When should I start applying for internships? How do I know if I am ready for an internship? How many classes should I have taken before I being my internship searching process? I have seen those questions come up a lot over the internet, so would like to share my internship searching experience in this post.

I started programming in late 2020 by teaching myself how to code. I vaguely remember I was following Harvard’s CS50 course on youtube but was completely lost when trying to absorb the massive amount of content. Then I switched to reading ThinkPython2 and started following a Udemy course – The complete 2022 Web Development Bootcamp by Dr. Angela Yu. I began my journey at OSU in Winter 2021. You must be wondering now why I am rumbling about my experience in learning how to code rather than the internship hunt. This is because I want you to know I was absolutely a beginner before I started applying for internships, which was in April 2021.

I had the mindset that I should be looking for an internship as soon as I can. By the time I finished Intro to Python I and Discrete Math in my first quarter at OSU. I was able to put together three projects (one from Beaver Hack, and two side projects) on my resume. After having my resume checked by multiple people, I knew I was ready to start my internship hunt. I knew that a lot of tech companies love to ask those data structure/algorithm style types of questions, but I didn’t have enough time to practice for those questions. Thus, I was applying anywhere instead of focusing on competitive companies in hope that I could get away with easy interview questions.

I sent out A LOT of applications in April. By A LOT, I meant 200 applications in one month! Out of the 200 applications, I received 10+ Online Assessments, got four interviews, and landed one offer. Since I wasn’t prepared for data structure/algorithm style types of questions, I failed all the online assessments… And with the one offer I landed, I didn’t need to do any data structure/algorithm style types of questions. I did some research on the company beforehand and was able to impress the interviewers with my projects and how much I know about the company.

The main takeaway from this post is that you don’t need any experience to land an internship. You can start applying when you have a few projects ready on your resume. Luck is one of the main factors so be sure to send out as many applications as you can. Not every company asks data structure/algorithm style types of questions. Be sure to research the company if you got an interview. Good luck!