<p>I'm a below average 2nd year EECS student at UC-Berkeley -- my GPA will only be 3.0/4.0 after these upcoming finals rape it. That being said, how hard is it to get either an internship at some company or a research position at some institution over the summer (given my situation)?</p>
<p>I'm taking more of the CS route as opposed to the EE variety. I don't have any prior reasearch/industrial experience and I feel like I don't really know anything in depth enough to contribute much -- just basic computer architecture/data structures courses, and beginning skills in MIPS/Verilog/C/java/C++/PHP/MySQL/web markup languages. Next semester will be my first foray into upper div CS courses, specifically courses in databases/discrete mathematics/computer graphics. </p>
<p>*Which would you suggest for a student aspiring to just enter the software industry and forgo grad school after graduation: research or an internship? * Are most internships for undergrads tailored to those without much experience as in my case?</p>
<p>No matter what your situation is, I would try to find a professor to research under. Most prof's are looking for some undergraduates to do the grunt work in their labs, and landing a job with research/relevant work experience is MUCH easier.</p>
<p>That being said, if you are thinking of just going into industry after you graduate, you should look for summer internships at any company (everyone needs a CS guy). I have a ton of friends in EECS, PM me if you want more information.</p>
<p>I would think that both research and internship are both beneficial to your career path. They provide practical experience that you might not learn in a classroom setting. But if you are really set on getting a job out in the industry, you should definitely seek out an internship. But nowadays, landing an internship can be competitive but if you can work on some research during your school year and get an professor recommendation, that would put in a better position.</p>
<p>I have a low GPA studying nuc. eng. and yeah, 3.0 is above average.</p>
<p>Anyways, I asked a professor to do some research next year that relates something I am willing to do the rest of my life. I had to ask him many times before he accepted me to not do grunt work, but to do what I want to do.</p>
<p>Then, I applied to an internship at the CNEA in Argentina, however the positions were full. Still, I constantly e-mailed and begged :) them (literally about 30 e-mails to at least 15-20 people) and am going to Argentina 01/07/08!!! I am extremely happy since this internship directly relates towards my research.</p>
<p>I guess, if you really really (stressing on the really) want an internship or a research experience... you will get the position. However, it is a completely different story for employment :) begging and dedication is not enough.</p>
<p>I would do an internship for the summer. I'm an EE major at a state school in NY and found an internship (with a 3.1 GPA, not far from yours). I did have a lot of leadership positions with groups such as IEEE and stuff, so I don't know what your case is on that. But you should be able to find one if you pull it above at least a 3.0.</p>
<p>You can always do ongoing research during the school year, so why not have both?</p>
<p>For someone who wants to go the pure industry route, no research, I'd say an internship would be better.</p>
<p>Different companies will want different things. Some will want you to have had a previous internship or various upper-level courses. Others will welcome newbies. I'd suggest talking to your department and your school's career center about opportunities. Also, if you have alum friends who work in the software industry, see if they can get you an in somewhere.</p>
<p>If you're looking for an internship the three best things to do, in order are
1) Ask your professors that like you for contacts. If they know somebody they might be able to help you out a lot.
2) Get on the listserv that your school should have for internship opportunities. They might have a list too. Start sending resumes AND COVER LETTERS (!!!!!!!) to the companies you could see youself working for. If you're grossly under qualified (they say "no undergrads" or something) skip it, but if they leave any wiggle room in the description of who they want give it a shot. The worst that could happen is you waste 20 minutes writing a cover letter and you're not working for them, which is where you are anyway.
3) Randomly send cover letters and resumes to companies that you like/ are close to you/ you heard might be hiring. Exhausting #1 and #2 I got an internship after my freshman year using this, with no experience. The government is usually hiring people, just don't sign any contracts.</p>