okay so I know the bar is probably insane but I keep seeing Anthropic new grad postings and I genuinely don't know if I should apply or hold off until I have a year or two somewhere else.
my background: cs degree from a decent school (not top 5), internship at a mid-size fintech, some personal ML projects. I can do the coding rounds okay but nothing extraordinary.
the thing that gets me is all the talk about "values alignment" and research taste. like, I have values, I care about AI safety, but I don't have papers or research credentials. does that disqualify you immediately or do they hire new grads who are more on the engineering side?
3 replies
recruiter_rita
they do hire new grads for engineering roles, not just research. the research RE bar is genuinely higher. for a software engineering new grad role the loop is closer to standard, though still rigorous. apply. worst case you learn where your gaps are early.
tired_recruiter
I'll say this as someone in recruiting: companies like Anthropic get so many apps that you're not "wasting" your shot the way you might worry about. they're not counting how many times you've applied. if you're not ready now, apply again in a year. just make sure your resume speaks to impact not just technologies used.
pivot_pat
I'd apply and treat it as a learning loop. even getting to the take-home would tell you a lot about where you are versus where you need to be. low downside.