When is the best time to apply for internships?

When is the right time to apply for summer 2014 internships at companies like Facebook, Google and so on? When will the selection process end?

• When do companies like Google, Microsoft and Facebook start hiring summer interns for summer 2014? What is the timeline? How many months does the hiring season last?

• Answer:

  In general, I think applying as early as the application opens is a good idea. This allows you to get in the system and provide your resume and information to recruiters (who can then contact you). For Summer 2014 internships, the hiring season can last from August/September through as late as March, for larger companies. Of course, they only have a certain number of slots too, so that's a slight limiting factor and prevents them (or any of us) from giving you a definite date on which companies end their hiring season. Some companies will continue to hire through May, but in my experience, a lot of them will finish by the end of March (especially if they have to arrange corporate housing and flights). Additionally, a good number (if not the majority) of companies focus on full time hires in the fall, but it doesn't hurt to apply for the internship early if they'll allow you to. If your school has a career fair of some sort, make sure to attend it!! As far as the companies you mentioned specifically... From my experience, Microsoft starts doing their second round interviews during or close to the first week of October, so I would suggest applying as soon as you get back to school so that, if you qualify, you can get your flight booked and etc as soon as possible. They have a fairly quick turn around, so some time in September is ideal, but finishing your first round interview some time in October also works pretty well. Google's process does (potentially) take longer, but last year, host matching didn't start until the last week in October. So, if you want to start their process "early", just make sure to do your phone interviews some time in September (mine was on 9/27 last year). Programs like Freshman Engineering Practicum and Engineering Practicum are settled by the beginning of the spring semester (so around mid January or February). Overall, what you're waiting on is host matching, so your process could be fast or short depending on if you're matched quickly. Facebook is a bit more spread out - you'll interview at any given time but won't receive your team assignment until right before you join. This is different from the previous two companies I've mentioned, which will match you with a team before you're given an official offer. Their process is also pretty fast; they can give interview results in anywhere from 1-3 days (usually 1-2). I also wrote this answer a while back that focuses less on the time frames, but more about applying early: Tl;dr: Apply early! Good luck!