An internship is the start of an exciting new adventure, but sometimes even the application process can feel like a daunting journey. Katy DeHaro, our University Recruiter, and Tatum Tran, a 2022 UX Design Intern at Twitch, teamed up to share some of their best tips for applying to our internship program. So if you want to learn some tips and tricks before applying, read on. 

Tatum 

1) Quality > Quantity 

Make sure that you’re putting in time and effort into the materials that you’re applying with! Your portfolio should effectively showcase your best projects or present your past work in a high-quality manner.

Your resume and cover letters need time and attention to highlight your experience and suit the role at the company that you’re applying for. Don’t just try to overload your portfolio with a bunch of previous low quality projects, fill up your resume with irrelevant experiences, or copy and paste the same cover letter with the company names switched out. Create a holistic application with quality and intention! 

2) Get comfortable with interviews 

Learn how to talk confidently and comfortably in an interview setting whether it’s doing mock interviews with friends, practicing commonly asked interview questions by yourself, or getting real experience through interviewing with multiple companies. Interviews are your chance to show your strengths and who you are beyond what’s on your resume, so be prepared. 

3) Start Early 

Try to get a head start on applying to internships! Companies may have application deadlines, and bigger companies usually have earlier deadlines. The earlier that you start applying, the more time and chances that you have to get an internship offer.

However, recruiting season can be really stressful and time-consuming, so make sure that you’re still taking care of yourself throughout this process and not stretching yourself too thin. Burnout sucks! 

Katy 

1) Quantify your wins!

You’ve done some great work. Perhaps you helped increase a team’s productivity by removing meeting or reduced response time on incoming help request. Regardless of what you were tasked with, share the stats! 

For example: Created digital assets in Figma to reduce written content in employee onboarding guides by 600 words (20% less than prior version) 

**2) Highlight languages/technologies in your internship/project descriptions: **

When you’re describing your past work, be specific. Did you code something? What language? Did you teach a class? What was the content? How was the success of your students measured? The more you can specify, the easier it will be for us to know what you did. 

For example: TA’d weekly classes of CS201: C++ to 15 students. Offered direct instruction on coding, pair coding, mock sprints and test prep. Average grade in section: 92%

3) Get a Second Opinion:

You may think you’re explaining something well however, it what you think you’ve said and what is interpreted can often differ. Be sure to share your resume with a few other folks (both in and out of your field) so you can be sure you’re being clear and accurate.

Ready to apply?

 Find out more about our internship opportunities on our Early Career page and apply for open internship opportunities on our Job Board or our Untapped page.

Want to Join Our Quest to empower live communities on the internet? Find out more about what it is like to work at Twitch on our Career Site,  LinkedIn, and Instagram, or check out our Job Openings and apply.