u/Fearless_Law3460

Time to get humbled by Code with Cisco again.

Hopefully the revised test goes smoothly this time with no technical issues, and everyone gets a fair attempt.

All the best to everyone taking the retest!

I'm a final-year student with previous internship experience and shipped projects.

I've tried applying through job posts, cold emailing founders, and even building small prototypes before reaching out, but I usually end up getting ghosted or left on seen.

For founders, what do you generally prefer when someone reaches out for an internship? And for those who've landed one, what actually worked?

I’m a final-year student who spends most of my time building products and shipping things.

Lately, I’ve been reaching out to founders at YC-backed and other fast growing startups for internship opportunities. I’ve tried cold emails, LinkedIn messages, X (Twitter) DMs, and even building small demos related to a company’s product before reaching out.

Sometimes I get a response, but most of the time I don’t hear back. I understand founders are usually flooded with messages, so I wanted to understand things from the other side.

I’m curious:

• What makes you actually open and respond to a student’s message?
• Do you prefer email, LinkedIn, X, or something else?
• Does building something related to the company actually help?
• What are the most common mistakes students make when reaching out?

Also would love to hear from anyone who’s landed an internship or role at YC-backed or other good startups what actually worked for you?