I’ve stressed to my kids that internships, especially the first one, is important to find out what you like and don’t like. The second most important piece is finding a good mentor. Prestige and money can wait.
My concern with #1 is that it’s a startup. Have they had interns before? I would be reluctant to be the guinea pig. A disorganized internship isn’t enjoyable.
I would lean towards #1 if I was confident what they’re offering is what I would actually do. The plus for #2 is mentorship. If he does well he could go back next year for the AI position.
The mentoring helps if he wants to go back next year to that same company. But if he applies elsewhere, it’s a different story.
What is more attractive to a tech hiring manager at an AI/software company? Hands on development experience? Or being a project manager for a range of projects that may or may not involve AI?
As a technology leader myself, job #1 wins any day.
We are in East coast and the #1 company is in west coast so no option to go to office. He can maybe ask if he should for there to meet everyone before starting (even if it’s on his own dime).
#1 has had internships and their interview process was rigorous. They also gave some examples of what prior interns have done which was very exciting to my son as they are real life applications in big firms.
I don’t think he will go back to #2 next year since they are not the industry he is interested in. Maybe #1 (unless he gets better pay for same work elsewhere).
@DadOfJerseyGirl - Thanks…I will let you all know what he decided!
Both me and hubby are in tech and we both are leaning towards different options - one of us think that tech experience is more important while other feels that interacting in person in a work environment and understanding how the overall process of managing a project is important (not to mention working close to CEO) because at the end of it everything you do is a project!
I am on side internship #2 - you don’t know what you don’t know and having time in an office, internship mentoring and intern networking goes a long way especially for a sophomore/jr summer. You have no idea where the people he meets in person will end up and that could lead to future opportunities. He impressed the CEO enough to get a call and sounds like either the position was made for him or he passed others in line for that role - I would trust to CEO and the skills and potential he saw in your son. Most likely your son will be able to interact with the grad student, he may be able to do some projects around AI -or he may have other responsibilities and learn about more of the business side. As someone said before - big believer in an internship this early is learning what you love, like and have no interest in. Just my opinion I would consider the time difference in internship #1 as a negative too - sounds like he will be on his own with no or limited sense of community. Your last sentence said you son “seems excited” about the internship activities with other interns - that says a lot - again, in my opinion. Congrats to him on 2 offers - my two rising juniors have each applied to over 30 internships each (not tech) and zero interviews!
After reading @DadOfJerseyGirl who just knows these things given his background, what @neela1 who has kids in the tech and what you just wrote about their past interns and having no future with #2, I change my vote to #1.
I do have concern with WFH for a 19 year old though. There’s no support, camaraderie. Nothing. I WFH and it stinks.
But I do think #1 helps him get to next year’s internship and that’s a more important one.
Many don’t land them this early so that’s a win. I would not force the visit the office issue.
The parent says her DC doesn’t want to work from home. If he has two internship offers, then odds are he’s pretty darn talented. I suppose the other questions would be who is the founder of the Start-up for #1? How much interaction is involved, even on zoom, which shouldn’t be an issue? Is #2 like a Fortune 500 company, or a prestigious tech company, or even a public company? Do you know the CEO of #2 personally, or at least connected tangentially? Is $30/hr, 8-hr days, full week x 10 weeks? From your perspective, is the start-up more technologically forward-thinking than #2?
@WorriedButNot Sounds like your kid is super-talented. He’ll thrive in any environment. Unless the founder at #1 is a Sean Parker-level presence that truly will teach him, let him put some money in his pocket (and $10k for the summer is nice $$$ for a college kid), that he can truly call his own while building real peers connections (and he will learn at #2.). I still say #2.
No connection to any of the CEOs…though my son has spoken to both in the interview process (which I am surprised by as I didn’t think CEOs talk to interns during interviews). #1 is pure AI last mile tech solutions (started 2003) & #2 is a talent acquisition company (Fortune 500). Dont know CEO’s caliber for either. Yes $30/hr, 8 hrs/day, 5 days/week.
I love hearing everyone’s perspective and I find myself changing my mind as I go through each of them. LOL. Good thing I dont have to decide!
Though I worry about my kids and was not happy that my sophomore didn’t even start looking for internships until March, here we are! He is certainly smart and very easy going and doesn’t stress about much so he was certain he will figure something out and if not had a summer (AI) project idea that he was going to develop himself. Maybe I shouldn’t really worry about this kid after all.
Yes, he is talented! & did I say he goes to UPenn so he better be! LOL.
My son made a decision - Its #1!! I think with all its drawbacks, the opportunity to learn real life applications of AI outweighed the social & monetary benefits of #2.
