5 answers
Kalen
Student
San Pablo, California
2
Questions
Asked
769 views
Where could I intern for computer science with no experience?
I am a 17 year old black young man looking for a career and experience in the computer science/ computer programming field. #computer #computer-science #computer-programming
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5 answers
Stephanie Gong
Human Resources Professional
1
Answer
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Updated
Stephanie’s Answer
Hi Kalen, first off, I think it is awesome that you are looking to build your foundation in the computer science/programming field.
To start, it may be a good idea to reach out to individuals within the computer science industry. This will help you build your network for future opportunities whether it be internships/co-ops/full-time roles and it will give you a better lens into a career in computer science.
Internships are structured for individuals within the program to learn and gain experience. Therefore, it's okay that you don't have experience yet. Join computer science professional groups whether it be at your school or online, take some courses, consider working on CS side projects, and start building out your resume.
To start, it may be a good idea to reach out to individuals within the computer science industry. This will help you build your network for future opportunities whether it be internships/co-ops/full-time roles and it will give you a better lens into a career in computer science.
Internships are structured for individuals within the program to learn and gain experience. Therefore, it's okay that you don't have experience yet. Join computer science professional groups whether it be at your school or online, take some courses, consider working on CS side projects, and start building out your resume.
George Roman
Software Engineer
5
Answers
Alexandria, Virginia
Updated
George’s Answer
Network: My parents knew a senior director at an agency and I was able to volunteer there over two summers while I was in high school. They had me read their books on programing and coached me when I got stuck.
Leverage free resources:
- Download the language(s) you want to learn. Virtually all are available for free and run on both Windows and Macs.
- YouTube has a ton of programming channels. Pick any language and dive in.
- Meetup: join one or more of these. They meet regularly and you can learn more about your selected programming language(s) and related tools. You can also network.
- Download a few IDEs and take them for a test drive. Find one that you're comfortable with that's well supported. Again, YouTube is your friend here.
- Learn about SCM tools like Git (very popular), Mercurial, and/or CVS.
- Use Google to find free books and tutorials for the language(s) and tools you select.
- Post the programs you develop on sites like GitHub. Seek constructive feedback and address any important issues raised. Use the work you've posted as an example of your capabilities when you're seeking full or part-time work.
- Find a project that needs help and contribute to it. It's a great way to learn, gain visibility, and network.
It's not easy, but that's why good programmers can make the "big bucks." The key will be: as you learn more, are you excited to keep going and try new things, or do you get frustrated or distracted? For the great programmers, writing code isn't a job so much as a passion or just plain fun.
Leverage free resources:
- Download the language(s) you want to learn. Virtually all are available for free and run on both Windows and Macs.
- YouTube has a ton of programming channels. Pick any language and dive in.
- Meetup: join one or more of these. They meet regularly and you can learn more about your selected programming language(s) and related tools. You can also network.
- Download a few IDEs and take them for a test drive. Find one that you're comfortable with that's well supported. Again, YouTube is your friend here.
- Learn about SCM tools like Git (very popular), Mercurial, and/or CVS.
- Use Google to find free books and tutorials for the language(s) and tools you select.
- Post the programs you develop on sites like GitHub. Seek constructive feedback and address any important issues raised. Use the work you've posted as an example of your capabilities when you're seeking full or part-time work.
- Find a project that needs help and contribute to it. It's a great way to learn, gain visibility, and network.
It's not easy, but that's why good programmers can make the "big bucks." The key will be: as you learn more, are you excited to keep going and try new things, or do you get frustrated or distracted? For the great programmers, writing code isn't a job so much as a passion or just plain fun.
Sharon Stanley
Partner at a Large IT Company
12
Answers
New Jersey, New Jersey
Updated
Sharon’s Answer
There are several ways you can acquire the skills and experience - even outside of an internship. Many of the major IT companies provide free training on their websites.
Another option is crowdsourcing. Try Topcoder to get experience https://www.topcoder.com/ . You will have the ability to sign up for competitions to deliver solutions - which is what will get you experience and paid if you win! There is value in what you learn from your solutions getting reviewed even if you do not win the competition. It will help you learn and grow.
Another option is crowdsourcing. Try Topcoder to get experience https://www.topcoder.com/ . You will have the ability to sign up for competitions to deliver solutions - which is what will get you experience and paid if you win! There is value in what you learn from your solutions getting reviewed even if you do not win the competition. It will help you learn and grow.
Shane Dempsey
Human Resources
16
Answers
Zürich, Switzerland
Updated
Shane’s Answer
Hi Kalen, not a direct answer but some additional guidance: start to teach yourself.
You can download Visual Studio Code for free from Microsoft. It's an excellent coding/development environment.
Look for online tutorials - try a language like Python which at the moment is highly valuable and provides a lot of flexible approach to your next steps. If you don't have experience - you can still get experience. For many coders, first lessons were self taught at home.
You can download Visual Studio Code for free from Microsoft. It's an excellent coding/development environment.
Look for online tutorials - try a language like Python which at the moment is highly valuable and provides a lot of flexible approach to your next steps. If you don't have experience - you can still get experience. For many coders, first lessons were self taught at home.
Taylor Girard
17
Answers
Long Beach, California
Updated
Taylor’s Answer
There are some awesome internship programs out there like Google Step and Facebook University that are meant for people early in their programming career, but I think they require you to be enrolled in a college program. Besides that, I would just work on boosting your resume through your own personal projects or volunteer work, and try to find what you are really interested and enjoy doing in the field.