How to Network Effectively for Your First Internship

Envision yourself as a current college student. As a third-year university student, you seek an internship for the upcoming summer to gain experience before your senior year. You spend a couple of hours updating and polishing your resume, such as removing that past cashier job and replacing it with a recent project you did. You're scrolling the job feed on LinkedIn, and you stumble upon a company with a rather modern-sounding name and a cool-looking logo. They're looking for an intern, and the position is remote. Perfect. You fill out your information, upload your resume, and click apply. You continue to hammer out at least a dozen more applications and call it a day. Time passes. Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. You've applied to around 100 places, which is more than enough, yet there is still no response. What is going on here? My friend, you made the mistake of applying for ghost jobs. In this blog, we'll cover ghost jobs, why they exist, and the secrets behind the best way to avoid them. Ghost jobs: The reason so many companies post them A ghost job is a job listing that appears open but doesn't represent a real hiring opportunity. Ghost jobs are not necessarily scams; they're from actual companies, but they're openings that don't exist or the company does not intend to hire for. In other words, the company has different intentions behind its opening. All companies, from small startups to large corporations, post ghost jobs. Here's why: Resume collection: The company wants to build a database for a talent pool that they can tap into once they're interested in hiring, collecting as many resumes as possible. According to a survey done by MyPerfectResume, 12% of companies who post ghost jobs said they do it to collect resumes en masse. According to another study conducted by ResumeBuilder.com, 59% of companies who post ghost jobs said they do it to collect resumes and keep them on file for a later date. Conducting market research on the available talent pool: Some companies need more knowledge of the current workforce, so they want to assess the skills and qualifications of current job seekers and salary expectations in the market. According to a survey done by MyPerfectResume, 60% of companies who post ghost jobs said they do it to gain insights into the job market and their competitors. Giving off the impression that they are growing: This is quite common for small businesses entering a sector of the industry, making them appear more professional and legitimate to boost their reputation artificially. According to a survey by MyPerfectResume, 20% of companies who post ghost jobs said they do it to improve the company's reputation. According to another study by ResumeBuilder.com, 66% of companies who post ghost jobs said they do it to act like the company is growing. The company wants to hire someone, but not right now: The company wishes to fill the role in the future but is planning to wait to hire. Companies often do this to save time when the need to hire finally arrives. According to a survey by MyPerfectResume, 26% of companies who post ghost jobs said they do it to build a talent pool for the future. The company is always open to new people (even if that means accepting nobody right now): The company is passively looking for candidates, like someone currently employed is passively looking for a new job. They're not intending to hire someone right now, but they're interested in having a backup plan if a current employee decides to quit. According to a survey by MyPerfectResume, 25% of companies who post ghost jobs said they do it to assess how difficult it would be to replace certain employees. Intimidating current employees into working harder: According to a survey by ResumeBuilder.com, 62% of companies that post ghost jobs do so to create an illusion of replaceability, potentially coercing current employees to work harder. The likelihood of coming across a ghost job Looking at the current data, it's clear that job seekers face many ghost jobs. According to a survey done by MyPerfectResume, 81% of recruiters admit that their companies post jobs that are either fake or already filled. 36% say about a quarter of the jobs they post are ghost jobs, 21% say that number is about half, 18% say that number is less than 10%, 17% say that number is up to 75%, and 2.5% say almost all of the jobs they post are ghost jobs. Perhaps most surprisingly, only a shocking 5% say that none of the jobs they post are ghost jobs. Similar studies solidify this alarming picture: In May, ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,641 hiring managers to assess the prevalence of posting fake job listings. 39% of hiring managers surveyed say their company posted a fake job in the past year. 7 out of 10 recruiters surveyed believe posting fake jobs is morally acceptable. This has led to fewer people being hired and more applicants being ghosted. According to a study conducted by Revelio Labs, the hires-to-job-postings are on a severe decline. In 2019, there were eight hires per 10 job postings, and now, in 2024, we see around four job hires per 10 job postings; effectively, the number of hires has halved in the past five years. Given these alarming statistics, it's clear that ghost jobs have become a significant problem. A quick search online will lead to hundreds of individuals giving anecdotal experiences on how they were ghosted. While ghost jobs pose a considerable hurdle every job seeker must be aware of and overcome, they are not the only pitfall a job seeker can be a victim to; another concerning trend is the rise of scam jobs. The intent behind scam jobs A scam job is a phony offer purposefully made to trick and deceive job seekers. The intention behind a scam job is to take advantage of vulnerable individuals, usually by stealing money, labor, or personal information. Unlike ghost jobs posted by legitimate companies, scam jobs are created by criminals or entities pretending to be an existing company or inventing a non-existent one. How to tell if a listing is a ghost or scam job Some common signs of a ghost job: Vague job titles or descriptions: If the role title or job description is extremely vague, this is a clear sign that the company is not intending to hire; instead, it is just putting something out there. Long-standing listings: Positions open for a couple of months are usually ghost jobs, especially if they are on a popular job board like LinkedIn or Indeed. By then, so many people likely applied, and now you're just a statistic in their system. Overly broad salary ranges: If the salary range is exceedingly broad (e.g., "$30,000 - $130,000"), the company is not serious about hiring for a specific role. Identical postings over time: This is a typical red flag if you see the same job posted repeatedly over months without changes. Some common signs of a scam job: Paying for an interview: You should never have to pay for a job interview. If you are asked to do so, this is 100% a scam. Suspicious interview locations: Employers conducting interviews over SMS messages is a typical red flag. Lack of online presence: If you can't find anything about the company online (its website does not count), it could be a scam. If a company were legitimate, there would at least be an online forum, a Reddit thread, or a blog about it. Unsolicited job offers: If what appears to be an employer is going out of their way to hit you up, this is almost certainly a scam. Unprofessional communication: If the employer cannot type English correctly, this is most likely a scammer from a foreign nation posing as a company from the United States. Of course, the best way to avoid such ghost and scam jobs is to browse for jobs on a platform that doesn't contain any of them in the first place. This is where OfferPilot comes in. OfferPilot is the #1 job feed for college students and new grads seeking internships and entry-level roles. OfferPilot is committed to providing a job feed free of ghost and scam jobs. OfferPilot ensures no ghost or scam jobs are on its job feed Every job on OfferPilot's feed is assessed for authenticity so that no ghost or fake jobs may ever appear. The rigorous verification process includes the following protocols: Advanced scanning technology: For every job on the feed, OfferPilot analyzes various factors to identify potential fake jobs. These factors include posting date, company history, links to the application, and job listing durations. Job lifespan monitoring: To prevent any job listing from staying too long on the job feed, all listings on OfferPilot have a maximum lifespan (usually around a month). So, even if a company forgets to remove a filled position, OfferPilot removes the job from the feed. This way, no position will ever clutter the feed indefinitely, as opposed to LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor, in which jobs are known to stay for months. Blacklist integration: OfferPilot maintains an extensive blacklist of companies that have been known in the past to post fake jobs, and this list is updated daily so that the feed is kept clean and relevant. Internal company profile verifications: Every company on OfferPilot has a verified profile, which helps OfferPilot understand if it is a trustworthy company, when their job postings usually close, etc. This additional layer of scrutiny removes potential scammers pretending to be legitimate businesses. By implementing these measures, OfferPilot ensures that every listing on its job feed represents a genuine opportunity for a college student or new grad. Stop wasting your time on ghost jobs or risk falling for scams. Start your job search with confidence on OfferPilot today. Visit OfferPilot.com to access our curated job feed and take the next step in your career journey.

The Ultimate Guide to Landing and Thriving in a Slack Software Engineering Internship If you're a rising software engineering star searching for an internship that will skyrocket your skills and immerse you in an innovative, fast-paced environment, look no further than Slack. As a global leader in business communication and collaboration, Slack offers an incredible internship program that empowers students to make a real impact, work with cutting-edge technologies, and learn from brilliant mentors in an inclusive, engaging culture. In this ultimate guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know to not just land a coveted spot in Slack's software engineering internship, but to make the absolute most of the experience - from acing the interview to delivering wow-worthy work to leveraging your internship for future success. By the end, you'll be ready to shine as a Slack software engineering intern. Why Intern at Slack? Slack is so much more than a messaging app - it's a platform that is revolutionizing how teams work together in every industry. As a software engineering intern at Slack, you'll have the chance to: Tackle challenging, impactful projects that process billions of events and serve millions of users Learn from and collaborate with world-class engineers, product managers, and designers Get exposed to a wide tech stack, from React and JavaScript to Java, Go, and more Contribute your ideas to innovative features and pioneer new technologies Experience a culture that champions diversity, inclusion, belonging, and doing the right thing Earn a competitive salary (around $8,500/month on average) plus awesome perks like housing stipends Attend fun events, learning workshops, speaker series, and team offsites Set yourself up to potentially return full-time and jumpstart your career Past Slack software engineering interns have shipped major product features, built internal tools and automation, optimized systems to increase reliability and performance, and lots more. Whatever team you join, you'll be working on projects that matter alongside the best and brightest in the business. For example, one intern on the Mobile Developer Experience team created an IntelliJ plugin named Skate to help Android developers at Slack stay up-to-date with the latest changes and announcements right in their IDE. They implemented a changelog parsing feature to show a "What's New" panel. The intern got to contribute to open source for the first time while building this, and since it was named after them, their contribution will be remembered. By the end of 12 weeks, interns emerge as key contributors with impressive accomplishments to highlight. Another intern worked on the Foundations team to create a service that generates device capability profiles to optimize notifications across desktop, web and mobile clients. They built a standalone service in Go, integrated it with internal systems using Kafka and protocol buffers, and saw it rolled out to improve real-time sync for millions of users. What Slack Looks For in Software Engineering Interns Slack welcomes interns from diverse backgrounds, but here are some qualities that will help you stand out: Passion for crafting quality code and eagerness to learn new technologies Experience with languages like Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, or C++ Knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and software design principles Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively on a team Drive to take ownership, ask great questions, and see projects through Alignment with Slack's values like empathy, craftsmanship, playfulness, and thriving While having previous internships or specific technical skills can boost your odds, Slack values grit, growth mindset and "talent over tenure." Showcase projects where you've pushed yourself to learn, built something cool, and made your unique mark. Acing the Internship Interview Slack's interview process for software engineering interns typically consists of an initial recruiter phone screen, a technical phone interview, and a virtual onsite. The onsite interview includes 3-4 technical rounds focused on coding, system design, and discussing your past projects and experiences. Here is an overview of common question types and example questions from real Slack intern interviews: Coding and Algorithms Given a binary tree, traverse it in-order and print the values Implement a queue using two stacks Convert a number to its word representation (e.g. 123 -> "one hundred twenty three") Find the max value at each level of a binary tree Determine if two linked lists intersect and return the intersecting node Merge k sorted arrays Practice a range of data structures and algorithms questions, especially those related to trees, linked lists, graphs, and searching/sorting. Use a whiteboard or collaborative code editor to walk through your approach. Discuss optimizations and tradeoffs. System Design Design a notification system that sends push notifications to mobile devices Architect a message search service that can handle Slack's scale Discuss how you would handle real-time messaging and presence Focus on breaking down the problem, identifying key components, and designing interfaces. Talk through your design choices and be ready to adjust based on follow-up questions. Draw diagrams to illustrate your architecture. Behavioral and Experience Tell me about a challenging project you worked on Describe a time you had to influence or persuade others What is your approach to working in a team? Why are you interested in Slack and this role specifically? Prepare several examples of projects or experiences demonstrating your technical abilities, leadership, collaboration, and interest in Slack. Use the STAR method to concisely convey the situation, task, action and result. Emphasize what you learned. The behavioral interview digs deep into who you are, how you think, and what you value. Slack looks for humble, empathetic, and growth-oriented individuals who are passionate about the product and mission. Expect questions to assess your alignment with Slack's values, ability to give and receive feedback, and approach to working with diverse teammates. Share what motivates you about Slack beyond just the technical challenges. Across all interviews, focus on clear communication, asking clarifying questions, and demonstrating curiosity and enthusiasm. Slack cares as much about how you work as what you know. Remember they want to get to know the real you, so relax and let your personality shine. Making the Most of Your Slack Internship You earned your spot - now it's time to make the coming 12 weeks amazing. Some pro tips: Set goals with your manager early on - what do you want to learn and achieve? Embrace tasks outside your comfort zone to stretch your skills - say yes to opportunities! Write clean, tested, well-documented code and ask for feedback to keep improving Participate fully in team rituals like stand-ups and code reviews to stay in the loop Get to know your fellow interns and colleagues through chats, social events, ERGs Leverage Slack's learning stipend for books, courses, or conferences to accelerate your growth Share your work and learnings with your team and the broader intern/Slack community Clarify expectations for a successful internship so you can aim for a return offer Don't forget to enjoy the ride - explore the city, make new friends, geek out over the latest Slack features. The internship will fly by but the memories, relationships and skills you build will last far beyond. From Intern to Dream Job: Leveraging Your Experience Whether you boomerang back to Slack or springboard to another top tech company, your software engineering internship will open many doors. You'll come away with: A robust portfolio of projects that demonstrate your technical and professional chops Glowing references from your manager and team to vouch for your potential A tight network of fellow interns and Slack employees to tap for future opportunities Confidence that you can excel in a fast-paced, high-performing engineering culture Improved communication, collaboration and leadership skills to thrive in any environment Hopefully a full-time offer to return to Slack when you graduate! Start thinking ahead to how you'll tell the story of your Slack internship in future interviews, on your resume, to your classmates and professors. Reflect on the challenges you faced, the triumphs you had, the lessons you learned. Those experiences and accomplishments will be the fuel that powers your career long after you leave Slack's shiny offices. Key Takeaways Landing and thriving in a Slack software engineering internship takes determination, passion and a commitment to continuous learning. In summary: Slack offers paid, autonomous internships tackling high-impact projects on small teams Strong candidates have solid CS fundamentals, collaboration skills, and Slack value alignment The interview process tests coding skills, system design, and behavioral fit through technical screens and virtual onsites Successful interns take ownership, ask for help and feedback, and engage with the Slack community The internship provides a launchpad to incredible career opportunities in tech Ready to shoot for the stars as a software engineering intern at Slack? The opportunity is yours to seize. Bring your curiosity, coding chops, and commitment to crafting your best work, and there's no limit to what you can achieve in your 12 weeks at Slack. This is your moment - let's get after it!

The AI Explosion and the Rise of AI/ML Internships Artificial Intelligence (AI) is experiencing a massive surge in popularity and adoption across various industries. With rapid advancements in machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, the demand for skilled AI professionals is skyrocketing. As a result, many students are curious about the availability and prospects of AI/ML engineering internships. The exciting news is that internship opportunities in this field are indeed increasing, providing aspiring AI/ML engineers with valuable hands-on experience. Colleges Embracing AI Education Recognizing the growing importance of AI, colleges and universities are actively incorporating AI education into their curricula. Leading institutions are introducing dedicated AI majors and programs to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in this field. University of Pennsylvania's Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Artificial Intelligence The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) has taken a significant step forward by announcing a new Bachelor of Science in Engineering program focused on Artificial Intelligence. This groundbreaking program, set to commence in the fall of 2024, is a collaborative effort between the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering and Computer and Information Science. Students enrolled in this program will have the opportunity to specialize in various concentrations, including: Robotics Vision/Language Machine Learning Data/Society Health/Systems UPenn's AI program aims to provide students with a comprehensive education in AI, covering fundamental concepts, practical applications, and ethical considerations. Penn State University's Master of Artificial Intelligence Program Penn State University (PSU) has also recognized the growing demand for AI education and has launched a new Master of Artificial Intelligence program at its Great Valley campus. This innovative program is designed to equip students with cutting-edge skills and knowledge in key areas such as: Machine Learning Deep Learning Computer Vision Natural Language Processing The program caters to both recent graduates and working professionals, offering flexible scheduling options and the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners through the Penn State Nittany AI Alliance. PSU's commitment to providing a comprehensive AI education positions its graduates for success in the rapidly evolving field of AI. Opportunities for AI/ML Internships For undergraduate students aspiring to pursue careers in AI/ML, internships provide invaluable hands-on experience and exposure to real-world projects. The good news is that the competition for AI/ML internships may be less intense compared to more established fields like software engineering. As AI is a relatively new and expanding domain, there is currently a gap between the workforce demand and supply, creating a window of opportunity for motivated students to secure internships. Preparing for AI/ML Internships To increase your chances of landing an AI/ML internship, it's crucial to develop a strong foundation in relevant skills and technologies. Here are some key areas to focus on: Programming Languages Python: Essential for AI/ML development R: Useful for statistical computing and data analysis Java or C++: Relevant for certain specialized applications Machine Learning Libraries and Frameworks scikit-learn: Widely used for general machine learning tasks TensorFlow and PyTorch: Popular frameworks for deep learning Keras: High-level neural network API Data Manipulation and Analysis NumPy: Fundamental for numerical computing Pandas: Powerful library for data manipulation and analysis Matplotlib and Seaborn: Essential for data visualization Version Control and Collaboration Git: Industry-standard version control system GitHub: Platform for code hosting and collaboration Big Data Technologies Hadoop: Distributed storage and processing framework Spark: Fast and general-purpose cluster computing system Cloud Platforms AWS (Amazon Web Services) Google Cloud Microsoft Azure Mathematics and Statistics Linear Algebra Calculus Probability and Statistics Machine Learning Concepts Supervised and Unsupervised Learning Deep Learning Architectures Natural Language Processing (NLP) Computer Vision Database Management SQL for Relational Databases NoSQL Concepts Development Tools Jupyter Notebooks for Interactive Development IDEs like PyCharm or Visual Studio Code Soft Skills Problem-Solving Abilities Communication Skills Teamwork and Collaboration Showcasing Your AI/ML Skills To stand out in the competitive landscape of AI/ML internships, it's essential to showcase your skills and passion for the field. Here are some effective strategies: Build a portfolio of projects demonstrating your AI/ML capabilities Contribute to open-source projects related to AI/ML Participate in AI/ML competitions on platforms like Kaggle Network with professionals in the field through conferences, meetups, or online forums Pursue relevant online courses or certifications to expand your knowledge Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your AI/ML skills and projects Seizing the Opportunity As more colleges introduce dedicated AI majors and programs, the demand for skilled AI professionals continues to rise. This presents a fantastic opportunity for students passionate about AI/ML to secure internships and gain valuable industry experience. By developing a strong skill set, showcasing your capabilities, and proactively seeking opportunities, you can position yourself as a competitive candidate and embark on a rewarding career in the exciting field of Artificial Intelligence. Discover AI/ML Internships with OfferPilot Looking for AI/ML internship opportunities? Look no further than OfferPilot! As a comprehensive job feed, OfferPilot aggregates a wide range of AI/ML engineering positions from various companies. Whether you're seeking internships or full-time roles, OfferPilot provides a centralized platform to explore and apply to AI/ML opportunities that align with your skills and aspirations. With OfferPilot, you can access a curated list of AI/ML internships, saving you time and effort in your job search. The platform offers a user-friendly interface that allows you to filter and search for specific roles based on your preferences. Take advantage of OfferPilot's extensive database and discover exciting AI/ML internships that can kick-start your career in this dynamic field. Start your AI/ML internship journey today with OfferPilot! Visit our job feed to explore a wide range of AI/ML opportunities and take the first step towards a rewarding career in Artificial Intelligence.