Tips for Applying to Tech Internships and Remote Jobs

CV / Resume

For tech roles, the ideal CV is 1—2 pages (1 for less than 3 years of experience, 2 for more), saved as a PDF, and structured in this order: Contact Info —  Professional Summary —  Skills —  Work Experience —  Education —  Projects. Every bullet point in your experience section should follow the format: Action verb + what you did + technology used + measurable outcome.

• Include your GitHub URL and portfolio link prominently in the contact section
• List only skills you can discuss confidently in an interview
• Write bullet points that show impact: "Built REST API serving 50,000 daily requests" not "Worked on backend"
• Tailor the Skills section to match keywords in the job description — this is critical for ATS systems
• Name your file FirstName_LastName_CV.pdf — not "cv_final_v3.pdf"

LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is the primary tool recruiters use to find and evaluate candidates. A complete, optimized LinkedIn profile increases your visibility dramatically — recruiters search for specific skills and roles, and profiles that match appear at the top of results. On the free plan, you can appear in hundreds of recruiter searches per month if your profile is well-optimized.

• Headline: Don't just write your job title. Write a value proposition: "Full-Stack Developer | React, Node.js, PostgreSQL | Open to Remote Opportunities" ranks far better in searches.
• About section: 3—4 paragraphs: your background, your primary skills, what you are looking for, and a link to your portfolio.
• Experience: List every role with specific bullet points — not just the job description, but what you actually built and achieved.
• Skills: Add all relevant skills and get at least 5 endorsements on your primary skills — LinkedIn's algorithm weights endorsed skills.
• Open to Work: Enable the "Open to Work" feature. Set it to show to recruiters only if you prefer not to announce publicly.
• Activity: Post once or twice per week — sharing what you are building, a project you deployed, a lesson learned. LinkedIn rewards active profiles with more search visibility.

GitHub Profile

For technical roles, your GitHub is as important as your CV — sometimes more so. Technical reviewers look at your GitHub to see how you actually write code, how recently you have been active, and whether your projects are documented well enough to understand without asking you questions.

• Write a GitHub Profile README (create a repo with the same name as your username; the README appears on your profile)
• Pin your 4—6 strongest, most relevant repositories to your profile
• Every pinned repository must have a proper README: what it does, the tech stack, how to run it, and a live demo link
• Keep your commit history active — even small commits (fixing a bug, improving documentation) maintain a green contribution graph
• Don't leave projects in an obviously unfinished state — if a repo is a work in progress, add a note in the README

Portfolio Website

A personal portfolio site demonstrates frontend skills (if you are a frontend developer), shows that you can deploy real projects, and gives recruiters a direct link to your best work. Build it in your primary tech stack, deploy it free on Vercel or Netlify, and get a custom domain for professionalism (yourname.dev costs approximately KSh 1,200/year).

• Include 3—5 projects with live demo links, tech stack descriptions, and case study paragraphs
• Display your contact email and LinkedIn link prominently
• Make it fast — a slow portfolio site signals poor attention to performance
• Make it mobile-responsive — many recruiters browse on phones

Vetted talent platforms (apply once, get matched repeatedly)

• Andela (andela.com): The largest African tech talent network. Once vetted and placed, you access ongoing contract work with global companies at competitive rates. Vetting involves a technical assessment and interviews. Apply at andela.com.
• Turing (turing.com): AI-powered platform matching developers to US company contracts. Requires passing a technical skills test. Typical rates: $30—$80/hour for matched developers.
• Arc.dev (arc.dev): Remote developer marketplace with a rigorous screening process. Once approved, developers access a curated list of remote roles without competing in open marketplaces.
• Deel Talent Network: Global hiring platform increasingly used by US and European companies to hire African developers with compliant contracts.
• Toptal (toptal.com): Top 3% acceptance rate; very high rates ($60—$150/hour); requires passing multiple interview and technical rounds. Worthwhile for experienced developers with strong portfolios.

The 15-minute application checklist

• Read the job description fully — twice. Underline the specific technologies, skills, and qualities they emphasize.
• Check whether your CV mentions those exact technologies and skills by name — ATS systems keyword-match your application against the description.
• Visit the company's website and spend 5 minutes understanding what they build and who their customers are.
• Write a 3—4 sentence cover note that mentions: the specific role, one specific thing about the company that you find compelling (not generic praise), and your most directly relevant experience or project.
• Include your portfolio link and GitHub link prominently — make it easy for reviewers to see your work with one click.
• Submit within the first 48 hours of the posting going live — early applications receive more attention.

Cover letter structure that works

1. Opening (1—2 sentences): Name the specific role. Show you know something specific about the company — their product, a recent news item, or a problem they are solving.
2. Your most relevant experience (2—3 sentences): Connect one specific thing you have built or done to what they need. Use concrete details — technologies, numbers, outcomes.
3. Why this role (1—2 sentences): What specifically do you want to learn or contribute here? Be genuine — generic "I want to grow" phrases are meaningless.
4. Close (1 sentence + links): Express interest in discussing further. Include your portfolio URL and GitHub URL.

Target length: 150—250 words. Anything longer will not be read fully. Anything shorter seems careless.

Online coding assessments (HackerRank, LeetCode style)

Many companies use automated coding assessments on platforms like HackerRank, Codility, CoderByte, or their own in-house systems. These test your ability to solve algorithmic problems under time pressure.

• Practice on LeetCode — start with Easy problems, progress to Medium. Most entry-level assessments are Easy/Medium difficulty.
• Study core data structures: arrays, strings, hash maps, linked lists, stacks, queues, and binary trees.
• Understand the most common algorithmic patterns: two pointers, sliding window, BFS/DFS, binary search, and dynamic programming basics.
• Read the full problem statement carefully before writing a single line — misunderstanding the problem is the most common cause of wrong solutions.
• Always consider edge cases: empty input, single element, duplicates, negative numbers.

Take-home projects

Many companies — especially startups and agencies — give candidates a small take-home project instead of or in addition to algorithmic tests. These typically involve building a simple CRUD app, a landing page, or a specific feature within a given timeframe (4—48 hours).

• Read the requirements extremely carefully. Do exactly what is asked, no more and no less.
• Write a proper README with setup instructions, your technical decisions, and anything you would have done differently with more time.
• Deploy it — a live link alongside the code demonstrates an extra level of professionalism and makes it easy for reviewers to test.
• Submit before the deadline. Timeliness is itself an evaluation criterion.
• Include tests if the instructions mention testing or if the role description values code quality.

Live technical interviews

Live coding interviews — where you write code while the interviewer watches — test not just your technical knowledge but your problem-solving process and communication under pressure.

• Think aloud: Narrate your thought process as you approach the problem. Interviewers often care as much about how you think as whether you solve it.
• Clarify before coding: Ask questions about edge cases, input format, and constraints before writing any code. This demonstrates professional working habits.
• Start with a simple solution: Get a working solution first, then optimize. An unoptimized working solution is better than an optimized incomplete one.
• Practice with mock interviews: Use Pramp (free peer mock interviews) or Interviewing.io (with professional interviewers) to practice the format under realistic conditions.

Common behavioural questions with STAR answers

• "Tell me about yourself" — A 60—90 second pitch: your background, your primary technical skills, your most relevant experience, and what you are looking for. Practise this until it is natural.
• "Tell me about a challenging project" — Describe the challenge (Situation), your specific responsibility (Task), what you did (Action), and the measurable outcome (Result).
• "How do you handle disagreements with teammates?" — Give a specific example of a real disagreement, how you approached the conversation, and what the resolution was.
• "Why do you want to work here?" — Mention something specific about the company — their product, their engineering blog, their tech stack, or a problem they are solving that you find compelling. Generic answers are red flags.
• "Where do you see yourself in 3 years?" — Be honest but ambitious: a senior engineer, leading a team, building a specific type of system. Align your answer with the trajectory the role offers.

Application tracking system (build one)

Create a simple spreadsheet with these columns: Company, Role, Application Date, Job URL, Contact Name/Email, Status (Applied / Screening / Technical / Interview / Offer / Rejected), Follow-up Date, and Notes. Update it after every interaction. This prevents double-applications, helps you identify which roles to follow up on, and gives you data to see what is and is not working.

• Follow up after 7—10 days with a short email: "I wanted to confirm my application for [role] reached you and express my continued strong interest."
• After interviews, send a thank-you note within 24 hours — email the interviewer directly if you have their address, or send via LinkedIn.
• If rejected, respond gracefully: "Thank you for letting me know. I would welcome any feedback on my application or interview if you are able to share it." Occasionally, candidates who handled rejection professionally are reconsidered for future roles.

Salary research resources

• Levels.fyi — Crowd-sourced compensation data for tech roles at major companies, including remote positions
• Glassdoor — Salary ranges for specific roles at specific companies; filter by remote
• Stack Overflow Developer Survey — Annual salary data by role, region, and experience level
• LinkedIn Salary — Available with Premium; shows salary ranges for specific job titles and locations
• Andela's public rate cards — Andela publishes approximate contractor rates for different engineering levels

Negotiation principles

• Always negotiate — the first offer is rarely the final offer. Even a 10% improvement on initial offers is worth attempting.
• Anchor high — if asked for your expected salary, research the market rate and state a number at or slightly above the top of the range.
• Negotiate after the offer, not before — agree in principle to the role first, then discuss compensation.
• Consider the full package: salary, equity, benefits, flexible hours, professional development budget, and equipment allowances all have monetary value.

Week 1 — Build and Audit Your Profile

• Update your CV to 1—2 pages, tailored to your target role type; proofread three times
• Complete your LinkedIn profile to 100% (all sections filled, profile photo, headline with keywords)
• Enable "Open to Work" on LinkedIn — set to Recruiters Only or Public based on your preference
• Write or update your GitHub profile README and pin your 4—6 best repositories
• Ensure every pinned repository has a proper README with a live demo link
• Deploy your portfolio website and verify all links work

Week 2 — Identify and Apply

• Create a job tracking spreadsheet with the columns mentioned in this guide
• Set up LinkedIn job alerts for your target role + "remote" or your target city
• Identify 20 companies you would genuinely like to work for — bookmark their career pages
• Submit 5—10 tailored applications (not copy-paste templates) to roles that match your skills
• Connect with 5 engineers at target companies on LinkedIn with personalized notes

Week 3 — Interview Preparation

• Practice LeetCode Easy problems for 30 minutes every day this week
• Prepare answers to the 5 most common behavioural questions using the STAR framework
• Rehearse your "Tell me about yourself" answer until it is natural and under 90 seconds
• Submit 5—10 more applications; continue to tailor each one
• Follow up on any applications from Week 2 that have not received a response

Week 4 — Engage and Iterate

• Attend at least one tech meetup, webinar, or online community event
• Post one piece of content on LinkedIn about something you are building or learning
• Review which applications received responses and which did not — adjust your targeting or messaging accordingly
• Continue submitting 5—10 applications per week as a sustainable cadence
• If you have received any interview invitations, prioritize thorough preparation above more applications