# Programming internships?



## kr651129 (May 3, 2012)

I'm soon going to be earning my degree and while an internship is not required I would like to get one to get my foot in the door.  Has anyone here with a programming background had any experience with this or anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!


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## Uniballer (May 3, 2012)

I'm not sure if you'd call this an internship or not, but after my first year of college in 1981 I interviewed for a summer job with a company near my home that did contract work for US government agencies (including DoD, DoE, state authorities, etc).  They had a mathematician on the staff who was a great interviewer, and kept extensive files on long-term prospects for the company.  I didn't get a call back right away, but by early July one of their transportation programs was in trouble and could use a couple extra assembly language programmers for an embedded systems project.  I did 40 hours per week for them while taking a few summer courses, and I got a great review from my immediate supervisor.  I worked for the company in the summers and for two years after I got out of school.


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## kr651129 (May 3, 2012)

That's awesome I'd love to come across something like that.  I have friends in HR at Cern and the Garmen HQ is down the road from my house and they offer tons of internships for programmers and I have a friend in HR their too.  It's just that during school my resume is so customer service heavy I need to start putting some programming on their too.


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## Majorix (May 3, 2012)

I wouldn't apply for internship if I didn't have to - and you don't. I got a two2 years' vocational degree of Computer Technologies and Programming. I did my internship at a very large and famous computer manufacturer. I am not naming the company. I was assigned to the Help Desk. I mean seriously what the heck? I don't have any experience with that at all! Thank god, my supervisor was a nice guy, so he kept answering the calls while I did some systems programming on Windows XP machines.

I was forced to programming C# on Visual Studio. They didn't even have any Linux/UNIX machines ready. When I asked if there is one, they said "we will be transitioning to Linux shortly". Which they never did. The computer they gave me would produce a BSOD every two hours and reboot itself. And believe me, the computers they sell in the public market owns some ****. It was pretty dull. I often found myself watching South Park on the web, just passing time around.

I didn't get a single penny, even though they used some of the services *I* programmed. However, they got shuttles dropping me by home, and the lunch was pretty decent. I will give it to them. I didn't get any calls from them after the internship, even after I graduated. 

I am now studying Computer Science, and I wholeheartedly wish that I wouldn't have to do an internship. But I have to. Rethink your options. Choose where you will work AFTER you graduate. You seriously don't need that 6-week of slavery just to learn anything or gain experience. You will work hundreds of 6-weeks periods, so just be patient.

Phew, that was quite a rant there, sorry


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## tiramisu8 (May 14, 2012)

While I was looking for an internship last year, I found this website: www.internshipinlondon.com. I though why not going to London do to my internship and that's what I did. I don't know if you would ne interested, but the organization places you in companies that matches your profile and my experience was great. Of course it was unpaid as  most internships are unpaid in London. 

Sorry Majorix but I think doing an internship before actually looking for a job is a big plus. First you never know, but the company you are doing you internship with might want to take you on board afterwards. And internships are also a proof for recruiters that you are commited and serious, that you are ready to work for free in order get a valuable experience. Moreover you do not really work for free as the company teaches you (is supposed to) the job. Experience and practicing are your wages and as a recently graducated guy, this is inestimable to get a good job afterwards.


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## kr651129 (May 15, 2012)

Tiramisu,
 d00d that it awesome!  My wife is from Germany and I have ALWAYS wanted to go Europe.  I've been on the site for about an hour now.  Awesome resource.  I'll have to let you know if I got one from there or not.  Can I ask what company you worked for?


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## expl (May 18, 2012)

From my knowledge internships are a waste of time, they rarely provide you with experience or opportunities to work on something interesting and serious companies will not consider this as a big plus in your CV. Best thing you can do while you are job hunting is to start working on some personal project(s) doesn't have to be big or fancy. Or you can even start contributing to an existing open source project. Trust me, serious employer will be much more impressed by looking at something you have done with your own initiative and skills. I have been this way myself and I am a senior software engineer for two years now and I don't even have an university degree in computer science. In a competitive programming job market it's all about what you can show for yourself and how you can work as an individual.


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