Internship applications tripled since 2022, but online apps rarely lead to hires
Three times as many people are applying for internships compared to 2022, yet submitting lots of online applications does not improve your chances much. The analysis found that personal connections and direct outreach are what actually lead to getting hired.
The internship market has become far more crowded, with application volumes tripling since 2022. Despite this surge, firing off dozens of online applications appears to be a low-return strategy. The author researched real hiring outcomes and found that most successful candidates got in through referrals, professor recommendations, or by reaching out directly to someone at the company. The practical takeaway is that building relationships and making direct contact matters far more than the volume of applications submitted.
Key points
Quick term guide
- outreach
- Contacting people directly to start a conversation or ask for interest.
- FIR
- A First Information Report — the official complaint filed with police in India that kicks off a criminal investigation.
- Go
- A programming language often used to build fast server tools.
- SSO
- Single Sign-On — a system that lets one account log you into multiple apps at once.
- build
- A chosen set of in-game abilities or items a player equips for their character.