4 Lessons From Google, AWS, and Tinder Interns Who Got Hired

The summer internship season is winding down. That means the question every intern has been dodging is finally here: will the company make a return offer?

The job market feels more chaotic than it did a few years ago. AI is reshaping what companies look for in early-career hires. But the advice on turning an internship into a full-time offer has not changed much.

Business Insider collected tips from former interns at Google, AWS, and Tinder who successfully converted their summer stints into permanent roles. Four themes kept surfacing.

Ask questions and show curiosity

Victoria Rozanska, a former Google intern, said embracing continuous learning was critical. She told Business Insider that being open to feedback is "key to thriving."

Ryan Stewart interned at Tinder before becoming a full-time brand manager. He said in July that he was nervous about approaching senior leaders at first, but leading with curiosity made people receptive.

"If you're seen as being curious, there's no wrongdoing there," Stewart said. "I think you can go for it."

Kevin Gutierrez, a Columbia graduate who interned at AWS and received a full-time offer, said interns should gain a deep understanding of their assigned projects. A solid grasp of the work makes execution easier, he said.

Build relationships beyond your team

Nancy Qi spent three summers as a Google intern before getting a full-time offer. She told Business Insider in 2024 that eating lunch with colleagues every day created "team chemistry" and made her more motivated on the job.

Tinder's Stewart scheduled one-on-one meetings with senior directors to learn more about the business. Those connections can make an internship less intimidating and leave you with a stronger network, even if you do not stay at the company.

"It's good to build up a good network of successful people," Tawfiq Mohammad, a former Google intern, said last year. "It's just good to network with people that are farther along the career path than you."

Use your perspective as an asset

Taylor Wong, a former Tinder intern, said her Gen Z perspective became an advantage because colleagues wanted to hear from someone in that demographic.

"When you are the Gen Z person in the room, everyone wants your opinion," Wong said in July. She told other interns to "lean into that superpower."

Interns should take opportunities to show agency on their projects. Mohammad said he tried to own his project "from A to Z."

Eric Brandon Kam received an offer at Tinder after his internship. He said that meant speaking up about his perspective on projects instead of just implementing assigned tickets.

"I gave my own perspective on how we could better engineer a project to prioritize both user outcome and long-term code health," Kam said in July.

Document your work before the final conversation

Every intern eventually faces the return-offer conversation. Lydia Lam, who completed three Google internships before joining full time, recommended "producing a lot of artifacts." She said in 2025 that designs, projects, and other tangible work demonstrate skills and impact.

Qi took a similar approach. She wrote down weekly notes about what she was stuck on and what she accomplished. At the end of the summer, her reflection included screenshots and links to those summaries. It showed effort and let the reviewer see her problem-solving process.

Stewart went further. He spent his internship identifying gaps in the business and pitched his own full-time role at the end. He figured the worst answer was "no" and had nothing to lose by asking.