Hi everyone, I’m a transfer student majoring in computer science(CS) at a state university. I am starting this fall and have already taken steps to preparing myself for the coming year. This summer I took time to study so I am prepared for my classes and acquired a job at my school as an IT assistant for the coming semester. I intend on joining the CS club, student government, and also the track team.
My main reason for this post is that I am dedicated to getting an intern ship after my first semester or year at this school. I know that there are various websites and resources to help me find internships. However none of them suggest what I should do in preparation while in school. I would like to inquire about the internship process and get any information about this from students, hiring managers,(etc.).
Some questions I hope you could answer:
What is the expectation on grades and how do they influence your chances of getting an internship?
How much computer related experience is necessary with programming, network communications, (etc.)?
Will having one year of CS related work limit my prospects of an internship?
Does student involvement that relates to CS increase prospects of an internship?
Have you gone to the career services dept at the school you are going to? That is where you should start. You need a strong resume which they may be able to help with and you need a linkedin profile with a good photo before you apply for any internship so you can get going on those 3 things to get started.
I suggest you start looking at intern ads in the area you want to work and you will see what they ask for. Then figure out how to acquire the skills they advertise they want in ads that sound attractive to you.
Above a 3.0 is good, above a 3.5 is great. You may have your resume tossed out if you don’t meet the cutoffs. Other than that, not really all that important.
The ability to use computers for everyday applications (MS Office and Google, really), and the ability to learn from your classes. You can come in without any experience in programming, and you really won’t be behind.
No. Why would it?
Yes. You want interesting programming projects that you can talk about.
It may or may not be realistic to get an internship after just one semester/year, and if you do get one, it might be less-than-glamorous. Don’t be disappointed and find something else to do that would be productive. Look at what skills job postings are looking for, and acquire them. Though the absolute best way to do this is generally to actually have a job in that field and learn as you go.
Thanks for the great info everyone. I’ve really been pushing myself this summer to improve my skill set(programming, pen-testing, foreign-languages, etc.) and am glad to know the scope of preparedness I should have for myself.