A while back, a college education was enough to secure a high-paying job after graduation. However, times have changed and employers prefer hiring skilled college grads. Internships are an excellent way for college students and graduates to get work-related experience before joining the job market. They also offer a stepping stone for professionals looking to launch their careers in a variety of fields.
Getting an internship at a multinational tech company such as ByteDance could improve your career prospects and put you in a position to land your dream job in the future. This article covers how to get an internship at ByteDance and provides in-depth information on several summer ByteDance internship programs.
What Is ByteDance? A Brief ByteDance Background
ByteDance is one of the largest tech companies in the world. Since its inception back in 2012, this company has developed a ton of apps, most notably, TikTok. According to the South China Morning Post, ByteDance is valued at approximately $400 billion.
ByteDance and TikTok have taken the entertainment industry by storm and have become major competitors to established social media networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Does ByteDance Hire Students?
Yes, ByteDance does hire students. This company offers a wide range of employment opportunities for recent graduates and students currently enrolled in university programs. Students are free to go through the company’s career pages and look at available internship programs. ByteDance offers internship opportunities to students across the world, with most of them taking place during the summer.
ByteDance Internships: General Overview
Internships at ByteDance are designed to offer students the chance to work with some of the company’s leading clients and teams. They are also designed to help them learn how to address key business problems while identifying essential growth areas for the company.
ByteDance is committed to creating an inclusive space for all students, regardless of their background. The company also offers reasonable accommodation during the hiring process to those in need.
What Does a ByteDance Intern Do?
A ByteDance intern works with top researchers, scientists, engineers, business leaders, and tech experts to solve important business challenges. Interns will develop innovative solutions and gain world-class experience through various projects. However, not all internships have the same job responsibilities.
ByteDance Internship Reviews: What Is the Experience Like?
Many TikTok and ByteDance interns have gone on record stating that they had a pleasant experience during their internship program. For instance, over 1,500 reviews on Glassdoor cumulatively gave the company 4.3 stars out of a possible five. Additionally, many current and former ByteDance employees would recommend the company’s employment opportunities to their friends.
A former intern said that the company had “a friendly working environment, with an innovative working style.” Another intern emphasized that ByteDance, “was a good place for a research internship with great teams and colleagues.” Even though some interns stated that they had heavy workloads, most felt the company’s corporate culture was great.
Is It Hard to Get an Internship at ByteDance?
Yes, it’s fairly challenging to get an internship at ByteDance. The internship programs are designed for talented students with proven capabilities in tech, programming, research, and engineering. This leads to high competition for internship slots.
Furthermore, these coveted internship programs are designed for a wide array of students pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree in computer science or a related field. Students who do not have such qualifications might find it hard to land full-time internship roles.
ByteDance Intern Salaries: How Much Does a ByteDance Internship Pay?
ByteDance offers many internships worldwide, with most having varied salaries. With that said, Glassdoor estimates that tech-related internships at ByteDance offer salaries ranging between $30 and $70 per hour.
How to Apply for a ByteDance Internship: A Step-by-Step Guide
Applying for ByteDance internships is a relatively straightforward process. Below you will find a brief overview of the main steps regarding the application process for TikTok and ByteDance internships.
Step 1: Go Through the Careers Page to Find an Opportunity You Like
Finding your ideal internship opportunities is the first step in the application process. In addition to its career pages, ByteDance uses LinkedIn as one of its primary resources for attracting and recruiting talented candidates. So, look for an internship opportunity that fits your skills and qualifications. After that, you can submit your resume and cover letter.
Step 2: Wait for the Recruitment Team to Reach Out
ByteDance’s hiring team will send you an interview invite within a few days if they deem you an excellent fit for the position. They reach out to candidates using different methods such as phone calls and emails. You’ll then be scheduled for three rounds of interviews that will focus on your motivations, experiences, and achievements. This process lasts for about three to four weeks.
Step 3: Do an Online Coding Assessment
Different departments have varying interview processes. If you apply for a research and development internship, you’ll have to complete an online coding assessment. If successful, you’ll be invited to two to three rounds of live coding technical interviews.
This interview experience is designed to assess your thought process, problem-solving abilities, and technical competencies. You can answer the questions presented in your preferred programming language.
How to Get an Internship at ByteDance: Internship Opportunities in 2022
ByteDance offers a ton of internship opportunities designed for students enrolled in university programs and those that recently graduated. The best way to learn about these opportunities is by constantly checking its career pages or LinkedIn jobs page. With that in mind, below are some of ByteDance’s open internship positions for 2022.
Software Engineer Intern
- Location: Mountain View, CA
- Eligibility Requirements: Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or a related major
- Skill Requirements: One year of experience in writing high-performance code for UI components, experience with database frameworks such as MySQL, experience developing applications with HTML, CSS, JS, C++, Python, and Scala
- Length: 12 weeks
- Start Date: Not Specified
ByteDance is looking for software engineers who will take on several responsibilities, including implementing UI components and focusing on performance and scalability. Other responsibilities include integrating backend services, collaborating with product managers and UX designers on technical concepts, and participating in front end architecture design.
International Operation Intern
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Eligibility Requirements: Internship experience from other elearning companies
- Skill Requirements: K-12 education background, great communication skills
- Length: Not Specified
- Start Date: Not Specified
This internship is slightly different from others listed in this article as it does not involve a computer science discipline. Rather, it is ideal for those that have a teaching background. As an international operation intern, you’ll meet up with schools and contact K-12 teachers to learn about structures, tools for teachers, trends, and school systems.
Other responsibilities include assisting with the recruitment of other US tutors and studying student behavior, schedules, habits, and pain points.
IC Designer Intern
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Eligibility Requirements: Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or a related discipline
- Skill Requirements: Working knowledge of CPU/SOC micro-architecture and performance analysis, project management experience, experience with Python, C, Matlab, and Verilog
- Length: 12 weeks
- Start Date: Summer 2022
ByteDance has an IC design and applications team that designs state-of-the-art chips and CPUs for the data center environment. They are looking for interns who can explore both current and future multicore CPUs or SoCs and conduct analysis in high-performance data centers. As an IC designer intern, you’ll also develop IPs and top-level verification.
Technical Program Manager Intern
- Location: New York
- Eligibility Requirements: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or a related field, three years of experience in project delivery or technical leadership
- Skill Requirements: Working knowledge of Agile, excellent communication skills
- Length: 12 weeks
- Start Date: Summer 2022
TikTok is looking for a technical program manager who will join the company’s software engineering team. The core of the work involves driving the end-to-end delivery of the systems behind this app. You’ll also be working with other team members to inspire them while bridging the gap between teams in various counties.
Security Software Engineer
- Location: Mountain View, CA
- Eligibility Requirements: Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or a related field
- Skill Requirements: Proficiency in MySQL, React, Angular, Node.js, TLS, Consul, Thrift RPC, Python, and Grafana, experience in cloud-based microservice architecture in Golang
- Length: 12 weeks
- Start Date: Summer 2022
As a security software engineer, your role will be to serve as a technical expert to design and implement access management systems and tools. ByteDance is building the next-generation end-to-end access control services designed to protect the company’s data, services, and servers. Interested candidates should apply before February 15th.
Security Software Engineer Intern
- Location: Mountain View, CA
- Eligibility Requirements: Currently pursuing a PhD in computer science
- Skill Requirements: Working knowledge of MySQL, React, Angular, Node.js, TLS, Consul, Thrift RPC, Python, and Grafana
- Length: 12 weeks
- Start Date: Summer 2022
As a security software engineer intern, you’ll work at TikTok to provide technical expertise in the design and implementation of management systems across this company’s wide range of products. You’ll also design and develop the AuthZ service.
IC Designer Intern
- Location: San Diego
- Eligibility Requirements: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or a related field
- Skill Requirements: Proficiency in Verilog, C, Matlab, Python, and Perl, experience with high-speed interconnection bus design, experience with low power circuit design, simulations, and program management
- Length: Not Specified
- Start Date: Summer 2022
Unlike the IC designer position mentioned above, this role is limited to recent university graduates. However, the responsibilities are still the same as you’ll be exploring current and future multicore CPUs. You’ll also work with other professionals, including circuit, physical, and front end designers, and chip architects.
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Research Scientist Intern
- Location: Mountain View, CA
- Eligibility Requirements: Currently pursuing a PhD in computer science or a relevant engineering field and will graduate between December 2021 and September 2022
- Skill Requirements: Proven track record of 3D learning, neural rendering, character animation, 3D reconstruction, image, and video manipulation
- Length: Not Specified
- Start Date: Not Specified
ByteDance has a mission to empower content creation and interaction through CV/CG-related technologies. As an intern, you’ll conduct cutting-edge research and development in this field. You’ll also transfer and apply related technologies to ByteDance products.
Research Engineer Intern
- Location: Mountain View, CA
- Eligibility Requirements: Currently pursuing a PhD in computer science or a relevant engineering field and will graduate between December 2021 and September 2022
- Skill Requirements: Proficiency in major deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and MXNet. Experience in neural networks architecture, model compressions, neural architecture search, hyperparameter tuning, and Bayesian optimization
- Length: Not specified
- Start Date: Not Specified
PhD candidates with a knack for deep learning research will find this internship useful. It focuses on providing cutting-edge research and development solutions in physically-based simulation, 3D deep learning, and human digitization.
Virtual Human Research Scientist Intern
- Location: Mountain View, CA
- Eligibility Requirements: Currently pursuing a PhD in computer science or a relevant engineering field and will graduate between December 2021 and September 2022
- Skill Requirements: A proven track record of research in 3D deep learning, full-body tracking, human performance capture, neural rendering, physically-based simulation, and real-time facial animation, experience in implementing and enhancing complex and performance-critical systems
- Length: Not specified
- Start Date: Not Specified
This role is ideal if you’re currently pursuing your PhD and have a proven track record of relevant research. ByteDance focuses on cutting-edge research and development in human digitization, 3D reconstruction, 3D deep learning, image, and video manipulation.
How to Improve Your Chances of Getting a ByteDance Internship
There are ways to increase your chances of getting selected for a ByteDance internship, such as working on your resume, emphasizing the significance of your previous projects, or attending a coding bootcamp to enhance your skills. Read the tips below to gain more insight into what you need to do to attract the attention of hiring managers.
Ensure that Your Resume is Clear and Concise
Your resume has to stand out to increase your chances of landing an internship at this company. Be sure to focus on the quality of your content, rather than the length. Your resume should highlight key experiences. For instance, you can include your experiences with case challenges, academic research projects, and hackathons. Along with your resume, you should attach an effective cover letter.
Indicate the Significance of Your Work Experience or Projects
The interview process at this company resembles discussions more than questions and answers. This interview approach provides you with an opportunity to share your relevant experiences. Remember that ByteDance wants to learn about the measurable impact of your experiences and projects and how they contributed to your school or your previous workplace.
Attend a Coding Bootcamp
A coding bootcamp is a short, intensive program that teaches students the technical and soft skills they need to succeed in the tech industry. Graduates of these programs are also assisted by career services, with a number of them securing positions with major corporations such as Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Tesla.
Should I Apply for an Internship at ByteDance?
Yes, you should apply for an internship at ByteDance because it is one of the largest app makers in the world. Its internships offer students and graduates a chance to work with some of the best tech minds in the industry.
There are many benefits of a software engineering internship. For instance, you’ll gain valuable insights and job experiences that will equip you with the skills to take on real-world challenges. Most interns on Glassdoor and Indeed claim the company is a great place to work and pays well.
Bytedance Internships FAQ
Yes, ByteDance offers many summer internship programs. Some of them focus on security software engineering, IC design, and technical program management. The best way to stay updated about these opportunities is through ByteDance’s career or LinkedIn pages.
Yes, internships at ByteDance do pay rather well. According to Glassdoor, tech-related internships at this company pay between $30 and $70 per hour.
You can apply for a ByteDance internship by going through ByteDance’s career page, choosing an open job that matches your skills, and completing the required application. This company has a fairly straightforward application and hiring process. Once you’ve submitted your resume and cover letter, you’ll be contacted and scheduled for a series of interviews designed to learn more about your skills, experiences, and qualifications.
Yes, TikTok interns are paid. According to its official career page, TikTok offers its interns competitive salaries.
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