Nguyen Vo Thuan, 23, from Vinh Long, graduated with honors in computer science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (a top 29 public university in the US) in summer 2024.

Recently, Thuan joined Uber as a software engineer, following more than one year of work at Amazon. The company is renowned for its ride-hailing application, operating in over 70 countries.

Before joining these tech giants, Thuan experienced a period of frustration, unable to secure an internship in the US despite sending out 500 applications.

"Failure is an inevitable part of the job application process; what matters is maintaining a positive mindset and believing in yourself", he reflected.

Nguyen Vo Thuan. Photo: Provided by subject

A former physics major at the High School for the Gifted, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Thuan followed his older sister to the US to study computer science. He determined this field offered many job opportunities, but required internships from the first year to build a strong resume.

Immediately upon admission, Thuan self-studied programming and practiced recruitment test formats common in the tech industry. In his first summer, he sent about 70 internship applications but received no responses. Accepting the reality that his resume was "only half a page", Thuan returned to Vietnam for an internship at a company, earning 4 million dong per month as a website developer. During three months there, Thuan learned the GraphQL query language and the Bootstrap Nextjs framework.

By his second year, Thuan aimed to secure an internship in the US, increasing his applications to 200, but the result was still zero.

A turning point came when Thuan boldly requested a "referral" from an acquaintance at Meta. Receiving a positive response for the first time, and from a tech giant, his joy was short-lived. Thuan's internship offer was canceled at the last minute because he had not yet been in the US for one year. He explained that due to Covid-19, his three initial semesters were online, and he studied from Vietnam.

"I was disappointed and cried. I felt I had no value without that Meta offer, and I truly thought I wouldn't be able to find a job in the US", Thuan recalled.

Afterward, he regained his spirit, inspired by Iron Man's quote in the movie "Spider Man: Homecoming": "If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it". Thuan realized he should not tie his self-worth to an internship offer, as it could be easily taken away.

"When I changed my perspective, I felt lighter and more optimistic", Thuan said.

Thuan (in black shirt) and friends in the US. Photo: Provided by subject

Continuing his internships in Vietnam, Thuan also invested time in mastering more complex skills, preparing extensively for the following year's internship application cycle – his last chance to find work in the US. This time, Thuan received a higher response rate. Out of nearly 300 applications, he was called for interviews by about 10 companies, including Amazon.

Amazon representatives asked about algorithms, data structures in programming, and presented situational questions. Thanks to thorough preparation, Thuan was unfazed by any requirements and performed well in the interview round. Two weeks later, he was relieved to receive an offer to intern at Amazon with a salary of about 9,000 USD per month.

During three months there, Thuan was tasked with building a tool for engineers to access and manage servers. This process helped Thuan learn how to use databases effectively and gain insight into many aspects of "backend" – the operational side of a tech system.

The project received positive feedback, and Thuan was offered a full-time position upon graduation.

"That was in late 2023, a time when many tech companies were laying off staff. I felt grateful and lucky to have a job", Thuan expressed.

Not resting on his laurels, Thuan continued to seek internships in his final year to learn as much as possible. He completed internships at Tesla and Apple, each lasting about three months.

In a 2025 review, Netra Shetty, a software development manager, described Thuan as a "valuable member" of the department, with the ability to quickly learn new technologies. This enabled Thuan to tackle many difficult tasks and even exceed expectations.

Additionally, Thuan is proactive and particularly interested in routing systems. His effective learning and responsiveness helped him adapt well to the environment and improve his work performance.

Vo Thuan in the US. Photo: Provided by subject

After more than one year at Amazon, Thuan wanted to challenge himself in a new environment. Although Scale AI offered him a salary of 345,000 USD per year, Thuan chose Uber because he preferred distributed systems.

According to Thuan, Uber's interview process is structured and multi-layered, consisting of an online test, an interview with a team engineer involving a programming exercise simulating their daily work, a practical programming test, system design, and an interview with the engineering manager.

Thuan found the online test, with its increasing difficulty, the most stressful. However, the programming exercises were less focused on algorithms and more tied to real product contexts, making them engaging. The Vinh Long native's current role at Uber involves ensuring the system that helps engineers review and approve source code operates quickly, accurately, and stably.

The lessons Thuan learned during his internship and job search in the US include preparing from the first year, focusing on networking for referrals, and being mindful of policies for international students.

"Don't be discouraged when hundreds of applications are rejected. If you are truly capable, opportunities will come. Stay calm and invest time in upgrading your skills and self-worth", Thuan advised.

Thanh Hang