About the role#
The Search team builds systems that help users find relevant and engaging content across TikTok. The team works on search retrieval, ranking, recommendation signals, query understanding, and infrastructure. You will work with large-scale machine learning and distributed systems to improve search quality for a global user base. This is a full-time internship for Summer 2027.
What you'll do#
- Support the design, implementation, testing, and iteration of search features and tools with guidance from mentors.
- Analyze large-scale data, logs, and metrics to understand user search behavior.
- Improve product and system quality through experiments.
- Collaborate with engineering, product, and data science partners to define requirements and hit project milestones.
- Write clear, maintainable code and documentation for your work.
- Share progress, risks, and findings with stakeholders throughout the program.
What you'll need#
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related field.
- Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Python, Java, C++, Go, or JavaScript.
- Knowledge of data structures, algorithms, software engineering fundamentals, and system design.
- Experience with search, recommendation, machine learning, information retrieval, natural language processing, ranking, or data mining projects is preferred.
- Familiarity with databases, distributed systems, data pipelines, or large-scale backend services.
- Ability to use data to investigate and solve system or user problems.
- Strong communication skills and an interest in improving search experiences.
Location & details#
- Location: San Jose, California.
- Work modality: On-site.
- This is a paid internship.
- Sponsorship is not provided for this position.
About TikTok
TikTok operates as an entertainment provider. The company maintains a global presence with offices in cities including Los Angeles, Singapore, New York, London, and Tokyo. It employs over 92,000 people. The organization is privately held.
How to get in at TikTok
Landing an internship at TikTok requires speed because early applicants often get seen before the pile grows. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published anywhere, so you can apply among the first. This gives you a better chance of your resume being reviewed while the team is still actively filling the position. You should aim to be one of the first people to submit your materials. Reaching out to the right person can also improve your chances of getting a response. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company roles so you can contact them directly to ask about the role or a referral. This direct approach often works better than waiting for a response from a general application queue.
