On February 18, a panel hosted by DePauw Women in Computer Science (WICS), four students—Quynh Tran ‘26, Hue Nguyen ‘26, Khue Doan ‘27 and Laura Bui ’26—shared their experiences and advice on securing and preparing for their upcoming summer 2025 internships. Their insights covered everything from application strategies to overcoming imposter syndrome.
The panel began with each student summarizing their experience in one word. Tran called it “exhausting,” as it took her a year to secure an internship. Nguyen had only two weeks to prepare due to a late interview opportunity. Doan described the process as a “rush,” while Bui, despite thorough preparation, faced technical difficulties. Their key strategies for this process can be mentioned with the 5 Ws.
The 5 Ws in Preparation and Application Strategies
- “When” should I start preparing for an internship?
“Start early, start now,” Tran emphasized, explaining that she missed her first application cycle in Fall (August – November 2023) due to a lack of awareness. She advised students to begin applying as early as their first year. For instance, in her past experience, applications for summer 2024 opened in the period from September to October 2023, while summer 2025 applications began in May 2024.
2. “How” do I build a strong resume and interview skills set?
“For beginners, using “Jake’s Resume” is very helpful,” Doan suggested. Bui added, “For personal skills, it’s crucial for you to be able to transform data into human language. For instance, if any random recruiter can understand your resume, you’re more likely to get the position. ” She also suggested practicing mock interviews with friends, professionals on LinkedIn or just anyone who is willing to coach you.
3. “How” do I network and ask for referrals?
Nguyen highlighted the role of networking in securing internships. She stated, “Just send that scary message asking for referrals to as many professionals in your interested field as possible.” She acknowledged that people could receive countless requests for referrals every day, but she remained optimistic. “For God knows who will get back to us? Just send the text, pray and wait for their response.” Nguyen said. She admitted that reaching out on LinkedIn initially felt daunting, but she learned to approach professionals by first building a connection, expressing gratitude and staying in touch. The key takeaway was do not be afraid to ask, but do it with sincerity and professionalism.
4. “Where” can I find the resources?
Tran recommended tracking deadlines through company career pages and LinkedIn recruiter updates. Searching keywords on Google like “SWE Internship 2025” can help streamline job applications. Or simply, follow recruiters on LinkedIn and check for their update posts on LinkedIn whenever a job position is posted online. For international students, she suggested keeping a spreadsheet of companies that offer visa sponsorship.
5. “How” do I start my personal projects?
Join 24-hour or 48-hour hackathons for hands-on experience. Bui suggested working on course-based projects (e.g., CS235 Data Structures) or exploring personal interests like game design. Doan advised committing to a personal project, using Hackathons, for instance, for at least six months. Tran recommended using YouTube, Coursera or Udemy for ideas, focusing on building a functional product rather than just learning the process.
The journey to internships can be overwhelming, and imposter syndrome is common. “You never know when you’ll be ready, so just start,” Tran advised. She reminded everyone to review and improve their resumes if they experience rejection or do not hear back from recruiters.
The panel circled back that balancing their study-work life balance for them was also important. Bui admitted that the majority of the team still struggled when it came to work-life balance. She suggested not taking heavy academic load for the semester if you are planning to apply for jobs.
