Kakao Emphasizes "CS Fundamentals and Learning Attitude" at Server Internship Info Session

Kakao held a server development internship info session on April 16 to reveal job details and hiring criteria. Following a job introduction by Sebastian, Head of the Content Platform Development Team, Glen from the Talk Platform Development Team, Hoon from the Tech Quality Platform Development Team, and Royce from the Biz Platform Development Team participated in a Q&A session.

Job Role and Tech Stack Server developers build applications that process client requests, combine data, and deliver it. Kakao primarily uses Java, while also leveraging various technologies such as Python, Kotlin, Spring, Django, MySQL, and Elasticsearch. The company does not mandate the use of specific technologies, providing a flexible environment where developers can prove and apply the optimal technology for each service.

Hiring and Evaluation Criteria The panelists stated that "CS fundamentals" and a "proactive learning attitude" are the top priorities when hiring interns.

• Glen: Mentioned a case where an intern, despite being a non-CS major, received a high score and a full-time offer due to strong fundamentals, high domain understanding, and the passion to quickly acquire necessary skills.
• Hoon: Emphasized proactiveness in finding solutions independently, such as through Googling or searching for papers, and asking mentors when unsure.
• Royce: Explained that the differentiating factor is not how much one knows, but how quickly one learns and understands. When asked about the priority between technical sophistication and domain understanding, he answered, "Since we are hiring engineers, technology takes priority," while adding that both are important.

Internship Performance Interns stood out for proposing additional planning ideas and conducting research to refine their work, rather than merely meeting requirements. Cases were also introduced where interns significantly improved their skills during the internship period despite having no prior Java experience.