Christa
I'm majoring in Computer Science. When should I try to find internships? Is it hard to get one?
I'm majoring in computer science and I feel like I've been doing well so far. I definitely want to expand on my knowledge through an internship but I'm afraid that I won't have enough experience to even be considered. I know most people tend to apply for internships in their junior or senior year of college but since community colleges tend to encourage them as well I wasn't sure so my question is about when I should apply for internships and if it's generally hard to get one in my field.
#internships #programming #computer-science #college
3 answers
Greg Roelofs
Greg’s Answer
I can't really speak to the difficulty since that would depend on how many people apply to a given position, which company, what they're looking for, etc. But I'd definitely encourage you to try sooner rather than later; at a minimum, it will give you a better understanding of what the process is like, and you're guaranteed to do at least as well as if you don't apply. :-) Which is to say, you already have a "no"; if you apply, you might get a "yes." (And, for what it's worth, Yahoo's Hadoop team hired at least one high school student while I was there, though that was unusual.)
Some schools have special relationships with some companies, frequently because of alumni interest, which can make it easier. But essentially all companies will accept applications from anywhere, so I'd recommend googling for computer science internships or "student careers" and see what's out there. Be aware that it might already be somewhat late in the process for this coming summer, depending on the company. (Some have off-quarter internships, too, though those might wreak havoc with your class schedule.)
Greg - Thanks again for your answer. We need more advice like this, now more than ever! There are more than 1k unanswered questions on CV right now. Hoping you'll answer a few more this week!
Jordan Rivera, Admin
COACH
Thanks, Jordan! I try to do a few each month, but there are a lot of questions I don't have the expertise to answer. The emails are a very useful way to help find ones I can answer, however.
Greg Roelofs
Chris Perko
Chris’s Answer
As for when you should start, I say as soon as you feel you are ready :) If you're not a junior yet and feel you can handle doing some work for someone else, then go for it!
Sharmila Jog
Sharmila’s Answer
Most large companies offer internships for Computer science majors. Google for CS internships, and ask friends and family. It's best to start looking for internships early sometime in December/January. Talk to your college counselors and professors to get tips on how to find interships. Good luck!