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InternshipResources

Your comprehensive guide to landing that dream software engineering internship. From CV optimization to offer negotiation, we've got you covered.

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CV Optimization

Make your CV stand out to recruiters

💻

Online Assessment

Ace coding tests and assessments

🎥

HireVue

Master video interviews

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Technical Interview

Prepare for coding interviews

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System Design

Design scalable systems

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Getting the Offer

Seal the deal and negotiate

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Your Success Journey

Follow our guide step by step

📝 CV Optimization

✅ CV Essentials

  • •Keep it to 1-2 pages: Recruiters spend 6 seconds scanning CVs
  • •Technical Skills: List programming languages, frameworks, tools
  • •Projects Section: 3-4 relevant projects with GitHub links
  • •Quantify Impact: "Improved performance by 40%" vs "Optimized code"
  • •ATS-Friendly: Use standard fonts, avoid graphics/tables

🎯 Tech CV Template

Your Name
Email • LinkedIn • GitHub • Phone
EDUCATION
University • Degree • GPA • Expected Graduation
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript
Frameworks: React, Node.js, Django
PROJECTS
Project Name | Tech Stack | GitHub
• Brief description with impact

💡 Pro Tip

Tailor your CV for each application. Use keywords from the job description and highlight relevant projects. For FAANG companies, emphasize algorithms, data structures, and system design projects.

💻 Online Assessment

📚 Preparation

  • • Practice on LeetCode, HackerRank
  • • Focus on Easy-Medium problems
  • • Time yourself (typically 60-90 mins)
  • • Practice debugging code
  • • Review basic CS concepts

⚡ Common Topics

  • • Arrays and Strings
  • • Hash Tables
  • • Basic Recursion
  • • Sorting Algorithms
  • • Simple Dynamic Programming

🎯 Test Day Tips

  • • Read questions carefully
  • • Start with brute force solution
  • • Test with edge cases
  • • Comment your code
  • • Don't panic if stuck

🛠️ Recommended Resources

LeetCode
Coding problems
HackerRank
Practice tests
Codewars
Kata challenges
CodeSignal
Assessment prep

🎥 HireVue Interview

🎬 Setup Tips

  • •Lighting: Face a window or use good lighting
  • •Camera: Eye level, stable position
  • •Background: Clean, professional, minimal distractions
  • •Audio: Test microphone, quiet environment
  • •Dress Code: Business casual, avoid patterns

💬 Common Questions

"Tell me about yourself"

Elevator pitch: Background, relevant experience, why this role

"Why this company?"

Research company values, recent news, specific reasons

"Describe a challenge you faced"

Use STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result

🎯 STAR Method Template

Situation: Set the context for your story
Task: Describe what you needed to accomplish
Action: Explain the specific steps you took
Result: Share the outcomes and what you learned

🧠 Technical Interview

📋 Interview Structure

1. Problem Understanding (5 mins)
Ask clarifying questions, understand constraints
2. Solution Design (10 mins)
Discuss approach, trace through examples
3. Coding (20 mins)
Write clean, working code
4. Testing & Optimization (10 mins)
Test edge cases, discuss improvements

🔥 Study Plan (8 weeks)

Weeks 1-2: Foundations
Arrays, strings, hash tables, two pointers
Weeks 3-4: Data Structures
Linked lists, stacks, queues, trees
Weeks 5-6: Algorithms
Recursion, sorting, searching, DFS/BFS
Weeks 7-8: Advanced
Dynamic programming, system design basics

📚 Essential Books & Resources

Cracking the Coding Interview
Gayle McDowell - Interview bible
Elements of Programming Interviews
Aziz, Lee, Prakash
System Design Interview
Alex Xu - For senior roles

🏗️ System Design Interview

🎯 When to Expect System Design

  • •Senior Internships: Some companies include basic system design for senior students
  • •Return Offers: Converting internship to full-time may include system design
  • •FAANG+: Meta, Google, Amazon sometimes ask simplified system design
  • •Trading Firms: Jane Street, Citadel may ask architecture questions

⏱️ Interview Format (45 mins)

1. Requirements Gathering (10 mins)
Ask clarifying questions, define scope
2. High-Level Design (15 mins)
Draw main components and data flow
3. Deep Dive (15 mins)
Focus on specific components, databases
4. Scale & Optimize (5 mins)
Discuss bottlenecks and solutions

🛠️ Common Intern-Level Questions

Basic Systems:

URL Shortener (like bit.ly)

Perfect starter question - covers databases, caching, APIs

Chat Application

Real-time messaging, WebSockets, message storage

Photo Sharing App

File storage, CDN, basic social features

Key Concepts to Know:

Load Balancing

Distribute traffic across servers

Caching

Redis, Memcached, CDN basics

Databases

SQL vs NoSQL, when to use each

APIs & Microservices

REST, GraphQL, service communication

📚 Learning Resources

System Design Primer
GitHub - Comprehensive guide
Gaurav Sen
YouTube - System design concepts
Grokking System Design
Educative - Interactive course

💡 Intern-Level Strategy

Keep it Simple: Focus on basic architecture, don't over-engineer
Ask Questions: "How many users?" "What's the main use case?"
Think Aloud: Explain your reasoning as you design
Start High-Level: Draw boxes first, then dive into details
Be Honest: If you don't know something, say so and ask for guidance

🎯 Getting the Offer

🤝 Offer Negotiation

  • •Research Market Rates: Use Glassdoor, levels.fyi, Blind
  • •Consider Total Package: Base salary + bonus + equity + benefits
  • •Multiple Offers: Create competition, negotiate timeline
  • •Be Professional: Express enthusiasm, be grateful
  • •Alternative Benefits: Flexible hours, learning budget, WFH

📈 UK Internship Salaries (2026)

FAANG Companies
£4,000-6,000/month + perks
Investment Banks
£3,500-5,500/month
Trading Firms
£4,500-7,000/month
Startups/Scale-ups
£2,500-4,000/month + equity

✅ Final Checklist

Before Accepting:

After Accepting: