Interning at OpenAI in San Francisco: A Personal Journey
As a young tech enthusiast, the prospect of interning at OpenAI in San Francisco was nothing short of thrilling. I had always been fascinated by the potential of artificial intelligence, and the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research and development was simply irresistible. In this article, I'll share my personal journey, from my initial aspirations to my experiences at OpenAI, and reflect on what it's like to be at the forefront of the AI revolution.
The Tech Aspirations
Growing up, I was always drawn to the medical field, following in the footsteps of my family members. However, a computer science class in high school sparked a new interest in me. I realized that the world of software engineering was where my passions lay. I set my sights on San Francisco, the epicenter of the tech industry, and made it my mission to get there. I knew that if I wanted to make it in tech and learn from the best, I had to be in Silicon Valley.
The Journey to San Francisco
I began my journey by studying software engineering at a university in Canada. During my degree, I did co-ops, which allowed me to alternate between studying and working at different companies. My first internship was at a very early-stage startup in Canada, where I realized I enjoyed the startup atmosphere. I had a lot of ownership, learned a lot on small teams, and was thrown into the work. This experience fueled my ambition to work at a startup or start my own.
I did two more internships in Canada, and during my last one, I visited the San Francisco office on a few occasions. I was intentional about going to tech events and meeting engineers from different companies. A connection I made led to my next internship at a company in San Mateo, about 20 miles south of San Francisco. My circle of friends in the city grew very quickly, and I strongly recommend going to events in San Francisco to find a job or meet cool people.
The OpenAI Internship
In late 2024, I was still commuting between university in Canada and San Francisco when some people I knew in the city told me that OpenAI was running an internship program. Their intel helped me apply early, and I got invited to interview. I think it also helped that I had interned a lot before and got some machine learning experience. I cold-emailed recruiters at OpenAI to introduce myself and get their attention, which I think never hurts.
OpenAI's two technical interview rounds were the toughest I'd done, because it seemed they really cared about speed. In one 45-minute block, I had to complete a coding task while talking through my design process. When OpenAI called to say I was accepted for a three-month internship, I felt euphoric. From May to August 2025, it was incredible to work from their Mission Bay office, and for such a notable brand.
I could tell within one conversation that the people around me were highly intelligent and capable. They were also humble. I learned a lot from the other engineers, like how to supercharge my own use of AI agents for tasks like coding. I move way faster now than I did before the internship.
Though it was the biggest company I had worked for, it felt like a startup. I was thrown into things immediately, which I really liked. New hires are asked to merge or ship something to the codebase on their first day, so I was tasked with a small change.
I didn't get to interact much with OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, but I got the sense that he really cared about us interns, because when he spoke to us, he'd ask us questions about how we were finding the internship and whether we felt well-supported.
The Future of Tech
I signed a return offer with OpenAI for Fall 2026, but after running into visa issues, I pivoted, and for now, I'm focusing on my own agentic AI projects. There's a great window of opportunity to build because of AI, so I'm open to possibilities, especially since I'm young and don't have responsibilities like kids.
I moved to San Francisco full-time in October. Landing the OpenAI internship made me feel like my decision to be here paid off. It connected me to really smart people at the frontier of AI, and while it's expensive and competitive, the density of talented people and opportunities makes the trade-off worthwhile for me.
Canada has excellent universities, and it's generally more affordable, but staying there would've limited me. There are fewer tech opportunities, particularly in frontier AI. San Francisco feels like the right place for me to be.
Personal Reflection
Looking back on my journey, I can't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. I've come a long way from my initial aspirations to work in the medical field. I've learned a lot, grown a lot, and made connections that will last a lifetime. While the path hasn't always been easy, the rewards have been well worth it. I'm excited to see what the future holds, and I'm grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.
