Dev-Centric Internships

Hey everyone! Ashikka this side. I am a prefinal year student pursuing my bachelor’s in technology at VIT Vellore in Computer Science and Engineering. The three years I have spent in college have been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride and have helped me understand more about myself and the career paths I wish to follow in the future.

This blog is for anyone who wants to get started with dev-centric internships. I hope you guys find this helpful. So without any further adieu, let’s get started.

1️⃣ Noob Stages:

As a second-year (4th semester) student with no prior experience, I felt lost and desperate for any internship as some of my friends were already working at places. This was the first mistake I made. Instead of chasing internships, please focus on doing as many projects as possible to grow your skillset. Getting hired with unique projects under your belt is a piece of cake. Do not compare yourself with other people’s journeys as everyone is different.

As a second-year (4th semester) student with no prior experience, I felt lost and desperate for any internship as some of my friends were already working at places.

My first internship was at a startup in its early stages. I was referred through a senior of mine and was hired for the Software Developer Intern position. It wasn’t the best place to work. I didn't gain any knowledge and was underpaid for the amount of work I put in. I learned a valuable lesson from my time there: for any internship, you take up, make sure that you negotiate the stipend. Moreover, do not opt for underpaid internships that hire people under the pretext of offering “experience.”

I was also an active member of a leading chapter at my university: the Computer Society of India, where we organized events for students. I got my second internship through organizing a hackathon (Yup! that’s right). Therefore, it is essential to get involved with student communities at your college. It helps your network grow, and you get to collaborate with many like-minded people. I was offered a position as a Software Developer Intern at Code Sherpas by one of the hackathon judges I had reached out to.

2️⃣ Post Noob Stages:

Now, after finishing my second year and moving onto my 3rd year (5th semester), I made my second big mistake that I want everyone in that place to avoid. Utilize the summer break between your 2nd and 3rd year very efficiently. I used it to do projects and explore more development domains. However, just as you start your third year, your college will begin rolling out selections for summer internships for different companies. Therefore, it is crucial to shift your focus to DSA and problem-solving. Unfortunately, I didn’t, and it wasn’t the best decision.

With two development-centric internships, I decided it was time to start applying for summer fellowships. The first one to come to mind was the prestigious MLH Fellowship. I had previously applied to MLH 2 times and got rejected in the initial screening stage; therefore, I was apprehensive. But things worked out, and I got in! To know in detail what my experience was like, please follow this blog.

Unwinding My MLH Journey

I was a bit late to the DSA and problem-solving game. However, I was able to pick myself up and started practicing on Leetcode with immense vigor. With just two weeks of intense practice in November, I could grab an internship opportunity at Adobe for the position of Product Intern. If it’s possible for me with just two weeks of training, imagine what you can do with two months of preparation. (PS: I am a slow learner). Therefore, sort out your priorities and work towards your goal accordingly.

If it’s possible for me with just two weeks of training, imagine what you can do with two months of preparation.

In December, the MLH Fellowship came to an end, so I decided to apply to CloudSEK for the position of Technical Writing Intern with the spare time I had. Previously, in October, I had participated in a blog writing competition by the organization and won the 1st prize; therefore, the hiring process for me was more straightforward as I already had proof-of-work. The blog I wrote can be found here:

Oversimplified — Bug Bounty

This year, with the start of my sixth semester, I decided to explore a completely new domain that had interested me for quite a long: Blockchain and Web3. I found out that Devfolio and ETHIndia were organizing a fellowship exclusive for women to upskill Web2 developers and enable them to transition to Web3 using Ethereum while providing a comprehensive overview of the ecosystem. This excited me greatly, and I applied and got in!

3️⃣ Building Projects:

Before you start looking for any internships, it’s essential to have built a substantial number of projects as it is a way of acquiring experience. I began building projects in the summer vacations between my 1st year and 2nd year. Until now, most of the projects I have created were because of my involvement in student communities or hackathons. Be as involved in student communities as you can be in your 1st and 2nd years as it will help you collaborate with other developers, learn new skills and expand your network.

One piece of advice I would like to give all people going through this phase of their lives is do not be afraid of trying out new things. These two years are your learning years; therefore, try out as many things as you can right now. Later on, it will be tough for you to pick up new things as your priorities will change. So build as many projects as you can right now!

Here is my GitHub with all the projects I have built till now:

ashikka - Overview

4️⃣ Interviews:

I can’t list each interview experience in one blog; instead, I’ll mention some dos and don’ts I followed for each interview which helped me grab some excellent opportunities.

✅ Dos

• The first and foremost thing to keep in mind is to do your research before any interview. This is a rule I always followed before any interview. Dig deep into the company, the role, the skills they required, and try to understand how you can be a good fit for the role.
• Now, after your initial research, prepare to do a mock interview. I used to prepare a document prior to any interview with the questions I might be asked and my answers to them.

Some of them are:- “Introduce yourself”, “Why do you want to work with us?”, “What unique qualities can you bring to the table?”.

• One thing that can set you apart from the other candidates is showing genuine excitement about the role and being very confident in the interview. This is a practice I hold very close to myself as sometimes I have sailed through the process by just being really confident and showing excitement about the opportunity.
• Always ask your interviewers questions at the end of the interview. Here’s something I always ask: “What do the daily activities of an intern at _____ look like?”.

❌ Don’ts

• Do not be afraid of asking for clarifications if something is not clear to you. This will help not only help you get the right direction but also show your interviewers that you are not hesitant to ask questions and work your way around a problem.
• Do not give a wrong answer if you are unsure about it. Always tell the interviewer what you know, they will ask your questions from your knowledge pool only.

5️⃣ Key Takeaways:

• Do not be afraid of trying out new things. Learn as many things as you can. Absorb knowledge like a sponge. This time will not come back.
• Participate in everything proactively. Make new friends, learn from them, and expand your network.
• Do not compare your pace with other people’s. You are different and so is your journey.
• Sort out your priorities when you need to. Spend your summer vacations wisely.
• Do not work for people who underpay you. Your time and effort are valuable.
• Do your research before every single interview. Do mock interviews with your friends, prepare documents with all questions you might be asked.
• Never stop trying! You will face A LOT of rejections before getting an acceptance. What’s important is to never let that spirit die.

6️⃣ Resources:

Here are some resources that can be helpful to you on your journey:

• My friend Vibali made a little something to help you keep track of opportunities and never miss a deadline again! Check it out here. I personally used this to keep track of opportunities.

List of Opportunities

• Here is a Youtube channel I swear by. This channel helped me learn a lot of tech stuff.
• This is a tool that helped me improve my resume a lot. It gives you templates to work with, grades your resumes, and provides feedback.

Resume Worded - Free instant feedback on your resume and LinkedIn profile

• To get started with contributing to open-source projects, follow this:

Good First Issue: Issues for your first open-source contribution

Feel free to contact me on LinkedIn in case you have any queries. I hope this blog inspires and helps you to excel in your developer journey 🤩. If you liked it, please hit the clap button, leave a comment, and do follow Codess.Cafe for more such content.

Codess.Cafe: LinkedIn | YouTube | Website | Medium | Twitter