How to Get a Tech Apprenticeship in 2026

Apprenticeship programs are one of the best ways to get your foot in the door—and not just your foot, but your whole body. After completing an apprenticeship, you're typically on track to becoming a full-time employee.

Some amazing apprenticeship programs include Pinterest, Airbnb, Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Shopify. But I see so many people not even getting a shot because they don't know how to put their best foot forward.

Let's fix that right now.

The Three Things You Need to Optimize

When it comes to putting your best foot forward for these programs, we're going to focus on three main things:

I highly encourage you to optimize all three. Don't consider yourself ready to apply until you've done this work.

Your Resume

With apprenticeship programs, the understanding is that applicants typically don't have previous tech experience—and that's exactly what they want. They want people transitioning into this field, not people who already have computer science degrees.

So don't stress about not having relevant experience. Instead, focus on two main parts: your professional experience and your projects.

Professional Experience: Highlight Transferable Skills

We need to show that we're fantastic candidates based on the transferable skills we bring from previous experience.

What are transferable skills? Skills acquired from a different industry that are extremely relevant to tech jobs.

Top transferable skills for tech include:

Think back to your previous experience and ask: "In what ways did I exhibit skills that this job calls for?"

Before becoming a software engineer, I had jobs in accounting and finance. On my resume, I wrote things like: "Investigated leading causes of profit or loss in the stock market based on three key factors." This showed I could look at data and come to conclusions.

Pro tip: Look up "top transferable skills for [job you want]" and see how your previous experience demonstrates those skills.

Use Metrics in Your Bullet Points

Within the first eight words of each bullet point, include some type of metric. Follow this format:

[Impact you had] + [Metric] + [How you did it]

Example: "Reduced data processing time by 20% by utilizing Python to analyze three main data points."

Don't just describe what your job was—tell them the impact you had.

Projects Section

List two projects similar to how you'd list a job:

Example for a recipe app I built:

Numbers add impact and provide proof that you actually built something real.

Your GitHub

Your GitHub is the portfolio for your coding experience. You don't need to have built an AI supercomputer, but the people who get callbacks are those who show genuine interest in this career—and you show interest by building projects.

Set Up Your GitHub Like a Portfolio

Pick 2-5 projects (aim for 3) and make sure each has a thorough README with these sections:

The Walkthrough Video (This is Important!)

The person reviewing your application often isn't extremely technical—it's usually a recruiter. They may not be able to read your code, but they can watch a video and see what your code turned into.

Here's what to do:

You don't need to show your face or talk—just use the app the way a user would while highlighting key features.

Feature Your Best Projects

Mark your best projects as "Featured" on your GitHub profile. This puts them front and center so visitors don't have to dig for anything.

Make Your GitHub Profile Informative

Your profile should include:

This shows companies that you're serious and interested. It's like saying: "Hey, I'm a serious person here—call me back!"

Your LinkedIn

Your resume expresses your experience. Your GitHub expresses your projects. Your LinkedIn expresses how you show up professionally.

Update Your Headshot

Make it crisp and clear. Every headshot I've ever had on LinkedIn has been from a selfie. My current one? I was in my bedroom against a wall—click—done. I used Canva to add a nice ring around it, and that's my profile picture.

Fix Your Headline

Remove the word "aspiring" from your headline right now.

It should say: Software Engineer. Data Engineer. Cybersecurity Analyst. Whatever role you're applying for.

Would you hire an "aspiring chef" or an "aspiring doctor"? No. So claim what you are.

The great thing about tech is you don't need a job to be that thing. A chef doesn't need to be actively working to claim they're a chef. You ARE a software engineer. No questions, ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Write Your About Section

Add 3-6 sentences about yourself:

Keep it simple. Have ChatGPT help if needed.

Match Your Experience Section to Your Resume

This is important: your LinkedIn experience should perfectly match your resume. Same titles, same bullet points—even for your projects.

I listed my projects under Professional Experience because why not? Building a project IS professional experience. List the bullet points just like you did on your resume.

Add Your Skills

List all the technologies you're proficient in: JavaScript, Ruby, iOS, HTML, CSS, Bootstrap—all of it.

You're Ready to Apply

Once you have these three things optimized, you're set up for a very successful application process.

And if you don't believe me, I received a comment from someone who followed this exact advice and got the Microsoft LEAP apprenticeship. They did these things and landed the role.

So please, save yourself the headache—do these things before you start applying.

Top Apprenticeships to Apply To

Check out these programs:

Good luck with your applications! You've got this.