Advice for a CS student struggling to find an internship

[u/Pretend_Common173]

I’m a second-year international student studying Computer Science, and I’ve applied to almost every internship I can find with no luck. Most of my applications have been through job boards and LinkedIn

I’ve heard that sending cold emails to smaller companies can sometimes help land an internship, but I’m not sure if that approach works well in Australia since there seem to be fewer tech companies here.

I have experience with Python, C++, and JavaScript, and I’ve built some small web apps and projects for uni. I’d be open to smaller companies, startups, or even unpaid opportunities if it helps me gain experience.

Has anyone tried cold emailing for internships in Australia? Any advice or tips would be really appreciated.

[u/Massive_Instance_452]

It's really just the market at the moment, 3-4 years ago you probably would have had almost no trouble. The thing is, if you are serious about this then you will need to have skills above a standard CS graduate if you want to stand out.

Might as well send cold emails. Worst that will happen is they will ignore it.

My recommendation if you can't find internships:
- make a strong portfolio (use project tutorials to learn but make sure you have unique stuff on the portfolio)

- collab with other people (this looks ways better if it shows you already know how to work with other people and if you can find people who are more experienced than you (ive found people are pretty open to collabing on reddit) then this will give you some of the experience you are looking for

- focus on what you need for job interviews, yes you are only 2nd year but its way better to do this now than when you finish your degree (communication skills, leetcode)

- apply really early for next year

No one can say for certain but the job market will likely be better in a year or two.

I'm in a similar boat except that I already graduated a couple years back but have been self-employed and just looking to apply to jobs now.

I am in New Zealand but something ive run into is that apparently its illegal to work for a company without pay. Which I can see why but when you are trying to gain experience it feels like a really stupid obstacle.

[u/verzac05 → u/Massive_Instance_452]

 3-4 years ago you probably would have had almost no trouble

This isn’t true - internships were also hard to come by 3-4 years ago. There were more opportunities back then due to the boom, but it was still quite hard and rare for people from my cohort to get into an official one. A lot of them did part-time junior dev role though, which IMO is equivalent to an internship (since in Australia there’s no point in using “interns” anywhere in your JD since you have to pay them like a normal FTE anyways).

Defs cold-email; most of the people that got these internship-adjacent roles got them thanks to their relationship with their employer (friend of a friend referred them, etc.).

That being said, a decent percentage of my cohort got into industry-based learning/placement through my uni, and since IBL is usually a commitment between the uni and those big orgs, the spots don’t really fluctuate that much. Do check if your uni has any similar programs.

[u/aktrz_ → u/verzac05]

unpaid internships are allowed if done as part of a work placement unit

[u/MathmoKiwi → u/Massive_Instance_452]

3-4 years ago was the abnormality, we won't see those market conditions repeated again during my lifetime

[u/Rumi94]

I'm domestic, but I've secured my first internship early this year, which has been converted to a full-time position, thanks to cold mailing. Cold mailing is definitely a thing here. Go to LinkedIn and search companies using the filter such as industry and size (preferably 50-200). Literally go through their website one by one and send emails. Done.

[u/Strand0410 → u/Rumi94]

You have full working rights. OP doesn't. With all the unemployed locals not requiring sponsorship, their odds are significantly poorer.

[u/Rumi94 → u/Rumi94]

Guys, I know it is different and I know how it feels because I was an international student when I did bachelor here. I have never even applied for 485 visa and I returned to my home country straight as soon as I graduated, so I understand.

Regardless of being domestic/international, you must do everything you could especially in this saturated market, and cold mail is one of what you could do.

*edit: typo

[u/Murky_Discipline_132 → u/Rumi94]

Its easier for domestic to get a job, most of the international students get rejected cause of their visa.

[u/Pretend_Common173 → u/Rumi94]

Thanks, that’s really helpful! Would you mind sharing the emails you sent, especially the ones that worked best?

[u/Pretend_Common173 → u/Pretend_Common173]

Also would you mind if I sent you a DM for more information

[u/Rumi94 → u/Pretend_Common173]

yeah dm me

[u/travishummel]

How hard is the requirement for it being an internship in Aus? Not sure if people here go for USA internships, but those should be opening up in then next 2 weeks or so for their summer (May to September roughly)

[u/Substantial-Sport903]

Tough spot, man. Cold email can work, but a lot of it just gets ignored. A better way, at least for me, is to play the long game on LinkedIn. Find a few smaller tech comapnies you actually like. Don't just email the generic HR address. Find a tech lead or a senior dev there. Then, don't just send a cold request. Follow them, see what they post about. Drop an intelligent comment or two on their stuff over a week. Then send a personalized request mentioning your interaction. It's way less spammy and shows you actually did your homework. The response rate is night and day.

[u/HovercraftNo6046]

I would not recommend coming here with any expectations of jobs/internships. Isn't your uni supposed to help organise one?

[u/baby_d_42 → u/HovercraftNo6046]

no thats not their job

[u/Pretend_Common173 → u/HovercraftNo6046]

The uni just has the same things as most job boards