Why is finding internships so hard?
Context: I am a 3rd year CS student in one of the Big 4 universities, and currently on track for Cum Laude. I tried applying to almost every software or data-related internship position I could see in LinkedIn or in JobStreet but out of all the listings I applied to, I only got around less than 5 interviews. I think I applied to well over 100 companies already. I tailor fit my resume to the company and make sure that it is ATS friendly before applying, with a cover letter whenever possible. But the most I get usually, is just an email saying thank you for applying and then not hearing from them again. It is honestly ruining my mental health and self-esteem recently. I honestly just wanted to get experience before our actual OJT but it seems hopeless at this point.
Do companies expect you to have prior experience before joining their company as an intern? Is this normal?