2026 FAANG Internship Applications Are Almost Open

FAANG internships aren't just for coders anymore. Whether you're into UX, marketing, strategy, data, or AI—these roles can launch your career in tech (even if you're not a tech major). Here's everything you need to know to get ahead in the 2026 cycle.

💼 Why FAANG Internships Are So Competitive (and Worth It)

• 💸 High Pay
  Interns at Meta, Google, and Amazon consistently earn $8K–$9K/month in base pay—sometimes more with relocation stipends or housing bonuses.
  
  
• 🚀 Career Growth
  Most interns are evaluated for return offers, meaning a full-time job could be yours before senior year even starts.
  
  
• 🔍 Real Work, Real Teams
  These aren't coffee-fetching gigs. You’ll contribute to actual products, campaigns, or internal initiatives—and your name could be attached to something huge.
  
  
• 👩‍🏫 Mentorship + Support
  Interns get matched with mentors, peer buddies, and managers. At companies like Google and Microsoft, intern training is treated almost like onboarding for full-timers.
  
  
• 📈 Resume-Leveling Exposure
  Even a summer at one of these brands makes your resume pop. It signals that you can thrive in fast-paced, high-bar environments—and recruiters take notice.
  
  
• 🧠 Industry Learning
  You'll learn how massive orgs make decisions, ship products, test ideas, and collaborate cross-functionally—all skills that translate beyond tech.

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🏆 5 Top FAANG Internships (and Their 2026 Application Deadlines)

1. Google

Internship: Software Engineering, Business (BOLD), Research (PhD/MS)
Locations: U.S. and select global offices
Who Can Apply: Undergraduate juniors and graduate students (MS/PhD) Application Timing: Apps likely open August–December 2025. Google Research internship deadline: July 11, 2025

2. Meta (Facebook)

Internship: AI, ML, Product, SWE, Data roles
Locations: U.S. offices + remote
Who Can Apply: Students pursuing degrees in CS, Data, Product, etc.
Application Timing: Opens late 2025—monitor early fall

3. Amazon

Internship: Software Development, Ops, Product Mgmt
Locations: U.S., Canada, global tech hubs
Who Can Apply: Rising juniors/seniors, master's students
Application Timing: Typically opens mid–late 2025

4. Apple

Internship: Engineering, Design, Business, Marketing
Locations: Cupertino and major U.S. hubs
Who Can Apply: Undergraduate and graduate students
Application Timing: Launches mid–late 2025, varies by function

5. Netflix

Internship: Machine Learning Intern
Locations: Los Gatos, remote, select cities
Who Can Apply: Depends on listing—often design, content, engineering
Application Timing: Rolling; monitor early career job board

🌟 5 More Big Tech Internship Programs to Watch

1. Microsoft

Internship: Software, PM, Data, Research
Locations: Redmond HQ + remote options
Who Can Apply: Undergrad and master’s students in tech and business
Application Timing: Opens August–November 2025

2. Salesforce

Internship: Software, Marketing, Analytics, Business
Locations: San Francisco, Atlanta, remote
Who Can Apply: Juniors, seniors, graduate students
Application Timing: Opens September–December 2025

3. Spotify

Internship: SWE, UX, Content, Marketing
Locations: New York, Stockholm, remote
Who Can Apply: Undergraduate and graduate students worldwide
Application Timing: Launches early September 2025

4. Capital One

Internship: Tech, Business Analytics, Data Science
Locations: U.S., Canada, India, UK,
Who Can Apply: Juniors, seniors, master’s students
Application Timing: Apps open summer–fall 2025

5. Palantir

Internship: Accelerate/Launch SW, Data, Cyber roles
Locations: U.S. & London
Who Can Apply: Undergrad & grad students graduating 2026
Application Timing: Opens mid–late 2025

🧬 What FAANG Recruiters Look For

FAANG recruiters are scanning for more than just flashy resumes. They're looking for people who can thrive in fast-moving environments, solve hard problems, and collaborate effectively on real-world products or projects. If you're applying for a big tech internship, here’s what they actually care about:

• Strong problem-solving skills – This could mean debugging a tricky piece of code, optimizing a digital marketing campaign, or structuring a go-to-market strategy. Use your resume to show how you've worked through complex challenges using logic and creativity.
  
  
• Clear communication – Whether you’re writing a product brief, pitching an idea in a team meeting, or explaining your code during an interview, your ability to be clear and concise matters. Communication is a core job skill in every role.
  
  
• Collaboration under pressure – Tech teams move fast. Show that you’ve worked on group projects, launched something on a deadline, or helped resolve a team conflict. Companies want teammates, not lone wolves.
  
  
• Curiosity and fast learning – You don’t need to know everything—just show you’re eager to learn. Mention moments where you picked up a new tool, taught yourself something, or asked the right questions.
  
  
• Leadership without a title – Led a student org? Organized a club project? Launched a side hustle? FAANG teams value initiative. Show how you’ve stepped up—even if it wasn’t “official.”
  

For non-technical tracks (like marketing, policy, UX, or content), highlight creativity, audience empathy, and measurable impact. For technical paths (like SWE or data), focus on coding proficiency, systems thinking, and shipped work. Your goal: show them you're not just smart—you’re ready to contribute on day one.

“Extern was the very first thing on my resume. I pulled up the slide deck I built during my externship in an interview, and it snowballed into roles at Dell, Google, and now Microsoft.” — Dakarai Young, Extern Alum, Analyst at Microsoft

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🚀 Tips to boost your Big Tech internship application

If you're not sure where to start building experience, don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to get real, impactful projects on your resume before applications drop:

• Externships through Extern – Get short-term, project-based work experience with real companies in tech, marketing, UX, and more. You'll work on deliverables you can actually talk about in interviews.
  
  
• GitHub + Side Projects – Launch your own app, automate something helpful, or contribute to open-source. Technical projects make a strong case for initiative and hands-on ability.
  
  
• Hackathons + Case Competitions – These time-bound challenges simulate real team environments and are often run by big tech companies or campus orgs.
  
  
• Campus Clubs – Join or lead a student club focused on product, design, coding, or digital strategy. Projects from these orgs show collaboration and leadership.
  
  
• Freelance or Volunteer Work – Help a local business with their website, assist a nonprofit with social strategy, or analyze data for a campus department.
  

No matter your major or background, you can build the kind of portfolio that recruiters love to see—just start small, stay consistent, and track your wins.

Bonus: Resume-Ready Tips for Your Projects

• Translate projects into results. Don’t just say what you did—say what changed because of you. Use metrics whenever possible.
  
  
• Focus on scope, tools, and outcome. Big tech recruiters love to see technical stacks, problem-solving methods, and clear end impact.
  
  
• Show your role on a team. Even solo projects should show initiative, while team ones should clarify what you owned.
  
  
• Keep bullets short, sharp, and results-focused. Use active verbs like "built," "launched," "improved," and "analyzed."
  
  
• Organize by relevance. Prioritize recent and aligned work for the roles you’re applying to.
  

These additions help every line on your resume reflect action, value, and tech-readiness—exactly what FAANG recruiters want to see.

“My externships gave me hands-on marketing experience I never got in college — and helped me define my career goals.” — Sarah Hasan, Extern Alum, Incoming Social Media Marketing Intern at Nintendo

“If I hadn’t done an externship, I’d be spending hours watching YouTube videos to understand which careers I might enjoy! Now, I want to argue that externships should be a part of the college experience for every student.” — Garrett Boyce, Extern Alum, Deployment Strategist at Palantir

📨 Master the Application Process

The recruiting cycle for tech internships starts earlier than you think. For most companies, early fall 2025 is when applications go live—and popular roles fill up fast. That means summer is your prime time to get organized.

• Track timelines and deadlines – Create a simple spreadsheet or set calendar reminders to keep up with when each company drops roles.
  
  
• Apply on multiple platforms – Prioritize applying through the company’s own careers page, but don’t sleep on Handshake or LinkedIn—they often surface listings first.
  
  
• Tailor your materials – A generic resume or cover letter won’t cut it. Match your content to the function (e.g., design vs. data science) and show how your skills align with the role.
  
  
• Referrals = visibility boost – Recruiters get hundreds of resumes. A referral can push yours to the top of the pile. Reach out to alumni, former extern managers, or friends at the company—just be genuine.
  

Bottom line: the best applications are early, personalized, and supported by real connections. The more strategic you are now, the easier it’ll be to hit send with confidence this fall.

🧡 Prep for the Interview Process

Once you get past the resume screen, it’s game time. Interviews can make or break your application—and in tech, they’re often structured and fast-paced. Expect a mix of technical and behavioral rounds, depending on your role.

• Technical roles: If you’re applying for SWE, data, or ML internships, platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and Pramp are your best friends. Practice problems that focus on arrays, strings, hash maps, and recursion. Know your data structures and time complexities cold.
  
  
• Product or strategy roles: Interviews might include case-style prompts or scenario walkthroughs—like building a product roadmap, solving a user friction point, or prioritizing features. Practice structuring your thoughts clearly and tying decisions back to real impact.
  
  
• Behavioral interviews: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to frame responses. Be ready for questions like "Tell me about a time you failed" or "Describe a situation where you influenced a team decision." Focus on reflection and learning.
  

Many companies start with a recruiter screen before moving into 1–3 rounds of interviews. Some include take-home tasks or coding challenges. Either way, preparation is key. Start early, practice out loud, and simulate real conditions when you can.

This is your chance to show not just what you know, but how you think—and how well you’d work on their team.

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⚡Quick Recap (No Pressure, Just Real Talk)

Big tech internships are more accessible than they seem—and they’re not just for coders. Whether you’re eyeing software, marketing, UX, data, or strategy, applications for FAANG and other top-tier tech companies will start dropping between August and December 2025. Google’s research internship is already open. This summer is your prep zone.

Stay on top of deadlines, polish your materials, and use this season to build resume-ready experiences that show what you’re capable of. You’ve got time—and now, a game plan.