If You Want A Software Engineer Internship In 2026, Do This
I got rejected from 47 companies before I landed my first internship.
It wasn’t my skills — it was my strategy. Once I fixed that, I landed offers from Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, and Morgan Stanley.
In this video, I’ll walk you through the exact roadmap that took me from failing interviews to getting into Big Tech — step-by-step.
If you’re serious about landing a tech internship or software engineering role, this is the video you wish someone showed you when you started.
Here’s what I’ll cover 👇
📘 How to build solid DSA fundamentals (what actually matters)
💡 The LeetCode patterns that show up in 80% of interviews
🧠 My resume format & structure that gets past ATS filters
🚀 The project ideas that actually impress recruiters
🤝 Application strategy to get more callbacks (not ghosted)
🗓️ A realistic 3–8 month roadmap depending on your level
💭 How to develop the mindset to survive 100+ rejections
This isn’t just theory — this is what helped me go from completely lost to interning at companies I once thought were impossible.
📖 timestamps
0:00 – Intro
1:11 – When to Apply
2:29 – LeetCode Strategy
4:14 – Interview Prep
5:45 – Resume Tips
7:12 – Standout Projects
8:02 – Getting Interviews
9:27 – Mindset Shift
10:31 – Realistic Roadmap
11:21 – Final Thoughts
👋 about me
I’m Maddy, a senior software engineer (prev. at Google), with prior internships at Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, IBM, and Amazon. Sharing my journey here - thanks for watching 🤍
🔗find me on other socials
Instagram / madeline.m.zhang
LinkedIn / madelinemzhang
Tiktok / madeline.m.zhang
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*disclaimer: views are all my own and do not represent any current / past employer(s)
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