software internships: navigating through a tough job market

Hello hello everyone (૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭.

Let us continue our journey through part 2 of software engineering, with today’s topic being internships. 🧑‍💼🏢 I think most people at the moment are feeling the pressure over the year nearly being over and considerably fewer jobs than in previous years… BUT hopefully, this will improve soon when you all are internship-hunting next year too 😀

What are internships and why should I care?

For those who don’t know, internships are mandatory for all engineering specialisations; as a part of ENGGEN 499, we need a minimum of 800 hours completed by the end of our degree. 400 of these hours can be allocated to general hours, while the other 400 is for sub-professional work🕜. These 800 hours can usually be completed over two full summer internships – which unfortunately means our holidays will be spent working BUT (hopefully) you will be compensated well 💰.

• General work is basically what it sounds like, general engineering work “associated with the fabrication, manufacture, installation, maintenance and configuration of mechanical, electrical and computer systems.” These roles are typically easier to find as it’s a lot broader and I know many people who got these hours marked off by doing things like tech consulting, general IT support and etc.
• Sub-professional work is work more associated with your particular specialisation. From the ENGGEN 499 definition, this is work that is “associated with professional engineers, that is installation of software systems; design, implementation and testing of software systems; helpdesk, backup and system support; network configuration; computer security services; information system support, web services and Summer Research Scholarship projects.“

I also think that it is important to note that while these hours are mandatory for engineering students, the experience of working is far more valuable than you think. Through these internships, you can start to have a feel of what it is like to work in the real world after you graduate and know what areas you want to pursue further in your career 🤔☁️.

How do I start finding internships? 🔍

There are many resources to find internships over the summer ^^. Some of these include:

Job searching websites:

• SEEK – pretty much used globally, meaning that many companies tend to list their jobs here first 😊.
• Prosple – student-friendly and has a lot of listings for especially overseas internships in Australia 🦘.
• Student Job Search – a little less common to use, but they do have some internships listed there usually – but don’t expect too many from this one.
• LinkedIn – surprisingly, some companies rely on LinkedIn to add job listings. It’s a good idea to set up your own LinkedIn account, as recruiters often like using this to look at potential candidates.🔍

Summer of Tech (SoT):

• SoT is mainly aimed at software students (with other niche roles available, like design, mechanical engineering, etc.).
• Basically, you register online before the due date and upload a profile with your details (e.g., CV, short bio, skills, etc). Once your profile has been accepted, it will go live to any employers registered to SoT, who can view all the profiles.
• There is also a Meet and Greet event (at various locations and one online option too). It’s important to note that most employers only hire those they meet at this event, so it’s worth signing up as soon as possible.
• Over the past few years, the number of employers on SoT has decreased, so I would only partially rely on this to get an internship.

University of Auckland Summer Research Scholar:

• Instead of an internship, some people apply to be a summer research scholar at the university, which is a 10 week program where you are assigned a project and supervisor to work on over the summer.
• It is paid, where you will be given $6,750 for your time (although note this tends to be less than working an internship).
• For more information about it, read here.

Microsoft Student Accelerator (MSA):

• The program runs throughout the year and has a few stages. The first stage involves learning skills through learning modules, the second involves an actual coding project, and the third stage involves learning soft skills. If you work hard to complete all these stages, you will have the chance to conduct speed interviews with some companies supporting MSA.
• I have a friend who got an internship through this program as a first-year, and he thought it was pretty good 🙂 Although some other people I heard haven’t had such a good experience.
• Note: this does NOT entail an internship with Microsoft nor a guaranteed internship.
• Read more about it here

Other useful resources:

• CDES (Career Development and Employability Services) – As a part of the university, CDES hosts many events throughout the year, such as CV checking, careers expo, and workshops, to help you prepare to find an internship at the end of the year.
• Google STEP programme – usually opens early in the year for pre-penultimate students (aka second-year softeng). It is an internship programme that takes place over the summer at Google’s Sydney office. However, note that it is very competitive, so apply early and prepare for LeetCode / HackerRank-style questions.
• The various trading company launchpad events. Companies like IMC Trading, Optiver, SIG, etc, all have 2-3 day programs where they fly you into their Sydney office to learn more about the world of trading and technology. There is also an extensive interview process involving LeetCode / HackerRank-styled questions and behavioural interviews to get into these programmes. Getting into these programmes can be well worth it as it can fast-track you to the final rounds of the interviews for their internship programmes – and it looks good on your CV.
• University tech clubs and events. Tech clubs like WDCC, DEVS, GDSC, and SESA all have many sponsors that offer internships over the year. Joining these clubs can help you prepare for interviews, expand your network, and know what is in the market.

My top tips for getting an internship:

• Start searching early – a lot of people tend to leave their internship search for later in the year, so getting started early and getting that interview experience will be extremely valuable and make you more prepared than your peers. 🏃💨
• Apply everywhere – as they say, you miss every shot you don’t take, so having some chance is better than none. It’s often not the most talented people who get internships but those who persevere and are eager to learn new things. It’s always good not to put all your eggs in one basket, so apply to as many and as far and wide as possible🥚.
• “CV-maxxing” (excuse the gen alpha slang 💀) – but yes, to stand out from the crowd, you need a pretty full CV with stuff you have done outside of class. Perhaps think about making projects throughout the year to beef up your CV; you can even use the projects from ENGGEN131 as a start. Joining clubs like WDCC, SESA, DEVS and GDSC will also help make your CV shine and stand out from the crowd. Many companies don’t care whether you have a 9.0 GPA so long as you show you are passionate and eager to learn.💪
• Don’t take rejection personally – I have fallen into this trap where I had low self-esteem from rejection. Although, try not to dwell on rejection and see it as an experience to learn how to do better next time. Sometimes, job applications are just a game of luck; there are so many applicants that even the best may be weeded out randomly.
• Take a moment to breathe – not getting an internship is not the end of the world. You should still try your best, but don’t let that stress stop you from living your best life.☀️😎

I hope this was useful to you all, and see you in the next one!

Kimberley (ㅅ´ ˘ `)