This essay is based on a conversation with Aimen Moten, who has been working as a software developer at Google since March. She is in her mid-20s and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I work as a software engineer at Google and don’t code that much anymore.
Instead, I spend more time reviewing AI-generated code, making design decisions, and deeply understanding how things work.
An engineer’s job is 100% changing with AI and we need to adapt. But before I had to think about switching to AI, I first had to land a job.
Getting a job at Google was anything but easy. For me, this journey started long before my first Google interview.
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My original goal was to complete my studies early
I am originally from Pakistan and came to the US in 2022 to pursue a computer science degree at DePauw University.
My goal was to graduate in three years because college was expensive. Even with a partial scholarship, school-related expenses still cost more than $10,000 per semester. And since I wasn’t a U.S. citizen, I wasn’t eligible for federal student loans. My parents helped me finance my first few semesters, but I knew I might have to rely on scholarships and internship income to get me through the rest of college.
If I graduated early, I would need a job immediately. So during my second year of college, my strategy was simple: apply to as many internships as possible, land the best one, secure a counteroffer, and put yourself on the fastest path to a full-time job as a software developer.
Business Insider speaks with employees who find themselves at a crossroads within the company – whether due to a layoff, resignation, job search or changing workplace expectations.
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I was strategic about my internship applications
I attended technology conferences like the Grace Hopper Celebration to network and learn when various internship applications open. The conference gave me a heads up and I made sure to apply as soon as applications were released.
The summer before my sophomore year, I also spent a lot of time cold messaging people on LinkedIn at companies I was interested in to hear about their experiences. When I finally applied, I was able to ask some of these people for recommendations and received several.
During this search, I applied for what felt like hundreds of internships and went through multiple interviews, including one that spanned six rounds.
Aimen Moten says AI has changed the way she works as a software engineer at Google.
Aimen Moten
I got an internship at Google and had to adjust my plans
I eventually got an interview for a software engineering internship at Google and eventually received an offer for the internship in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ironically, Google was one of the few companies I interviewed with that I didn’t have a recommendation for.
My first Google internship was a very positive experience, but I had to adjust my timeline to graduate and find a full-time job. I was told that returning to Google for a second internship was the best path to a full-time job in software engineering.
The following summer, I returned to Google for my second internship and received the full-time offer I had been waiting for. After graduating in three and a half years in December 2025, I moved to the Bay Area and started working as a full-time software developer in March.
Looking back, I am especially grateful that I received my offer to return because I know how difficult today’s tech job market has become. I know so many incredibly qualified people who are still looking for opportunities.
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My career tip for young engineers
One lesson I learned during my job search is that it’s important to take care of yourself. Everyone talks about polishing your resume and preparing for interviews, but if you can’t put your best foot forward, it doesn’t matter.
I’ve met people who went from one internship search to the next or from one job search to the next. Everyone tells you to work hard, but no one reminds you that you need to take care of yourself. No matter how good your resume is, if you’re too burned out to talk about it, there’s no point.
I also think that today’s job market requires students to adapt more quickly than ever before. Schools are still considering how to integrate AI into their computer science curricula, but engineers entering the workforce need to learn how to use these tools effectively.
Given the rate at which AI is advancing, I think all of us in tech are feeling some pressure to use AI at work and in our personal lives – and “FOMO” when we don’t. However, I don’t think AI will take my job away any time soon.
From what I saw in my first few months at Google, AI isn’t replacing software engineers – it’s just changing the way we work. If you are a good engineer, you know how important people still are in the design process.
However, I know that the job market for engineering jobs is not easy – and I don’t take my opportunity at Google for granted.
https://www.businessinsider.com/international-student-google-software-engineer-ai-tech-coding-job-market-2026-7
