did a Netflix internship the summer before my senior year (2024), got a return offer, then agonized over whether to take it for about three months. here's the full picture in case it helps someone in a similar spot.
the internship itself: I was on the mobile client team (iOS). the project was real work, not a sandbox. I was fixing bugs in production code by week 2 which was terrifying and also exactly what I wanted. the intern cohort was small compared to big companies that do 500+ interns, which I think is intentional. you get a lot of visibility.
my manager was genuinely good. 1:1s every week, feedback was direct and specific, which I've heard isn't universal across teams. the culture really does vary by team a lot at Netflix. some interns on other teams reported minimal guidance.
conversion rate: I asked my recruiter at the end. she said they don't publish a number but in my year the conversion rate was "selective", which I interpreted as somewhere around 50-60% based on what I observed in my cohort. not everyone who wants a return offer gets one, and the evaluation is essentially the same bar as hiring a new grad externally.
the return offer: they extended in October, gave me until January to decide. the new grad SWE offer for my level (E3/entry) in LA was: $140k base, no bonus, RSUs $80k over 4 years with 1-year cliff then monthly. total year-1 TC around $160k prorated.
I compared it against other new grad offers I received (yes I still interviewed at other places, nobody should rely on a single offer). it was competitive, slightly above my Google L3 offer on cash but below on total comp due to RSUs.
why I took it: I already knew the team, the manager, the product area. that information has real value. interviewing is random enough that the known quantity is worth something. I also genuinely liked the work on the iOS client and the team's culture was healthy.
the one thing I'd tell interns: the culture memo isn't just marketing. the "freedom and responsibility" framing is real. that meant I was expected to ask for help when needed and also wasn't held by the hand. if you need a lot of structure and guidance to produce good work, the environment might not click for you. if you thrive with a clear outcome and latitude to figure out how, it's great.