practice and keep on keeping on. The right role at the right company will come your way!

Students are asking me: “𝐀𝐦 𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫?” ❌ No, of course not. Industry experience is one of the most valuable things you can put on your resume but you can get creative with how you get that experience. Some of the best opportunities aren’t posted — they’re shared. Here’s how to make real progress without a formal internship: ⸻ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐩 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 ⭐️ Check Eventbrite + Meetup — connect with local professionals, even for funzies ⭐️ Big names recruit heavily at SWE, SHPE, NSBE — I got my Apple internship through SWE ⭐️ Niche events: SF Tech Week, Afrotech, Latinx in Tech, Grace Hopper, MLH Hackathons, etc. Not-so-secret tip: These events let you upload your resume to conference-specific databases, and many secure next-day interviews/offers from this. ⸻ 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 ⭐️ Look into Capital One’s Early ID, Google STEP, Goldman Sachs Insights, Facebook University, etc ⭐️ Campus ambassadorships — Microsoft, Notion, Adobe, etc → These often lead to referrals, experience, and paid gigs ⸻ 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐘𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 — 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 ⭐️ Research with a professor (just ask!) ⭐️ Helping a startup on a short-term project ⭐️ Freelance or launch your own product ⸻ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 — warm connections ⭐️ Professors: Many are ex-industry professionals — they have connections to companies or even graduated students in the workplace ⭐️ Alumni: Find grads from your school, ask about their path — then ask about opportunities ⭐️ Local companies & startups: Easier access, faster timelines ⸻ 5️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 — 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 If you’re not learning 𝘰𝘯 the job, treat learning 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 a job. ⭐️ Courses: Coursera, edX, AWS (Google IT, IBM Data Science, Meta Front-End) ⭐️ Certs: CAPM, Lean Six Sigma, Scrum Master ⭐️ Projects: Scrimba, Frontend Mentor, GitHub -> show, don’t just tell Highlight “Projects” section on your resume + “Featured Posts” on LinkedIn ⸻ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 ⭐️ LinkedIn | WayUp | Handshake | Jobright AI | Simplify New roles drop daily. Don’t count yourself out early. ⸻ 6️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝. ⭐️ Read: 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘞𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 — soft skills get you hired. ⭐️ Rest: Take that trip. You’ll never have this kind of freedom once PTO kicks in. Protect your energy — it’s a long game. I never liked reading myself, but committing to 1 book this year, small wins :) === 🔁: Repost to your network if you found this useful or tag a friend ➕ Follow me: Anna Chen for weekly career tips and job postings #NoInternshipNoProblem #EarlyCareer #NetworkingTips #UndergradOpportunities #TipsIWishIKnewEarlier

Still looking for a summer internship? This past semester, I decided I wanted a part-time internship just one week before the spring semester began. With fewer than 15 applications, I landed 3 interviews and received 2 offers. Here is how I did it. 1. I focused on startups and on-campus jobs  🔹 Startups hire year-round  🔹 They have flexible timelines and quicker interview processes  🔹 They often value skills over experience, perfect if you’re just starting out 2. I mainly used Handshake, strategically  🔹 Filter for roles posted within the last 3 days, and prioritize ones you’re a strong fit for  🔹 If it’s older but aligns well with your background, apply anyway, they might consider you for another similar role  🔹 After applying, go to the job posting, click on the company name, scroll to the People section, and message someone who was recently active 💡 𝘐𝘧 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘱, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 💬 Keep it short (3–4 sentences):  → Introduce yourself and share why you’re interested  → Highlight how you’re a strong match (use keywords from the job description)  If it helps, I’m happy to share an example of a message I sent. 3. I explored nonprofits and local organizations  You can use Handshake for this too:  🔎 Go to the Employers tab  📍 Filter by location, industry, and company size  🏠 Look for organizations near your hometown If one stands out:  🔹 Check their website for contact info and send a cold email  🔹 Or find someone on LinkedIn and message them directly A short, personalized message can go a long way, even if they’re not actively hiring. This worked for me, even on a late timeline, and I hope it helps someone else who’s still searching! Good Luck! 📷 Just me, Donald, and Goofy casually starting the summer off right. ✨