FULL REPORT | JANUARY 2021
Internship and Career Plans for Computer Science Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Internship Timeline
Respondents were asked to estimate how long they waited between each step of the recruitment process: between the application and online assessment, first-round interview, final-round interview, and offer, for all applicable companies. The average time spanned between submitting the application and receiving an online assessment was 2.58 (sd = 1.68) weeks. The average time between taking the online assessment and receiving a first-round interview was 2.22 (sd = 1.10) weeks. The average time between the first round interview and final round interview was 1.95 (sd = 1.93) weeks, and the average time between the final round interview and notification of offer was 1.55 (sd = 1.98) weeks. As a whole, the average amount of time between two consecutive steps in the process decreased the further into the process the candidate reached. The chart above visualizes this schedule.
Most students send their first applications in August and September; responses for when the most recent application was submitted often matched the day students submitted the survey.
University Support and Opportunities
WHAT CLASSES DO STUDENTS FIND MOST HELPFUL?
Students were invited to list classes in the Allen School that were most helpful in preparing them for the interview/online
assessments. 71 students responded with 132 courses. Out of the responses, CSE 332 was the most cited by far, named by 83% of students who answered the question (59 responses). After CSE 332, the next two most mentioned classes are CSE 421 and CSE 143.
This points to the career value of courses in data structures (CSE 143, 332) and algorithms (CSE 143, 421) – the three classes combined account for 71.97% of courses mentioned. CSE 331, which focuses on software development, is the fourth-most popular class. No surprise, as these areas are common interview and assessment subjects!
WHAT ROLES ARE CAREER FAIRS PLAYING DURING THE PANDEMIC?
Even as career fairs have moved virtually, 80 students (72.07%) reported attending the CSE Established Company Career Fair. 35 (31.53%) attended the CSE Startup/Smaller Company Career Fair, while 19 (17.12%) also reported attending at least one additional employer recruiting event. Students who attended either fair were more likely to report receiving at least one interview or offer. While 57% of students who did not attend a career fair reported receiving an offer, 70% of those who attended reported receiving one.
WHAT ELSE CAN THE ALLEN SCHOOL DO TO SUPPORT STUDENTS?
The survey provided a space for students to share, in an open-ended format, “what additional career development support from the Allen School would be useful in the future to help you prepare for recruitment?” 28 students responded. 6 students described mock interviews and “interview practice”; with several calling for more sessions earlier in the year.
In addition, common and/or notable suggestions included:
● “Connections with alumni willing to refer/interview Allen school students”
● “A database of companies that are hiring for internships”
● “Groups that work on LeetCode-type problems”
● “Combined resource for technical interview prep”; “course that teaches how to technical interview”
● More information on applying to companies with an H1B visa
Finally, one student asked for “more data/transparency on when/how [peers] get internships.” We hope that this report and survey are steps in the right direction.
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