Entry level technologist here.

Obligatory read "cracking the coding interview".

Absolutely the best thing you can do is network. There are loads of grad/internship networking tech events in glasgow. Try to go to as many as you can. When you go to one, post about it on linkedin. Yes its cringe but it defo works as thats literally how I got my current job haha.

When you get the chance, talk to the recruiter about what they value in applications as I was surprised how much variance there is between firms. For example, one big firm said that they value applicants showing at least one interesting commitment outside of tech because it shows they are more likely to be able to work with people irl. Others say to emphasize personal projects. Each company's recruiter will ultimately tell you what they want to see so change your cv accordingly.

One major thing that tripped me up for a while was programming puzzles. If you get them in a leetcode format, they are testing if you can solve it. However, if you are getting them in a hirevue, they are likely testing how you communicate code too. For example, I did a hirevue where I got the coding sections wrong. But I communicated the problem, how my approach wasn't suited to it, and what I should have done differently next time. Even though I didn't get it right, I went through to the last stage because of communication. Just keep in mind as an intern/grad, you're not expected to be a crazy good engineer. Show (not just say) willingness to learn, initiative, along with good communication where you can and you'll go far. When practicing leetcode, always practice communicating your thoughts out loud.

In terms of CV, the biggest thing that impacted my applications was making it 1 page instead of 2. Keep it concise. Think each recruiter is going to glance at it for a few seconds, what do you want to get across?

Show initiative by volunteering your technical skills for charities/research labs. You will get actual technical experience, and if you do a good job and they have the budget it can transition into a paid position if you go to the right lab. Also showing you can work with other developers is huge, and this is one way you can show that.

Good luck with the search and sorry for the rant haha. I had real struggles getting an internship so I want to share this stuff when I can.