Exploring your career path in tech and ultimately landing internship / full-time roles can be a long process. However, we believe by breaking them down into different steps we can gain some valuable clarity and start taking actions. These steps are meant to be an organic, iterative process rather a one-time exercise.
| Step | Description | Timeline* (reference for internship seeking students) |
|---|---|---|
| Find your role | Before anything else, spend time exploring what sectors (within and beyond tech) and what functions can be a good fit for us | Have an early view in September but keep iterating & validating |
| Prepare resume | Complete different versions of resume that can cater to the different roles you plan to search for | First version that’s ready for submission ideally by mid September (if you are targeting big tech. See note below for more details) |
| Search for openings & manage applications | Identify job openings, apply to them, and understand what your pipeline looks like | Most roles are posted throughout October to March |
| Prepare for interview | Prepare for different parts and formats of interviews | Start preparing after your first batch of job applications are submitted |
| Compare and choose from offers | An ideal situation to be in! Collect information to help you make an decision | The period of 2~4 weeks after you receive your first offer |
| Stay up-to-date with tech industry | A never-ending journey to learn about what’s happening in tech | It’s always important but not urgent |
*Timeline reference based on Class 26‘ internship searching experiences. We encourage you to cross check with CMG to plan your search and address any major timeline change that might happen for certain recruiting companies.
<aside> 🚨 Note that internship recruiting timeline differs for different types of tech companies. Big Tech companies usually start their process earlier, which is why we recommend you have a version of resume ready by mid September. For mid-size companies, applications typically open in January and February. CMG’s offer timeline database can serve as a great reference to understand how wide spread the recruitment timeline can be.
For early stage startups, the process can be a lot less structured and very much case by case and more dependent on networking. If you are interested in pursuing opportunities in startup you can learn more about it here.
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