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   🔔 Subscribe for more tech career tips & coding content! *disclaimer: views are all my own and do not represent any current / past employer(s) #softwareengineering #techinternship #internshiptips #codinginterview #dsa #leetcode #bigtech #amazoninternship #microsoftinternship #careerroadmap #programminglife #techcareers #interviewpreparation #datastructuresandalgorithms #computerscience #codingjourney #engineeringstudents #techjobs #softwaredeveloper #resumeTips #careerAdvice #howtogetaninternship #programming #googleinterview #placementprep #techcareeradvice #csstudent