How important are internships for a career in computer science?

Internships tend to be important in the sense that it gives you some experience. Most colleges and universities have programs to help you get placed in internships. Not all companies require an internship but again you can show that you've done the job and so you have a better chance of getting the job.

Internships are very helpful. They get you prepared for life after college by providing hands on experience. I would recommend getting an internship as early as summer of your freshman or sophomore year. Some schools require internships to complete your program and others don't.  

Dear Carson ,

The University / College Degree only gives you the basic skills to do something , but in order to turn yourself into a real professional you will surely require some internship experiences. It helps you when you are done with your degree.

The best way is to search for Internship positions during Summer (Full Time) and during Fall and Winter you can have part time internship with your studies moving in parallel.

The internship will surely benefit you .

Hope this helps

Thanks and Regards

Jerin

Internships are important in a few ways. Firstly, it allows you to get a sense of the company and how they work. Next it gives you the ability to decide if the company is the right place for you to work after college. Lastly, most companies will rate you higher if you had internships in the past. It looks better on your resume coming out of college.

For internships, I would suggest that you try as many different companies as possible. If you worked well with the team and produced good results in an internship, most companies would give you an offer to come back the following year. Rather than accepting, first try to find an internship somewhere else and only take the initial offer if you believe that will be the company you will join after college or if you have no other options. Although companies love when they see an internship from the same company over multiple year, it is less beneficial to you since you will not gain a breadth of experience.