Finding an internship while in grad school is important, but it can be hard and competitive to secure one. Aditya Pal, our Computer Science Graduate Student Ambassador, shares some helpful tips and insight on how he received three internship offers,and how this led to a full-time job offer. Aditya has also been featured on the Student Stories page, so be sure to check that out!
Step 1: Start with your resume
A good resume can really make candidates stand out. Recruiters (or AI-empowered bots), read through tons (possibly hundreds), of resumes per day, so it is important to have a resume that stands out enough to help you get past the initial screening round. Aditya recommends using VMOCK, a software provided by BU that will analyze your resume and “give you feedback on every minute aspect” of it. He also recommends connecting with other students and working professionals to have them review your resume as well. “You have to make sure that every word in your resume is there for a reason. A resume is ideally only one page, so every character holds a lot of weight and you should carefully consider what you include in it,” according to Aditya.
Step 2: Utilize BU Resources
We’ve covered using VMOCK to access your resume and provide feedback based on your industry and your peers. In addition to the software, provided by the Center for Career Development (CCD) at BU, CCD’s staff members are also available to review and edit resumes, CVs (typically required for advanced academic study), and cover letters to help you get the best final product before submitting your application.
Handshake is another great resource Aditya recommends students check out. Handshake is the job portal many students use to apply for jobs, and it also has information on events such as BU Career Fairs, Computer Science Day, career and networking events in the Boston area, and more.
BUConnects is another tool Aditya suggests students use for their internship searches. BUConnects allows you to connect with BU alumni in your field who are working all over the world, allowing you to make professional connections with people who went through the same program as you, are in a career field you are interested in pursuing, or are residing in cities and countries you may be considering.
Step 3: Apply to Internships or Jobs
University resources can provide great tools to help with the internship or job hunt, but those resources alone will not get you the internship or job of your dreams. While they can help refine your application materials, you will still need to perform well in the interview phase. Especially for computer science students like Aditya, the technical interview is often one of the hardest parts of securing a position. The CCD provides insight here for developing useful interview skills. 
Aditya recommends combining two different strategies to help land an internship. First, he recommends applying to as many positions as possible that fit your criteria. Second, utilize professional resources like LinkedIn to create a personal brand so that recruiters notice you. Third, tap into the many resources made available to you as a member of the BU community, and find ways to tap into our very large (and well-connected) networks. Using a combination of these strategies, according to Aditya, is sure to help you find a position you will be happy and excited about. He also wants prospective students to remember that “[they] will face rejections and will be disheartened many times. But as long as you do not lose motivation and keep working hard, you will reach the end of the tunnel and it will be that much more rewarding.”
Additional advice for Computer Science students
“I would say, don’t major in the minors. By that I mean, I see many students get stuck in the minute details, instead of understanding the core concepts first. The thing about computer science is that the half-life of knowledge in this field is very short, maybe 2-4 years. So the tools you learn right may become obsolete very fast in the future. What will not become obsolete, however, are the core concepts, like data systems architecture and analysis of algorithms. You need to engrave these foundational concepts into your brain because they will always stay the same. You may not know the exact syntax in a particular language, but if you can visualize the fastest and the most efficient algorithm to do the task, you are going to do very well.”