Team Introduction

Our Search Engineering Team is responsible for building and owning Tik Tok's search engine which can provide our users with the best search experience. In Tik Tok Search Team, you'll have the opportunity to build full-stack search engine system and combine information retrieval technology with modern machine learning methods from related fields such as NLP, CV, and recommender system. We embrace a culture of self-direction, intellectual curiosity, openness, and problem-solving.

We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. Internships at Tik Tok aim to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience. Watch your ambitions become reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at Tik Tok.

Internships at Tik Tok aim to provide students with hands-on experience in developing fundamental skills and exploring potential career paths. A vibrant blend of social events and enriching development workshops will be available for you to explore. Here, you will utilize your knowledge in real-world scenarios while laying a strong foundation for personal and professional growth. It runs for 12 weeks.

Application Information

Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to Tik Tok and its affiliates' jobs globally. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).

Summer Start Dates

• May 11th, 2026
• May 18th, 2026
• May 26th, 2026
• June 8th, 2026
• June 22nd, 2026

Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to Tik Tok and its affiliates' jobs globally. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.

Responsibilities

This internship provides students the opportunity to join one of our engineering teams where you will have the opportunity to:

Participate in the improvement of the search core algorithm, possible directions include:

• Content understanding: Applying the industry's cutting-edge NLP and CV technology and leveraging LLM to match the most relevant videos for each search query, and continuously improve the relevance of Tik Tok search.
• User Behavior Modeling: solving the recommendation problem in search, let Tik Tok search increase the ability of personalization on the basis of "relevant", and understand users better.
• Video understanding: comprehensive use of NLP, CV, as well as LLM for better video understanding from the perspective of the video itself and social network, improve authority, credibility, and usefulness of search results.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be able to commit to a 12-week full-time work period during Summer or Fall 2026.
• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Must obtain work authorization in country of employment at the time of hire, and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment.
• Proficient coding skills and strong algorithm & data structure basis.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: NLP, Ranking, Ads, search engine, recommender system, distributed system, and machine learning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduating December 2026 onwards with intent to return to degree-program after the completion of the internship.
• Demonstrated software engineering experience from previous internship, work experience, coding competitions, or publications.
• High levels of creativity and quick problem-solving capabilities.

Privacy Statement

By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy