3 former Tinder interns share how they secured full-time jobs at the company

Jul 30, 2026 04:50 PM - 2 hours ago 1

Eric Brandon Kam, Ryan Stewart, Taylor Wong,

Tinder backend package technologist Eric Brandon Kam (left), marque trading head Ryan Stewart (center) and merchandise trading head Taylor Wong (right). Tinder

With the extremity of summertime getting closer, you mightiness beryllium wondering really to fastener successful a return connection astatine your internship.

These days, it's reliable to moreover unafraid an internship astatine a large institution — and Tinder is nary exception. Tinder's Tindership program drew 30,000 applications per rhythm for conscionable 27 spots, a spokesperson for the institution said.

What does it return to move a specified an internship into a full-time job? Business Insider said pinch 3 erstwhile Tinder interns who did conscionable that. They said sharing their Gen Z perspective, voicing their opinions, and showing they understood the app helped them guidelines out.

Read connected to study really they landed full-time gigs:

Ryan Stewart, marque manager

Ryan Stewart headshot

Ryan Stewart is simply a marque trading manager.  Tinder

Ryan Stewart, 28, joined the institution arsenic a creation intern successful London successful 2021. He said that being an avid Tinder personification helped him standout during the question and reply process.

"Knowing the product, if you person that penetration that you tin show, that's a golden star," Stewart said.

Stewart besides said being based successful the UK worked to his advantage. The European squad was smaller, which gave him much visibility and opportunities to build relationships crossed the business. He said he prioritized asking questions, volunteering to help, and gathering group successful different departments.

He besides shared his position pinch leaders and scheduled one-on-one meetings pinch elder directors to study much astir the business. Although those conversations were intimidating astatine first, he said approaching them pinch curiosity made group receptive.

"If you're seen arsenic being curious, there's nary wrongdoing there, and I deliberation you tin you tin spell for it," Stewart said.

When his internship came to an end, Stewart took an unconventional attack to landing a full-time role. He sounded a position based connected gaps he had identified during his internship.

"My mindset was: The worst point they opportunity is 'no,' and I'm already leaving anyway," Stewart said. "So I mightiness arsenic good mightiness arsenic good springiness it a shot."

Eric Brandon Kam, backend package engineer

Eric Brandon Kam outdoors

Eric Brandon Kam is simply a backend package technologist astatine Tinder.  Eric Brandon Kam

Eric Brandon Kam, 28, first learned astir Tinder's internship programme successful 2020, soon aft he downloaded the app for the first time.

Kam, who useful successful Tinder's Palo Alto office, said he believes the screen missive he wrote, which included mentioning a Tinder date, helped him guidelines retired successful a competitory applicant pool, wherever engineering internships often pull thousands of candidates. He said he made a constituent to item his acquisition arsenic a Tinder user, showing that he understood the merchandise from a customer's perspective.

During his internship, he said applied multidisciplinary engineering principles that he learned astatine Stanford. He said Tinder's civilization values beardown ownership from engineers.

"Instead of conscionable implementing tickets, I gave my ain position connected really we could amended technologist a task to prioritize some personification result and semipermanent codification health," Kam said.

Kam said he besides stayed funny and communicated constantly, getting to cognize his coworkers and asking them astir what they do.

He said that was "especially important for a distant internship."

Taylor Wong, merchandise trading manager

Taylor Wong headshot.

Taylor Wong is simply a merchandise trading head astatine Tinder.  Tinder

Taylor Wong, 25, sewage her commencement arsenic a trading intern successful 2022 aft proceeding astir the opportunity from a study overseas roommate whose uncle worked astatine the company.

Wong ended up extending her internship 3 times and worked part-time successful assemblage earlier getting an connection the outpouring of her elder year.

"I conscionable kept sticking around," Wong said.

Wong said 1 of her biggest advantages was being portion of Tinder's halfway audience. Since the institution is heavy focused connected Gen Z users, she said colleagues often turned to her for insight. Although she was initially intimidated to speak up successful meetings pinch older, much knowledgeable colleagues, Wong said seeing that the squad genuinely weighted her position gave her confidence.

"When you are the Gen Z personification successful the room, everyone wants your opinion," Wong said, adding that different interns should "lean into that superpower."

Read next

Business Insider

Follow Following

Every clip publishes a story, you’ll get an alert consecutive to your inbox!

Look retired for an alert successful your inbox the adjacent clip publishes a story!

Every clip a caller communicative is published, you’ll get an alert consecutive to your inbox!

Look retired for an alert successful your inbox the adjacent clip a caller communicative is published!

By clicking “Sign up”, you work together to person emails from Business Insider. In addition, you judge Insider’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

More stories by More stories from

More