My Software Engineer Journey + How to Get Started in 2025
As a kid, I never thought I’d be a software engineer. But somehow, I went from pre-med hopeful to graduating MIT early with a CS degree, doing 6 internships (Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Morgan Stanley, etc), and landing a full-time role at Google.
In this video, I’m breaking down exactly how I did it - and how you can get your first tech internship or full-time SWE job in 2025, even if you’re starting from scratch.
I’ll walk through:
my personal path
tips I wish I knew earlier
practical advice on applying early, getting referrals and leveling up your resume and interview prep
👋 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
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📖 timestamps
0:00 intro
1:05 high school
1:53 University - Declaring my CS major
3:13 University - Clubs & Research
3:56 Internships
8:18 Tip 1
8:58 Tip 2
10:08 Tip 3
10:55 Tip 4
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*disclaimer: views are all my own and do not represent any current / past employer(s)
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