How does having no internship experience affect your employment in industry in Computer Science? [closed]

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How exactly does an internship experience make you more employable for industry? How does experience in developing your own startup compare to having an internship in terms of employability in the industry?

software-industry internship india

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edited Nov 19 '15 at 13:15

Trickylastname

1,8034817

asked Nov 17 '15 at 16:43

Asim Unmesh

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closed as off-topic by IDrinkandIKnowThings, gnat, Kilisi, JB King, Dawny33 Nov 18 '15 at 1:27

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

• "Questions asking for advice on what to do are not practical answerable questions (e.g. "what job should I take?", or "what skills should I learn?"). Questions should get answers explaining why and how to make a decision, not advice on what to do. For more information, click here." – IDrinkandIKnowThings, gnat, Kilisi, JB King, Dawny33

If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  You just need to put what you have on your resume. You may find a startup that favors startup experience.
  – paparazzo
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:52
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I never had internship experience and I found a job in the CS field straight out of college. I did however had experience with small computer side jobs at school though.
  – Dan
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:35
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Can you add your country?
  – Trickylastname
  Nov 17 '15 at 21:34
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @Trickylastname I am from India....
  – Asim Unmesh
  Nov 19 '15 at 4:20
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

favorite

How exactly does an internship experience make you more employable for industry? How does experience in developing your own startup compare to having an internship in terms of employability in the industry?

software-industry internship india

share|improve this question

edited Nov 19 '15 at 13:15

Trickylastname

1,8034817

asked Nov 17 '15 at 16:43

Asim Unmesh

224

closed as off-topic by IDrinkandIKnowThings, gnat, Kilisi, JB King, Dawny33 Nov 18 '15 at 1:27

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

• "Questions asking for advice on what to do are not practical answerable questions (e.g. "what job should I take?", or "what skills should I learn?"). Questions should get answers explaining why and how to make a decision, not advice on what to do. For more information, click here." – IDrinkandIKnowThings, gnat, Kilisi, JB King, Dawny33

If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  You just need to put what you have on your resume. You may find a startup that favors startup experience.
  – paparazzo
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:52
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I never had internship experience and I found a job in the CS field straight out of college. I did however had experience with small computer side jobs at school though.
  – Dan
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:35
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Can you add your country?
  – Trickylastname
  Nov 17 '15 at 21:34
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @Trickylastname I am from India....
  – Asim Unmesh
  Nov 19 '15 at 4:20
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

favorite

up vote
3
down vote

favorite

How exactly does an internship experience make you more employable for industry? How does experience in developing your own startup compare to having an internship in terms of employability in the industry?

software-industry internship india

share|improve this question

edited Nov 19 '15 at 13:15

Trickylastname

1,8034817

asked Nov 17 '15 at 16:43

Asim Unmesh

224

How exactly does an internship experience make you more employable for industry? How does experience in developing your own startup compare to having an internship in terms of employability in the industry?

software-industry internship india

share|improve this question

edited Nov 19 '15 at 13:15

Trickylastname

1,8034817

asked Nov 17 '15 at 16:43

Asim Unmesh

224

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

edited Nov 19 '15 at 13:15

Trickylastname

1,8034817

edited Nov 19 '15 at 13:15

Trickylastname

1,8034817

edited Nov 19 '15 at 13:15

Trickylastname

1,8034817

1,8034817

asked Nov 17 '15 at 16:43

Asim Unmesh

224

asked Nov 17 '15 at 16:43

Asim Unmesh

224

asked Nov 17 '15 at 16:43

Asim Unmesh

224

224

closed as off-topic by IDrinkandIKnowThings, gnat, Kilisi, JB King, Dawny33 Nov 18 '15 at 1:27

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

• "Questions asking for advice on what to do are not practical answerable questions (e.g. "what job should I take?", or "what skills should I learn?"). Questions should get answers explaining why and how to make a decision, not advice on what to do. For more information, click here." – IDrinkandIKnowThings, gnat, Kilisi, JB King, Dawny33

If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

closed as off-topic by IDrinkandIKnowThings, gnat, Kilisi, JB King, Dawny33 Nov 18 '15 at 1:27

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

• "Questions asking for advice on what to do are not practical answerable questions (e.g. "what job should I take?", or "what skills should I learn?"). Questions should get answers explaining why and how to make a decision, not advice on what to do. For more information, click here." – IDrinkandIKnowThings, gnat, Kilisi, JB King, Dawny33

If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  You just need to put what you have on your resume. You may find a startup that favors startup experience.
  – paparazzo
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:52
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I never had internship experience and I found a job in the CS field straight out of college. I did however had experience with small computer side jobs at school though.
  – Dan
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:35
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Can you add your country?
  – Trickylastname
  Nov 17 '15 at 21:34
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @Trickylastname I am from India....
  – Asim Unmesh
  Nov 19 '15 at 4:20
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  You just need to put what you have on your resume. You may find a startup that favors startup experience.
  – paparazzo
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:52
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I never had internship experience and I found a job in the CS field straight out of college. I did however had experience with small computer side jobs at school though.
  – Dan
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:35
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Can you add your country?
  – Trickylastname
  Nov 17 '15 at 21:34
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @Trickylastname I am from India....
  – Asim Unmesh
  Nov 19 '15 at 4:20
  

  
  
  
  

You just need to put what you have on your resume. You may find a startup that favors startup experience.
– paparazzo
Nov 17 '15 at 16:52

You just need to put what you have on your resume. You may find a startup that favors startup experience.
– paparazzo
Nov 17 '15 at 16:52

I never had internship experience and I found a job in the CS field straight out of college. I did however had experience with small computer side jobs at school though.
– Dan
Nov 17 '15 at 17:35

I never had internship experience and I found a job in the CS field straight out of college. I did however had experience with small computer side jobs at school though.
– Dan
Nov 17 '15 at 17:35

Can you add your country?
– Trickylastname
Nov 17 '15 at 21:34

Can you add your country?
– Trickylastname
Nov 17 '15 at 21:34

@Trickylastname I am from India....
– Asim Unmesh
Nov 19 '15 at 4:20

@Trickylastname I am from India....
– Asim Unmesh
Nov 19 '15 at 4:20

suggest improvements | 

6 Answers
6

active

oldest

votes

up vote
4
down vote

In the UK at the moment there is a real problem recruiting developers. salaries are going up and recruiting agencies are asking for 30% of salary to find people.

There seems to be a real shortage of developers, especially good ones. I know my company, it is also true everywhere where I have friends working, They are desperate to find people to hire and if you can produce good work that is all they care about.

If you can represent yourself as a normal human being in an interview and can show in technical test that you are competent then you will get hired, an internship won't matter either way.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 16:54

user1450877

4,39351526

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Seconded. An internship, if it was a good one, will make the transition into a real live SDLC setting a lot less painful. That's all it really offers.
  – user2989297
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:57
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  This is certainly my experience in the UK at the moment - companies are absolutely crying out for good developers.
  – Jon Story
  Nov 18 '15 at 14:04
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

How exactly does an internship enrich your experiences if you want to join industry

An internship provides:

1. Limited but real-world experience in a business / industry


2. Gives employers confidence that you have already been taught basic employment expectations (show up on time, take notes, attend meetings, etc.)


3. Gives employers confidence that you know basic industry terms, issues, news, etc.


4. Provides you with confidence that you want to continue in the same industry


5. Provides you and the employer confidence that there is good chance you will actually like what you are doing as a full-time employee


6. Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well)

what if you have experience in developing a startup of your own?

Pros:

1. Most of the list of the internship applies


2. You are clearly a "self-starter" which can be a huge advantage in some settings


3. An employer may feel like you will need less supervision

Cons:

1. You have not had experience with outside management, making the transition to being managed possibly more difficult


2. You may require added supervision since you are not familiar with corporate policies and politics


3. An employer may believe that traditional employment is not a good fit for you, and decide to interview other candidates


4. You may have too much "entrepreneurial spirit" for an established company that is seeking candidates that need to conform to their rules and policies in order to be successful


5. They may be concerned that your employment will be temporary, as you will likely continue to pursue your start-up efforts while employed (if possible)


6. They may be concerned about your dedication to your employment since your start-up may continue to distract you after you are employed


7. Your exposure to outside tools and techniques will be much more limited when they are self-selected by you and/or not present in your start-up.

Sometimes start-up experience is exactly what you need to get where you want to go. Sometimes it is the worst thing you can do because it generally is nothing like large, stable corporate environments that dominant many computer science related jobs.

Nearly all of these are temporary, as you navigate your career and make decisions based on available opportunities, the internship and/or start-up path will make less of a difference. However, the first couple of years in your career can make a huge difference in your career going the right direction in general.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:29

Jim

4,495623

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  Emphasis on Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well). Most universities do not cover things like source control, project tracking (scrum/agile seems to be most popular right now), etc.
  – silencedmessage
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:32
  

  
  
  
  

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1
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Let me explain you from a recruiter's perspective.

Suppose, I am reviewing two candidates for a data science position in my team:

One has nice experience with a project during his internship. Another has a startup.

This is how I would gauge their fit:

• If the second guy's startup is anything other than an analytics one, then both would be gauged equally. By equally, I mean their personal projects and skill.


• If the second guy's startup is an analytics/ML one, I would be very interested to learn about it. So, he would be gauged by his experiences at running it, and the first guy would be gauged on his internship exp. and personal projects.

So, the fit would depend on a lot of factors like:

• Project done during your internship


• The startup domain of the person, and his experiences at running it


• Skill of both, when it comes to data and analytics tools

So, a good intern project/ a relevant startup experience <-- YES

Else

NO

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:12

Dawny33

12.2k34563

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  neither is required. Also please write your answer gender neutrally.
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:42
  

  
  
  
  


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  Can you please explain what you meant by neither is required. And sorry, my English is weak, so I wasn't been able to generalize the answer :)
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:45
  

  
  
  
  


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  Neither an intern project nor a relevant startup experience is required. (Your last three lines of your answer literally say exactly this.)
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  


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  Yes, a good intern project in the first case, and a relevant startup exp in the second case, would be the factors for being considered for a job As the OP have asked for an intern exp, when having startup exp; I have considered only that case and it's permutations.
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:50
  

  
  
  
  


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  Just to name one example, I entered my first tech job without internship experience, and without startup experience. You are claiming those are "the factors for being considered for a job."
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 19:09
  

  
  
  
  

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1
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Internships are by no means a requirement.

They are viewed as great experiences. Technology is a field where there is a shortage of developers however. Arguably, tech companies care more about cementing your interest in the company and the field than any skills or experience you get out of the internship. They are certainly most important as a recruitment tool.

I would view an internship as one of many possible inroads to join the industry. A computer science major is another, even without internship experience. A code boot camp is another. Doing lots of hackathons is another.

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answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

user42272

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From a hiring manager perspective an internship doesn't matter AT ALL unless it is at my company or I have someone that I know and trust that knew of your work during your internship.

Let's be honest - internships are probably the least defined job at a company. And when an intern gets hired sometimes the hiring manager has time for them and sometimes they don't. Quite often the intern just ends up doing whatever they are good at - not the real job.

I have had interns that were crowned at my company as the "next thing"... said intern might wow a non-techie group with basic html skills or taking code from a known website.

And that is why I would not base 1% of my decision on hiring someone on an internship. I just have seen "interns" all over the place. Some do it for the career maximizing affect (like I give a crap about that when hiring a developer). And some do it to learn (I do care about this but have no proof of what they learned there).

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answered Nov 17 '15 at 18:22

blankip

19.9k74781

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  You make it sound like you view internships as a negative? Doesn't seeking employment have its own signs as to the integrity of the candidate? Plenty of college grads have never worked a day in their life. You never know for sure what they did but that's true of any prior experience. The internship is the bouncing off point for interview questions, and definitely ask for references from an internship. Otherwise you are indicating experience is useless and a degree is more important or the only valid measure.
  – TechnicalEmployee
  Nov 19 '15 at 20:15
  

  
  
  
  

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If you want to work in industry, internships may open doors. A successful internship at a company may turn into a full-time job opportunity for you. Personally, it's also the chance to build experience in things that aren't part of your academic curriculum, network with other professionals in your field, and get exposed to working in one or more settings to see what you like and don't like. If you work toward performing against your expectations, you'll likely have an easier time in seeking full-time work, either with a company that you interned with (because they have some familiarity with your work) or with another company (because you have experience and references to back up your ability to work). In essence, you are less risky to a company because you have an internship.

Developing a startup of your own takes a different set of skills than being an individual contributor to a project team. If you are working toward creating a new project, then you should have a project to show. That could be valuable to a company. If your startup is a small team, you can perhaps speak to leadership and management topics in an interview. And if you end up monetizing your product, you could demonstrate sales and marketing experience.

The value of both depends on the company that you're working for. A large company where you would be working on a technical team and only possibly working with other groups may want to see more technical skills. Internships would stand out. A smaller company, where you would perhaps wear multiple hats, may like to see a startup or project that you started and how you managed and executed both technical and business sides.

Ultimately, it depends on what you're going for in your career path. However, startup experiences won't preclude you from getting a job in industry later and internships won't prevent you from launching your own startup. And having neither isn't a problem, but anyone with experiences would likely have a leg up on you.

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answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:39

Thomas Owens

13.4k45368

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6 Answers
6

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6 Answers
6

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

up vote
4
down vote

In the UK at the moment there is a real problem recruiting developers. salaries are going up and recruiting agencies are asking for 30% of salary to find people.

There seems to be a real shortage of developers, especially good ones. I know my company, it is also true everywhere where I have friends working, They are desperate to find people to hire and if you can produce good work that is all they care about.

If you can represent yourself as a normal human being in an interview and can show in technical test that you are competent then you will get hired, an internship won't matter either way.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 16:54

user1450877

4,39351526

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Seconded. An internship, if it was a good one, will make the transition into a real live SDLC setting a lot less painful. That's all it really offers.
  – user2989297
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:57
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  This is certainly my experience in the UK at the moment - companies are absolutely crying out for good developers.
  – Jon Story
  Nov 18 '15 at 14:04
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
4
down vote

In the UK at the moment there is a real problem recruiting developers. salaries are going up and recruiting agencies are asking for 30% of salary to find people.

There seems to be a real shortage of developers, especially good ones. I know my company, it is also true everywhere where I have friends working, They are desperate to find people to hire and if you can produce good work that is all they care about.

If you can represent yourself as a normal human being in an interview and can show in technical test that you are competent then you will get hired, an internship won't matter either way.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 16:54

user1450877

4,39351526

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Seconded. An internship, if it was a good one, will make the transition into a real live SDLC setting a lot less painful. That's all it really offers.
  – user2989297
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:57
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  This is certainly my experience in the UK at the moment - companies are absolutely crying out for good developers.
  – Jon Story
  Nov 18 '15 at 14:04
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
4
down vote

up vote
4
down vote

In the UK at the moment there is a real problem recruiting developers. salaries are going up and recruiting agencies are asking for 30% of salary to find people.

There seems to be a real shortage of developers, especially good ones. I know my company, it is also true everywhere where I have friends working, They are desperate to find people to hire and if you can produce good work that is all they care about.

If you can represent yourself as a normal human being in an interview and can show in technical test that you are competent then you will get hired, an internship won't matter either way.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 16:54

user1450877

4,39351526

In the UK at the moment there is a real problem recruiting developers. salaries are going up and recruiting agencies are asking for 30% of salary to find people.

There seems to be a real shortage of developers, especially good ones. I know my company, it is also true everywhere where I have friends working, They are desperate to find people to hire and if you can produce good work that is all they care about.

If you can represent yourself as a normal human being in an interview and can show in technical test that you are competent then you will get hired, an internship won't matter either way.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 16:54

user1450877

4,39351526

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 16:54

user1450877

4,39351526

answered Nov 17 '15 at 16:54

user1450877

4,39351526

answered Nov 17 '15 at 16:54

user1450877

4,39351526

4,39351526

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Seconded. An internship, if it was a good one, will make the transition into a real live SDLC setting a lot less painful. That's all it really offers.
  – user2989297
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:57
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  This is certainly my experience in the UK at the moment - companies are absolutely crying out for good developers.
  – Jon Story
  Nov 18 '15 at 14:04
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Seconded. An internship, if it was a good one, will make the transition into a real live SDLC setting a lot less painful. That's all it really offers.
  – user2989297
  Nov 17 '15 at 16:57
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  This is certainly my experience in the UK at the moment - companies are absolutely crying out for good developers.
  – Jon Story
  Nov 18 '15 at 14:04
  

  
  
  
  

1

1

Seconded. An internship, if it was a good one, will make the transition into a real live SDLC setting a lot less painful. That's all it really offers.
– user2989297
Nov 17 '15 at 16:57

Seconded. An internship, if it was a good one, will make the transition into a real live SDLC setting a lot less painful. That's all it really offers.
– user2989297
Nov 17 '15 at 16:57

This is certainly my experience in the UK at the moment - companies are absolutely crying out for good developers.
– Jon Story
Nov 18 '15 at 14:04

This is certainly my experience in the UK at the moment - companies are absolutely crying out for good developers.
– Jon Story
Nov 18 '15 at 14:04

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

How exactly does an internship enrich your experiences if you want to join industry

An internship provides:

1. Limited but real-world experience in a business / industry


2. Gives employers confidence that you have already been taught basic employment expectations (show up on time, take notes, attend meetings, etc.)


3. Gives employers confidence that you know basic industry terms, issues, news, etc.


4. Provides you with confidence that you want to continue in the same industry


5. Provides you and the employer confidence that there is good chance you will actually like what you are doing as a full-time employee


6. Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well)

what if you have experience in developing a startup of your own?

Pros:

1. Most of the list of the internship applies


2. You are clearly a "self-starter" which can be a huge advantage in some settings


3. An employer may feel like you will need less supervision

Cons:

1. You have not had experience with outside management, making the transition to being managed possibly more difficult


2. You may require added supervision since you are not familiar with corporate policies and politics


3. An employer may believe that traditional employment is not a good fit for you, and decide to interview other candidates


4. You may have too much "entrepreneurial spirit" for an established company that is seeking candidates that need to conform to their rules and policies in order to be successful


5. They may be concerned that your employment will be temporary, as you will likely continue to pursue your start-up efforts while employed (if possible)


6. They may be concerned about your dedication to your employment since your start-up may continue to distract you after you are employed


7. Your exposure to outside tools and techniques will be much more limited when they are self-selected by you and/or not present in your start-up.

Sometimes start-up experience is exactly what you need to get where you want to go. Sometimes it is the worst thing you can do because it generally is nothing like large, stable corporate environments that dominant many computer science related jobs.

Nearly all of these are temporary, as you navigate your career and make decisions based on available opportunities, the internship and/or start-up path will make less of a difference. However, the first couple of years in your career can make a huge difference in your career going the right direction in general.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:29

Jim

4,495623

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Emphasis on Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well). Most universities do not cover things like source control, project tracking (scrum/agile seems to be most popular right now), etc.
  – silencedmessage
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:32
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

How exactly does an internship enrich your experiences if you want to join industry

An internship provides:

1. Limited but real-world experience in a business / industry


2. Gives employers confidence that you have already been taught basic employment expectations (show up on time, take notes, attend meetings, etc.)


3. Gives employers confidence that you know basic industry terms, issues, news, etc.


4. Provides you with confidence that you want to continue in the same industry


5. Provides you and the employer confidence that there is good chance you will actually like what you are doing as a full-time employee


6. Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well)

what if you have experience in developing a startup of your own?

Pros:

1. Most of the list of the internship applies


2. You are clearly a "self-starter" which can be a huge advantage in some settings


3. An employer may feel like you will need less supervision

Cons:

1. You have not had experience with outside management, making the transition to being managed possibly more difficult


2. You may require added supervision since you are not familiar with corporate policies and politics


3. An employer may believe that traditional employment is not a good fit for you, and decide to interview other candidates


4. You may have too much "entrepreneurial spirit" for an established company that is seeking candidates that need to conform to their rules and policies in order to be successful


5. They may be concerned that your employment will be temporary, as you will likely continue to pursue your start-up efforts while employed (if possible)


6. They may be concerned about your dedication to your employment since your start-up may continue to distract you after you are employed


7. Your exposure to outside tools and techniques will be much more limited when they are self-selected by you and/or not present in your start-up.

Sometimes start-up experience is exactly what you need to get where you want to go. Sometimes it is the worst thing you can do because it generally is nothing like large, stable corporate environments that dominant many computer science related jobs.

Nearly all of these are temporary, as you navigate your career and make decisions based on available opportunities, the internship and/or start-up path will make less of a difference. However, the first couple of years in your career can make a huge difference in your career going the right direction in general.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:29

Jim

4,495623

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Emphasis on Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well). Most universities do not cover things like source control, project tracking (scrum/agile seems to be most popular right now), etc.
  – silencedmessage
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:32
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

up vote
3
down vote

How exactly does an internship enrich your experiences if you want to join industry

An internship provides:

1. Limited but real-world experience in a business / industry


2. Gives employers confidence that you have already been taught basic employment expectations (show up on time, take notes, attend meetings, etc.)


3. Gives employers confidence that you know basic industry terms, issues, news, etc.


4. Provides you with confidence that you want to continue in the same industry


5. Provides you and the employer confidence that there is good chance you will actually like what you are doing as a full-time employee


6. Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well)

what if you have experience in developing a startup of your own?

Pros:

1. Most of the list of the internship applies


2. You are clearly a "self-starter" which can be a huge advantage in some settings


3. An employer may feel like you will need less supervision

Cons:

1. You have not had experience with outside management, making the transition to being managed possibly more difficult


2. You may require added supervision since you are not familiar with corporate policies and politics


3. An employer may believe that traditional employment is not a good fit for you, and decide to interview other candidates


4. You may have too much "entrepreneurial spirit" for an established company that is seeking candidates that need to conform to their rules and policies in order to be successful


5. They may be concerned that your employment will be temporary, as you will likely continue to pursue your start-up efforts while employed (if possible)


6. They may be concerned about your dedication to your employment since your start-up may continue to distract you after you are employed


7. Your exposure to outside tools and techniques will be much more limited when they are self-selected by you and/or not present in your start-up.

Sometimes start-up experience is exactly what you need to get where you want to go. Sometimes it is the worst thing you can do because it generally is nothing like large, stable corporate environments that dominant many computer science related jobs.

Nearly all of these are temporary, as you navigate your career and make decisions based on available opportunities, the internship and/or start-up path will make less of a difference. However, the first couple of years in your career can make a huge difference in your career going the right direction in general.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:29

Jim

4,495623

How exactly does an internship enrich your experiences if you want to join industry

An internship provides:

1. Limited but real-world experience in a business / industry


2. Gives employers confidence that you have already been taught basic employment expectations (show up on time, take notes, attend meetings, etc.)


3. Gives employers confidence that you know basic industry terms, issues, news, etc.


4. Provides you with confidence that you want to continue in the same industry


5. Provides you and the employer confidence that there is good chance you will actually like what you are doing as a full-time employee


6. Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well)

what if you have experience in developing a startup of your own?

Pros:

1. Most of the list of the internship applies


2. You are clearly a "self-starter" which can be a huge advantage in some settings


3. An employer may feel like you will need less supervision

Cons:

1. You have not had experience with outside management, making the transition to being managed possibly more difficult


2. You may require added supervision since you are not familiar with corporate policies and politics


3. An employer may believe that traditional employment is not a good fit for you, and decide to interview other candidates


4. You may have too much "entrepreneurial spirit" for an established company that is seeking candidates that need to conform to their rules and policies in order to be successful


5. They may be concerned that your employment will be temporary, as you will likely continue to pursue your start-up efforts while employed (if possible)


6. They may be concerned about your dedication to your employment since your start-up may continue to distract you after you are employed


7. Your exposure to outside tools and techniques will be much more limited when they are self-selected by you and/or not present in your start-up.

Sometimes start-up experience is exactly what you need to get where you want to go. Sometimes it is the worst thing you can do because it generally is nothing like large, stable corporate environments that dominant many computer science related jobs.

Nearly all of these are temporary, as you navigate your career and make decisions based on available opportunities, the internship and/or start-up path will make less of a difference. However, the first couple of years in your career can make a huge difference in your career going the right direction in general.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:29

Jim

4,495623

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:29

Jim

4,495623

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:29

Jim

4,495623

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:29

Jim

4,495623

4,495623

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Emphasis on Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well). Most universities do not cover things like source control, project tracking (scrum/agile seems to be most popular right now), etc.
  – silencedmessage
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:32
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Emphasis on Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well). Most universities do not cover things like source control, project tracking (scrum/agile seems to be most popular right now), etc.
  – silencedmessage
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:32
  

  
  
  
  

Emphasis on Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well). Most universities do not cover things like source control, project tracking (scrum/agile seems to be most popular right now), etc.
– silencedmessage
Nov 17 '15 at 17:32

Emphasis on Exposure to tools and techniques that schools do not teach (or teach well). Most universities do not cover things like source control, project tracking (scrum/agile seems to be most popular right now), etc.
– silencedmessage
Nov 17 '15 at 17:32

suggest improvements | 

up vote
1
down vote

Let me explain you from a recruiter's perspective.

Suppose, I am reviewing two candidates for a data science position in my team:

One has nice experience with a project during his internship. Another has a startup.

This is how I would gauge their fit:

• If the second guy's startup is anything other than an analytics one, then both would be gauged equally. By equally, I mean their personal projects and skill.


• If the second guy's startup is an analytics/ML one, I would be very interested to learn about it. So, he would be gauged by his experiences at running it, and the first guy would be gauged on his internship exp. and personal projects.

So, the fit would depend on a lot of factors like:

• Project done during your internship


• The startup domain of the person, and his experiences at running it


• Skill of both, when it comes to data and analytics tools

So, a good intern project/ a relevant startup experience <-- YES

Else

NO

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:12

Dawny33

12.2k34563

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  neither is required. Also please write your answer gender neutrally.
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:42
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Can you please explain what you meant by neither is required. And sorry, my English is weak, so I wasn't been able to generalize the answer :)
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:45
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Neither an intern project nor a relevant startup experience is required. (Your last three lines of your answer literally say exactly this.)
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Yes, a good intern project in the first case, and a relevant startup exp in the second case, would be the factors for being considered for a job As the OP have asked for an intern exp, when having startup exp; I have considered only that case and it's permutations.
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:50
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Just to name one example, I entered my first tech job without internship experience, and without startup experience. You are claiming those are "the factors for being considered for a job."
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 19:09
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

up vote
1
down vote

Let me explain you from a recruiter's perspective.

Suppose, I am reviewing two candidates for a data science position in my team:

One has nice experience with a project during his internship. Another has a startup.

This is how I would gauge their fit:

• If the second guy's startup is anything other than an analytics one, then both would be gauged equally. By equally, I mean their personal projects and skill.


• If the second guy's startup is an analytics/ML one, I would be very interested to learn about it. So, he would be gauged by his experiences at running it, and the first guy would be gauged on his internship exp. and personal projects.

So, the fit would depend on a lot of factors like:

• Project done during your internship


• The startup domain of the person, and his experiences at running it


• Skill of both, when it comes to data and analytics tools

So, a good intern project/ a relevant startup experience <-- YES

Else

NO

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:12

Dawny33

12.2k34563

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  neither is required. Also please write your answer gender neutrally.
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:42
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Can you please explain what you meant by neither is required. And sorry, my English is weak, so I wasn't been able to generalize the answer :)
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:45
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Neither an intern project nor a relevant startup experience is required. (Your last three lines of your answer literally say exactly this.)
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Yes, a good intern project in the first case, and a relevant startup exp in the second case, would be the factors for being considered for a job As the OP have asked for an intern exp, when having startup exp; I have considered only that case and it's permutations.
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:50
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Just to name one example, I entered my first tech job without internship experience, and without startup experience. You are claiming those are "the factors for being considered for a job."
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 19:09
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

Let me explain you from a recruiter's perspective.

Suppose, I am reviewing two candidates for a data science position in my team:

One has nice experience with a project during his internship. Another has a startup.

This is how I would gauge their fit:

• If the second guy's startup is anything other than an analytics one, then both would be gauged equally. By equally, I mean their personal projects and skill.


• If the second guy's startup is an analytics/ML one, I would be very interested to learn about it. So, he would be gauged by his experiences at running it, and the first guy would be gauged on his internship exp. and personal projects.

So, the fit would depend on a lot of factors like:

• Project done during your internship


• The startup domain of the person, and his experiences at running it


• Skill of both, when it comes to data and analytics tools

So, a good intern project/ a relevant startup experience <-- YES

Else

NO

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:12

Dawny33

12.2k34563

Let me explain you from a recruiter's perspective.

Suppose, I am reviewing two candidates for a data science position in my team:

One has nice experience with a project during his internship. Another has a startup.

This is how I would gauge their fit:

• If the second guy's startup is anything other than an analytics one, then both would be gauged equally. By equally, I mean their personal projects and skill.


• If the second guy's startup is an analytics/ML one, I would be very interested to learn about it. So, he would be gauged by his experiences at running it, and the first guy would be gauged on his internship exp. and personal projects.

So, the fit would depend on a lot of factors like:

• Project done during your internship


• The startup domain of the person, and his experiences at running it


• Skill of both, when it comes to data and analytics tools

So, a good intern project/ a relevant startup experience <-- YES

Else

NO

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:12

Dawny33

12.2k34563

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:12

Dawny33

12.2k34563

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:12

Dawny33

12.2k34563

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:12

Dawny33

12.2k34563

12.2k34563

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  neither is required. Also please write your answer gender neutrally.
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:42
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Can you please explain what you meant by neither is required. And sorry, my English is weak, so I wasn't been able to generalize the answer :)
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:45
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Neither an intern project nor a relevant startup experience is required. (Your last three lines of your answer literally say exactly this.)
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Yes, a good intern project in the first case, and a relevant startup exp in the second case, would be the factors for being considered for a job As the OP have asked for an intern exp, when having startup exp; I have considered only that case and it's permutations.
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:50
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Just to name one example, I entered my first tech job without internship experience, and without startup experience. You are claiming those are "the factors for being considered for a job."
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 19:09
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  neither is required. Also please write your answer gender neutrally.
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:42
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Can you please explain what you meant by neither is required. And sorry, my English is weak, so I wasn't been able to generalize the answer :)
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:45
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Neither an intern project nor a relevant startup experience is required. (Your last three lines of your answer literally say exactly this.)
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Yes, a good intern project in the first case, and a relevant startup exp in the second case, would be the factors for being considered for a job As the OP have asked for an intern exp, when having startup exp; I have considered only that case and it's permutations.
  – Dawny33
  Nov 17 '15 at 17:50
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Just to name one example, I entered my first tech job without internship experience, and without startup experience. You are claiming those are "the factors for being considered for a job."
  – user42272
  Nov 17 '15 at 19:09
  

  
  
  
  

neither is required. Also please write your answer gender neutrally.
– user42272
Nov 17 '15 at 17:42

neither is required. Also please write your answer gender neutrally.
– user42272
Nov 17 '15 at 17:42

Can you please explain what you meant by neither is required. And sorry, my English is weak, so I wasn't been able to generalize the answer :)
– Dawny33
Nov 17 '15 at 17:45

Can you please explain what you meant by neither is required. And sorry, my English is weak, so I wasn't been able to generalize the answer :)
– Dawny33
Nov 17 '15 at 17:45

Neither an intern project nor a relevant startup experience is required. (Your last three lines of your answer literally say exactly this.)
– user42272
Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

Neither an intern project nor a relevant startup experience is required. (Your last three lines of your answer literally say exactly this.)
– user42272
Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

Yes, a good intern project in the first case, and a relevant startup exp in the second case, would be the factors for being considered for a job As the OP have asked for an intern exp, when having startup exp; I have considered only that case and it's permutations.
– Dawny33
Nov 17 '15 at 17:50

Yes, a good intern project in the first case, and a relevant startup exp in the second case, would be the factors for being considered for a job As the OP have asked for an intern exp, when having startup exp; I have considered only that case and it's permutations.
– Dawny33
Nov 17 '15 at 17:50

Just to name one example, I entered my first tech job without internship experience, and without startup experience. You are claiming those are "the factors for being considered for a job."
– user42272
Nov 17 '15 at 19:09

Just to name one example, I entered my first tech job without internship experience, and without startup experience. You are claiming those are "the factors for being considered for a job."
– user42272
Nov 17 '15 at 19:09

 | 
show 1 more comment

up vote
1
down vote

Internships are by no means a requirement.

They are viewed as great experiences. Technology is a field where there is a shortage of developers however. Arguably, tech companies care more about cementing your interest in the company and the field than any skills or experience you get out of the internship. They are certainly most important as a recruitment tool.

I would view an internship as one of many possible inroads to join the industry. A computer science major is another, even without internship experience. A code boot camp is another. Doing lots of hackathons is another.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

user42272

suggest improvements | 

up vote
1
down vote

Internships are by no means a requirement.

They are viewed as great experiences. Technology is a field where there is a shortage of developers however. Arguably, tech companies care more about cementing your interest in the company and the field than any skills or experience you get out of the internship. They are certainly most important as a recruitment tool.

I would view an internship as one of many possible inroads to join the industry. A computer science major is another, even without internship experience. A code boot camp is another. Doing lots of hackathons is another.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

user42272

suggest improvements | 

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

Internships are by no means a requirement.

They are viewed as great experiences. Technology is a field where there is a shortage of developers however. Arguably, tech companies care more about cementing your interest in the company and the field than any skills or experience you get out of the internship. They are certainly most important as a recruitment tool.

I would view an internship as one of many possible inroads to join the industry. A computer science major is another, even without internship experience. A code boot camp is another. Doing lots of hackathons is another.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

user42272

Internships are by no means a requirement.

They are viewed as great experiences. Technology is a field where there is a shortage of developers however. Arguably, tech companies care more about cementing your interest in the company and the field than any skills or experience you get out of the internship. They are certainly most important as a recruitment tool.

I would view an internship as one of many possible inroads to join the industry. A computer science major is another, even without internship experience. A code boot camp is another. Doing lots of hackathons is another.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

user42272

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

user42272

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

user42272

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:46

user42272

suggest improvements | 

suggest improvements | 

up vote
1
down vote

From a hiring manager perspective an internship doesn't matter AT ALL unless it is at my company or I have someone that I know and trust that knew of your work during your internship.

Let's be honest - internships are probably the least defined job at a company. And when an intern gets hired sometimes the hiring manager has time for them and sometimes they don't. Quite often the intern just ends up doing whatever they are good at - not the real job.

I have had interns that were crowned at my company as the "next thing"... said intern might wow a non-techie group with basic html skills or taking code from a known website.

And that is why I would not base 1% of my decision on hiring someone on an internship. I just have seen "interns" all over the place. Some do it for the career maximizing affect (like I give a crap about that when hiring a developer). And some do it to learn (I do care about this but have no proof of what they learned there).

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 18:22

blankip

19.9k74781

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  You make it sound like you view internships as a negative? Doesn't seeking employment have its own signs as to the integrity of the candidate? Plenty of college grads have never worked a day in their life. You never know for sure what they did but that's true of any prior experience. The internship is the bouncing off point for interview questions, and definitely ask for references from an internship. Otherwise you are indicating experience is useless and a degree is more important or the only valid measure.
  – TechnicalEmployee
  Nov 19 '15 at 20:15
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
1
down vote

From a hiring manager perspective an internship doesn't matter AT ALL unless it is at my company or I have someone that I know and trust that knew of your work during your internship.

Let's be honest - internships are probably the least defined job at a company. And when an intern gets hired sometimes the hiring manager has time for them and sometimes they don't. Quite often the intern just ends up doing whatever they are good at - not the real job.

I have had interns that were crowned at my company as the "next thing"... said intern might wow a non-techie group with basic html skills or taking code from a known website.

And that is why I would not base 1% of my decision on hiring someone on an internship. I just have seen "interns" all over the place. Some do it for the career maximizing affect (like I give a crap about that when hiring a developer). And some do it to learn (I do care about this but have no proof of what they learned there).

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 18:22

blankip

19.9k74781

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  You make it sound like you view internships as a negative? Doesn't seeking employment have its own signs as to the integrity of the candidate? Plenty of college grads have never worked a day in their life. You never know for sure what they did but that's true of any prior experience. The internship is the bouncing off point for interview questions, and definitely ask for references from an internship. Otherwise you are indicating experience is useless and a degree is more important or the only valid measure.
  – TechnicalEmployee
  Nov 19 '15 at 20:15
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

From a hiring manager perspective an internship doesn't matter AT ALL unless it is at my company or I have someone that I know and trust that knew of your work during your internship.

Let's be honest - internships are probably the least defined job at a company. And when an intern gets hired sometimes the hiring manager has time for them and sometimes they don't. Quite often the intern just ends up doing whatever they are good at - not the real job.

I have had interns that were crowned at my company as the "next thing"... said intern might wow a non-techie group with basic html skills or taking code from a known website.

And that is why I would not base 1% of my decision on hiring someone on an internship. I just have seen "interns" all over the place. Some do it for the career maximizing affect (like I give a crap about that when hiring a developer). And some do it to learn (I do care about this but have no proof of what they learned there).

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 18:22

blankip

19.9k74781

From a hiring manager perspective an internship doesn't matter AT ALL unless it is at my company or I have someone that I know and trust that knew of your work during your internship.

Let's be honest - internships are probably the least defined job at a company. And when an intern gets hired sometimes the hiring manager has time for them and sometimes they don't. Quite often the intern just ends up doing whatever they are good at - not the real job.

I have had interns that were crowned at my company as the "next thing"... said intern might wow a non-techie group with basic html skills or taking code from a known website.

And that is why I would not base 1% of my decision on hiring someone on an internship. I just have seen "interns" all over the place. Some do it for the career maximizing affect (like I give a crap about that when hiring a developer). And some do it to learn (I do care about this but have no proof of what they learned there).

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 18:22

blankip

19.9k74781

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 18:22

blankip

19.9k74781

answered Nov 17 '15 at 18:22

blankip

19.9k74781

answered Nov 17 '15 at 18:22

blankip

19.9k74781

19.9k74781

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  You make it sound like you view internships as a negative? Doesn't seeking employment have its own signs as to the integrity of the candidate? Plenty of college grads have never worked a day in their life. You never know for sure what they did but that's true of any prior experience. The internship is the bouncing off point for interview questions, and definitely ask for references from an internship. Otherwise you are indicating experience is useless and a degree is more important or the only valid measure.
  – TechnicalEmployee
  Nov 19 '15 at 20:15
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

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  You make it sound like you view internships as a negative? Doesn't seeking employment have its own signs as to the integrity of the candidate? Plenty of college grads have never worked a day in their life. You never know for sure what they did but that's true of any prior experience. The internship is the bouncing off point for interview questions, and definitely ask for references from an internship. Otherwise you are indicating experience is useless and a degree is more important or the only valid measure.
  – TechnicalEmployee
  Nov 19 '15 at 20:15
  

  
  
  
  

You make it sound like you view internships as a negative? Doesn't seeking employment have its own signs as to the integrity of the candidate? Plenty of college grads have never worked a day in their life. You never know for sure what they did but that's true of any prior experience. The internship is the bouncing off point for interview questions, and definitely ask for references from an internship. Otherwise you are indicating experience is useless and a degree is more important or the only valid measure.
– TechnicalEmployee
Nov 19 '15 at 20:15

You make it sound like you view internships as a negative? Doesn't seeking employment have its own signs as to the integrity of the candidate? Plenty of college grads have never worked a day in their life. You never know for sure what they did but that's true of any prior experience. The internship is the bouncing off point for interview questions, and definitely ask for references from an internship. Otherwise you are indicating experience is useless and a degree is more important or the only valid measure.
– TechnicalEmployee
Nov 19 '15 at 20:15

suggest improvements | 

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If you want to work in industry, internships may open doors. A successful internship at a company may turn into a full-time job opportunity for you. Personally, it's also the chance to build experience in things that aren't part of your academic curriculum, network with other professionals in your field, and get exposed to working in one or more settings to see what you like and don't like. If you work toward performing against your expectations, you'll likely have an easier time in seeking full-time work, either with a company that you interned with (because they have some familiarity with your work) or with another company (because you have experience and references to back up your ability to work). In essence, you are less risky to a company because you have an internship.

Developing a startup of your own takes a different set of skills than being an individual contributor to a project team. If you are working toward creating a new project, then you should have a project to show. That could be valuable to a company. If your startup is a small team, you can perhaps speak to leadership and management topics in an interview. And if you end up monetizing your product, you could demonstrate sales and marketing experience.

The value of both depends on the company that you're working for. A large company where you would be working on a technical team and only possibly working with other groups may want to see more technical skills. Internships would stand out. A smaller company, where you would perhaps wear multiple hats, may like to see a startup or project that you started and how you managed and executed both technical and business sides.

Ultimately, it depends on what you're going for in your career path. However, startup experiences won't preclude you from getting a job in industry later and internships won't prevent you from launching your own startup. And having neither isn't a problem, but anyone with experiences would likely have a leg up on you.

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answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:39

Thomas Owens

13.4k45368

suggest improvements | 

up vote
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If you want to work in industry, internships may open doors. A successful internship at a company may turn into a full-time job opportunity for you. Personally, it's also the chance to build experience in things that aren't part of your academic curriculum, network with other professionals in your field, and get exposed to working in one or more settings to see what you like and don't like. If you work toward performing against your expectations, you'll likely have an easier time in seeking full-time work, either with a company that you interned with (because they have some familiarity with your work) or with another company (because you have experience and references to back up your ability to work). In essence, you are less risky to a company because you have an internship.

Developing a startup of your own takes a different set of skills than being an individual contributor to a project team. If you are working toward creating a new project, then you should have a project to show. That could be valuable to a company. If your startup is a small team, you can perhaps speak to leadership and management topics in an interview. And if you end up monetizing your product, you could demonstrate sales and marketing experience.

The value of both depends on the company that you're working for. A large company where you would be working on a technical team and only possibly working with other groups may want to see more technical skills. Internships would stand out. A smaller company, where you would perhaps wear multiple hats, may like to see a startup or project that you started and how you managed and executed both technical and business sides.

Ultimately, it depends on what you're going for in your career path. However, startup experiences won't preclude you from getting a job in industry later and internships won't prevent you from launching your own startup. And having neither isn't a problem, but anyone with experiences would likely have a leg up on you.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:39

Thomas Owens

13.4k45368

suggest improvements | 

up vote
0
down vote

up vote
0
down vote

If you want to work in industry, internships may open doors. A successful internship at a company may turn into a full-time job opportunity for you. Personally, it's also the chance to build experience in things that aren't part of your academic curriculum, network with other professionals in your field, and get exposed to working in one or more settings to see what you like and don't like. If you work toward performing against your expectations, you'll likely have an easier time in seeking full-time work, either with a company that you interned with (because they have some familiarity with your work) or with another company (because you have experience and references to back up your ability to work). In essence, you are less risky to a company because you have an internship.

Developing a startup of your own takes a different set of skills than being an individual contributor to a project team. If you are working toward creating a new project, then you should have a project to show. That could be valuable to a company. If your startup is a small team, you can perhaps speak to leadership and management topics in an interview. And if you end up monetizing your product, you could demonstrate sales and marketing experience.

The value of both depends on the company that you're working for. A large company where you would be working on a technical team and only possibly working with other groups may want to see more technical skills. Internships would stand out. A smaller company, where you would perhaps wear multiple hats, may like to see a startup or project that you started and how you managed and executed both technical and business sides.

Ultimately, it depends on what you're going for in your career path. However, startup experiences won't preclude you from getting a job in industry later and internships won't prevent you from launching your own startup. And having neither isn't a problem, but anyone with experiences would likely have a leg up on you.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:39

Thomas Owens

13.4k45368

If you want to work in industry, internships may open doors. A successful internship at a company may turn into a full-time job opportunity for you. Personally, it's also the chance to build experience in things that aren't part of your academic curriculum, network with other professionals in your field, and get exposed to working in one or more settings to see what you like and don't like. If you work toward performing against your expectations, you'll likely have an easier time in seeking full-time work, either with a company that you interned with (because they have some familiarity with your work) or with another company (because you have experience and references to back up your ability to work). In essence, you are less risky to a company because you have an internship.

Developing a startup of your own takes a different set of skills than being an individual contributor to a project team. If you are working toward creating a new project, then you should have a project to show. That could be valuable to a company. If your startup is a small team, you can perhaps speak to leadership and management topics in an interview. And if you end up monetizing your product, you could demonstrate sales and marketing experience.

The value of both depends on the company that you're working for. A large company where you would be working on a technical team and only possibly working with other groups may want to see more technical skills. Internships would stand out. A smaller company, where you would perhaps wear multiple hats, may like to see a startup or project that you started and how you managed and executed both technical and business sides.

Ultimately, it depends on what you're going for in your career path. However, startup experiences won't preclude you from getting a job in industry later and internships won't prevent you from launching your own startup. And having neither isn't a problem, but anyone with experiences would likely have a leg up on you.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:39

Thomas Owens

13.4k45368

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:39

Thomas Owens

13.4k45368

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:39

Thomas Owens

13.4k45368

answered Nov 17 '15 at 17:39

Thomas Owens

13.4k45368

13.4k45368

suggest improvements | 

suggest improvements |