From MLH Production Engineering Fellowship to Meta Production Engineer
As an international student, securing internship opportunities in America has always been difficult for me. In summer 2023, I failed to get any internships in the industry, a major setback as my family was going through financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the time. I knew it was critical that I land a full-time job after graduating college to alleviate the stress on my parents as I was also facing deportation without a full-time job. I had to have somewhere to start building my career.
My Journey with MLH
That’s when Major League Hacking (MLH) came into the picture. I first connected with MLH through hackathons in my freshman year, and these events quickly became a springboard for my growth as a Software Engineer. Inspired by these experiences, I participated in the MLH Prep Fellowship during my sophomore year, a shorter 4-week program designed to help aspiring Fellows build the skills necessary to land a spot in one of MLH’s 12-week programs. After completing the Prep program, I saw an opening for the Production Engineering Fellowship, so I applied right away. I was thrilled to be accepted — I knew this was my chance.
What’s the Production Engineering Fellowship?
The MLH Production Engineering Fellowship is an immersive 12-week program that trains up-and-coming developers on the skills needed to launch careers as Production Engineers. This program was everything I needed — a hands-on internship-like experience without the barrier of visa sponsorship.
It filled in gaps that university classes hadn’t covered. Through the program, I learned essential skills like Linux commands, file systems, Bash scripting, CI/CD pipelines, and more. The program’s most unique aspect was the mentorship from senior Meta Production Engineers, who helped me sharpen my coding and interviewing skills with one-on-one sessions. By the end of the program, I could confidently explain my code and communicate my thought process with ease. Even now, in my full-time role, I find myself referring back to concepts I learned during the fellowship.
The Fellowship Launchpad
When Meta reached out to me to interview for a full-time Production Engineer role, I was ready. The concepts and techniques I’d practiced in the Fellowship gave me a strong foundation. After multiple rounds of interviews… I landed the job! The fear of deportation after graduation was finally lifted.
A traditional internship is often the surest path to a full-time job, but I’m so thankful MLH opened another door for me. If you’re considering an MLH Fellowship, go for it! The MLH Fellowship is a unique chance to build something meaningful and explore why you fell in love with computer science in the first place.
