How 3 Tinder Interns Turned 27 Spots Into Full-Time Jobs

Eric Brandon Kam, 28, discovered Tinder's internship in 2020 after downloading the app for the first time. He works in Tinder's Palo Alto office. He said his cover letter, which mentioned a Tinder date, helped him stand out against thousands of engineering applicants. He highlighted his user experience to show he understood the product from a customer's angle.

During the internship, he applied multidisciplinary engineering principles from Stanford. He said Tinder's culture pushes engineers to take strong ownership.

"Instead of just implementing 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.

He stayed curious and talked constantly with coworkers, asking about their work. He said that mattered "especially important for a remote internship."

Taylor Wong, 25, started as a marketing intern in 2022 after a study abroad roommate whose uncle worked at Tinder told her about the program. She extended her internship three times and worked part-time through college before getting an offer the spring of her senior year.

"I just kept sticking around," Wong said.

Wong said being part of Tinder's core audience gave her an advantage. The company focuses heavily on Gen Z users, so colleagues regularly asked for her insight. Speaking up in meetings with older, more experienced staff was intimidating at first. She said the team genuinely valued her perspective.

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