My Journey from Non-Tech Major to Tech Intern: Securing Four Major Offers

As I wrap up my summer internship applications for 2025, I’m excited to share that I was fortunate enough to land four offers! I chose to intern at LinkedIn for the summer and Snowflake for the fall. I turned down other interviews as I felt satisfied with my decisions. In this blog, I’ll share some experiences and insights that I hope will encourage those who are currently struggling in their tech career journey. 🌟

Choosing the Right Projects

When selecting projects, consider that geographical location and the prestige of the school aren’t as crucial as one might think. What truly matters is choosing projects with a manageable workload. Given that interviews primarily assess problem-solving skills, it’s essential to dedicate ample time to practicing coding problems and submitting applications. For detailed project recommendations, check out local resources.

Preparation Before Starting the Project

Start early! If you’re entering in Fall 2024, aim to solve at least 300 coding problems and refine your resume by May 2024. Many job postings start opening up in April, and those who wait until September often miss out on opportunities not because of a lack of skills, but because they began applying too late. It’s crucial to get ahead of the timeline; GitHub provides a comprehensive list of job opportunities to help guide your journey.

Necessary Preparations for Transitioning to Tech

As someone who transitioned without a solid technical background, having only taken a few relevant courses and done minimal internships, I began my serious learning in September 2023. If you’re starting from scratch, it’s vital to become proficient in at least one programming language—Python is a great starting point. As you gain confidence, you can branch out to Java for simple projects and gradually work on distributed systems, adding these experiences to your resume. I highly recommend the tutorials from Bilibili, where you can find detailed guidance, especially on transforming toy projects into enterprise-level projects. Feel free to reach out for tips on this process!

Mastering Coding Challenges

For beginners, I recommend diving into data structures and algorithms first, ensuring you can comprehend solutions on platforms like LeetCode. Resources like the Ling Tea Mountain Ai Fu and LeetCode Handbooks on Bilibili are fantastic starting points. Initially, you may struggle to remember concepts, and that’s perfectly okay! Persistence is key—keep practicing and pushing through challenges. Aim for consistency with resources like Grind75, Blind75, and NeetCode150. To heighten your chances of acing interviews, strive to cover problems multiple times; practicing 7-8 rounds is essential for stability in interviews. If you’re actively interviewing, tackling tagged problems from US-based platforms is a smart strategy.

Crafting an Impactful Resume

As a candidate with a less traditional background, how did I manage to secure so many interviews? For an in-depth analysis, check my other pinned post! Remember: start early, don’t lose hope, and believe that opportunities will come your way! 🍀

Conclusion

In conclusion, transitioning into tech can be challenging, but with the right mindset and preparation, you can land your dream internship or job. Stay proactive and resilient, and most importantly, keep coding! Best of luck to everyone on your coding journey! #TechTransition #Coding #Internship #CareerAdvice