Having the opportunity to work at LinkedIn, the largest recruiting and professional networking website in the world, is a distant dream for many students across the world. But luckily for some (300 to be precise), that dream comes true on a yearly basis.
The good news is that you don’t have to be an Ivy League student with an impressive CV and a long list of accomplishments to be accepted into LinkedIn’s internship programme. All you really need is a great personality, strong transferrable skills, dedication, and (obviously) an impressive LinkedIn profile!
So, if you’re ready to embark on a life-changing experience, here is what you need to know about internships at LinkedIn!
1. Know the basics
Before sending your application, you should take time to understand what an internship at LinkedIn involves and if you are a suitable candidate. To begin with, the length of the internships can vary from 3 to 18 months, depending on the location and type of internship. You must also be enrolled on a university degree and return to an educational programme upon completion of your internship.
The great news is that you’ll enjoy a lot of benefits and perks while interning at LinkedIn, including:
- salary of up to $45 per hour
- free housing
- free breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- paid company holidays
- access to gym and fitness classes
- complimentary flight tickets for family visits
- team-building activities
- Q&A sessions with LinkedIn’s CEO and other leaders.
2. Find the right role
While there are many opportunities available at LinkedIn, they typically fall under three departments: technical, business, and creative internships. To help you understand what they each involve, we’ve broken it down below for you.
Technical internships
All tech internships become available in late August, but you can set up alerts and revert back to the job board to check on current vacancies.
Tech internships are broken down into two categories:
- Engineering internships (these include the Software Engineering, UI Engineer, Site Reliability Engineers, Machine Learning and Relevance, and Data Science, Analytics programmes)
- Product management (the Associate Product Manager programme is an elite programme offered to those interested in leadership opportunities).
Business internships
Business internships are available from late October to early November, and are separated into three categories:
- Undergraduate business internships (these include the Global Sales Org, Human Resources, and Intelligent Automation Intern programmes)
- MBA internships (these include the Business Operations, Content Marketing, and Corporate Development programmes, and run through the summer period with applications accepted through the entire month of November)
- Legal internships (the JD Intern programme focuses on teaching interns about the legal duties of the business and allows them to conduct legal research and draft technology transaction contracts).
Creative internships
Creative internships allow designers to get involved in creating user-friendly experiences. Currently, there is one main position available:
User experience designer intern (this programme involves creating and designing innovative end-to-end user experiences for current and new products).
3. Submit your application
Now that you’ve identified what job role you’d like to apply for, you need to spruce up your LinkedIn profile and send your application, along with a professionally written CV and a captivating cover letter.
When doing so, it’s important to naturally include appropriate keywords throughout your CV; this will make sure it gets past the ATS software and stands out from the pool of other applicants.
Make sure you complete the application form as comprehensively as possible, and don’t forget to proofread your CV and supporting documents before hitting the ‘Apply Now’ button – and hope for the best.
4. Ace your interviews
If your application has done the trick, you’ll be contacted by a LinkedIn recruiter who will advise you about the next steps. These can differ slightly depending on the role that you have applied for, but they generally include an initial telephone screening, a video conference, and an on-site interview.
Telephone screening
The first stage of the interview process is a telephone call with a recruiter. During the call, they will ask you a variety of questions to get an understanding of your interests and your working methods to see if you would be a good culture fit.
Before the call, you should spend adequate time preparing answers to common interview questions and carrying out in-depth research on the business and the specific department that you’re applying for. Indeed, if you can throw in something about the company during your interview, you’ll show that you’re fully aware of the business’s success, and this will impress the hiring manager.
Video conference
If you’ve successfully made it to the second stage, you’ll be invited to a video conference with your potential manager. However, there’s no need to panic! The recruiter you initially spoke to will call you a few days beforehand and brief you on the interview so you can fully prepare.
You should then take the time to read through any supporting documents, prepare your elevator pitch and pick out an interview outfit. Even though the interviewer will only see your top half, it’s essential that you appear professional.
On-site interview/Practical test
The final stage of the interview process can vary depending on the position. You will either be invited to an on-site interview or will be provided with a practical test (eg: solving a coding problem) before the heads at LinkedIn make their decision.
Former interviewees on Glassdoor have listed details of their previous intern interviews, so it’s beneficial to read through them and fish out what’s relatable to the role that you are applying for.
5. Get an offer
Once you’ve completed all three stages of the interview process, there’s nothing else you can do but wait!
Based on findings from Glassdoor, the waiting game can take anywhere between three days and three weeks. Many LinkedIn applicants also advised that they don’t receive any feedback from the recruiters, so if you experience the same, know that it’s normal procedure.
If you haven’t heard back from your recruiter in three weeks’ time, it’s advisable to follow up on the status of your interview. You have nothing to lose, so instead of moping around and worrying, why not chase your fate?
If you’ve managed to secure a position, congratulations! You’re on an exciting journey and will instantly be treated as part of the team with your own projects and responsibilities.
If you’ve been rejected, though, don’t fret! You can always try next year, while there are many other companies that offer great internships to look into, including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Red Bull.
Have you ever applied for an internship at LinkedIn? If so, join in on the conversation below and let us know about your experiences!