"When I landed a software and digital media communications internship at Tesla last year, it was almost like a dream come true because it felt like a stamp of approval that I was good enough. It was my first Big Tech internship, and I was really excited to tell my parents because I would be the first person in the family on both sides to ever work at such a big and well-known company."
"I received a call in April last year that my internship would be rescinded. The entire summer 2024 intern cohort was laid off. On top of that, more than 14,000 employees were unfortunately part of the layoff. I immediately called my sister and told her that I would no longer have a job for the summer. I was really worried because, at that point, it was quite late in the recruitment timeline. Internships were almost close to nonexistent."
"As an immigrant, I lacked a lot of parental guidance. My parents don't really know anything about tech, let alone job applications. I had to figure everything out on my own - meeting with university career counselors, talking with friends, and learning from creators on social media. But there's only so much others can offer when they haven't walked the same path or experienced the specific opportunities I'm pursuing."
A Taiwanese immigrant attending UC Davis navigated the tech recruiting process with limited parental guidance and relied on career counselors, friends, and online creators for information. The student secured a software and digital media communications internship at Tesla, which felt like validation and a first for both sides of the family. The internship offer was rescinded in April when the entire summer 2024 intern cohort was laid off amid larger company cuts affecting over 14,000 employees. The rescission arrived late in the recruitment season, leaving few alternative internships available. The setback prompted questions about belonging and control in Big Tech and revealed unexpected personal resilience and a commitment to controlling responses.
Read at Business Insider
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