MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

ABSTRACT:
This interview guide provides information on how to get a technical internship for a middle-tier company as a computer science undergraduate. Companies fall into three tiers: top-, middle-, and bottom-tiers, based on their revenue, size, salary, and popularity. Interview processes differ among the companies in different tiers. Top-tier companies focus more on your ability to solve technical problems whereas middle-tier companies stress your behavior and way of thinking. Middle-tier companies also want those that understand their business. Bottom-tier companies have one technical/behavioral round. That being said, preparation will differ based on what tier the company you’re interviewing for falls under. For top-tier companies, I recommend you practice doing hard interview questions (they can be easily found online – Glassdoor). For middle-tier companies, I advise doing some of the more challenging problems from Cracking the Coding Interview and also looking at behavioral questions that are asked on Glassdoor. For bottom-tier companies, I suggest touching up on conceptual questions. As a minority myself, I touch on diversity in the field of computer science. The diversity section is a conversation starter on lack of gender and racial diversity in technology department for any tech company. The guide closes with recommendations of books and posts that the reader should look into as additional resources.

WC = 214

READER’S PROFILE
I imagine a reader skeptical of the guide because I have no experience working in the industry.

READER’S RESPONSE
Why would I read this guide when there are so many other guides out there? Is a guide for a middle-tier company necessary? They’re middle-tier for a reason. They’re easy to get into. So I don’t need a guide. Also, this person is an interviewee, not an interviewer. It’s better for me to be advised by someone that either has worked for tech companies or even better, has interviewed candidates for technical internship positions. Talking to professors is better than reading this guide.

S -- where is the source for this tier taxonomy? Common knowledge in your field? Professors generally chatting? Let me know how you will support this, as your document hinges strongly on this. You do not need a format citation but will need to establish this.