5 Ideas to get Highly Paid Computer Science Internship
An internship in computer science is arguably one of the most highly coveted jobs in the digital age. In a typical apprenticeship program in a traditional business setting, a trainee applies for the position to learn on the job, usually without pay. The program is commonly perceived as a one-sided investment of time and energy on the part of the apprentice who is privileged to be accepted into the program. But many successful industry leaders have a different perspective of an internship. With their uncanny foresight, it is not surprising to learn that the likes of Google, Microsoft, Amazon, among other big-name corporations, are more than willing to make significant investments in on-the-job training programs. They see such programs as potential sources of talent to add to their rich brain pool. Internships can therefore be highly lucrative, with median monthly payouts going as high as $7k to $8k a month. So how do you go about landing that job? Check out these tips and nail that much-desired internship.
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Build a Formidable Resume
Without a well-crafted resume, all your educational achievements and insightful experiences may amount to just a humdrum job in a mediocre run-of-the-mill company. A resume functions as a well-put-together outfit that boosts your image and makes others want to get to know you more. With long queues of applicants waiting to knock down the doors leading to human resources departments, it is more important than ever to come up with the best document that will summarize who and what you are and what you can do for the company you are applying to. The simpler but more succinct, the better. You need not detail out the best actress award you won at a school play if this has no relevance to the skill set that your prospective company is looking for. Be intentional with your word choices. While you want your passionate personality to shine through, you also do not want people to see you as a potential troublemaker stoking company politics — save that, if you must, for when you become an Elon Musk or a Bill Gates. Create a portfolio of projects that you have spearheaded or where you have played any major organizational role. Lacking directly relevant experience? Leverage skills gained in non-traditional learning settings. Thresh out how you have systematically approached problems and provided creative solutions. Showcase your eye for detail, your keen analytical abilities. Lastly, have someone whose educated opinion you trust to proofread and check the content of your resume. Don’t forget to include a cover letter!
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Finding the Best Internship
Do your due diligence. A career in Computer Science can take you down several paths as an intern. There is an apprenticeship for Front End Engineering. How about Data Management? Are you more interested in creating codes and in ensuring computer glitches are resolved? Then Back End Engineering is for you. Fond of statistics? Then be a data science intern. And those are just several in a long list of possible courses to take. The choice of company from which to learn advanced computer science concepts are also a critical decision to make. Some factors can help shape your decision-making. Are you planning on just a quick summer internship or one that is more long-term? Are you in it full-time or just part-time? Know your prospective companies intimately. Do they match your skills and interests well to the best internship possible? Are there mentoring opportunities? Are their primary values aligned with your principles? How about the potential of landing a challenging and high-paying job after your internship? Do your research and do a comparison of the top companies you are interested in. You may just be surprised at your final choice.
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Apply Well, Apply Early
Researching is always good. However, one has to consider the amount of time available. How sad would it be for you to have scrutinized and researched to your heart’s content only to find out in the end that the period of application for the internship is already over or that the program had already reached its quota? Do not get stuck in analysis paralysis. Keep close tabs on internship openings, even changes in schedule. The alert and early bird always catches
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Practice
Before your interview, get someone to help you practice. Prepare that one-minute response to the perennial “tell me about yourself” query. Don’t just launch into a banal full-length description of your education and work experiences as if you are mouthing out items in a list. Make every moment worthwhile for the interviewer. From the get-go, help them see how you can be an asset to their organization. Prepare your interview content. Choose one programming language that you are most adept at and be ready to showcase it. Practice coding challenges and data analysis exercises. Check out the most common as well as the least likely questions to be asked so that you are covered on both fronts. During the interview, let your best self shine. While a quirky, fun-loving personality is not entirely out of place in the dendrite-and-neuron-frenzied environment of the computing world, being respectful while being warm is something that will never go out of style in any workplace setting. And don’t forget to breathe — your interviewer is made up of the same human microbiome as yourself.
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Send Thank-you Notes
Regardless of the outcome of the interview, a well-written thank-you note is always in order. It is wise to follow the adage of never burning bridges. That is also true for the interviewer-interviewee relationship. After all, nothing is permanent. There could always be that chance of another encounter which may lead to opportunities. Expressing your gratitude will show your maturity and open-mindedness and will place you in good stead with the interviewer. Never underestimate the value of good manners in building relationships — and even careers.
About The Author:
Chatty is a freelance writer from Manila. She finds joy in inspiring and educating others through writing. That’s why aside from her job as a language evaluator for local and international students, she spends her leisure time writing about various topics such as lifestyle, technology, and business.
