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Internships for Talented High School Students?
xeon4life asks: "I'm an Austin, Texas area high school senior with a slight dilemma: I need a job, I don't want what's offered at my age, and internships are not quite open for kids like me. I've recently been reading essays by Paul Graham about creating your own startup and have been motivated enough to convince two of my good friends to go into business with me later, during college. Thus, an internship at this point would be the ideal solution for me now, but nobody is willing to take me as an intern because I'm still in high school. What am I to do?"
"People have suggested that I just do what every other good American high school citizen does and take a mediocre job. The problem is, I feel it would be a waste of my talents right now to be stuck folding shirts at the local mall or flipping cheeseburgers when I could be helping develop a cutting-edge game, the next-generation compiler, or even the Linux kernel as an intern. I have a higher than most college students' understanding of concepts, and some real programming experience in languages like assembly and C/C++, but that isn't going to amount to anything if I can never find an interviewer who will at least listen to me. I'd appreciate any input the Slashdot readership can give me."
Why is it that 90% of people responding to Ask Slashdot posts just slam the poster instead of providing any useful info? I was in Austin recently, and I did see some people that weren't wearing ten-gallon hats and spurs. Anyway, for the OP:
Are you sure that there are no suitable internships for you? I interned once a week during high school for three years. This was a program my school had in place for all students grades 10-12, but I didn't like any of the internships they already had to offer, so I sent a letter to a local government research organization, and they found me a spot. I would suggest treating this like a job hunt -- find places you'd like to intern and send letters asking if they've got anything. Also, assuming you're starting college next year, you may want to look into co-ops; most colleges have such programs as a way to allow students to gain experience before graduation.
First, I must apologize for the reception you've received to your question thus far. The ONE THING someone your age needs above all else is encouragement, which is something sorely lacking in most of the answers I've read. The fact that you stated your experience isn't bragging; you're trying to make it clear what direction you want to go in. I'm appalled at some of the things that have been said to someone who is actually going out and doing something with their life. (Jealousy that they did not, perhaps?) However... the silver lining is that such a response *will* help prepare you for the real world, which is unfortunately much like this at times. Don't let it discourage you; keep going anyway, and with just a little luck, you WILL succeed. Taking moronic insults and banter like this personally is pointless and a waste of time. File it away in the "This person is unreasonable and will waste my time" folder, and keep moving.
I can tell you from direct experience that there are MANY opportunities available to someone your age. I'm not familiar with the state of things in Texas, but everywhere I've tried (California, Florida, New York), there are always many people out there who see something of value in a kid with drive, and technical interest/ability. What I'm about to tell you about will work for getting you either a job or an internship (I've gotten many of both this way), though it may take a little tweaking based on your area and specific use. What it really boils down to is drive and determination, but some good planning beforehand can greatly reduce the amount of wasted time.
First, make a list of all of the different types of things you can think of that you might want to do, later in life. Obviously, you're going to want to make sure your internship matches your potential career(s), so this first step is important.
Next, come up with a list of ANY company in your area you can think of that might offer jobs in this same field. The fact that you're currently focussing on getting an internship instead of a job is irrelevant right now; a good internship requires the job that will support it to exist.
Now pull out a pencil, your computer, or whatever your favorite writing tool is and write yourself a script. Short, to the point, but cheerful and polite are the rules, here. "Hi, my name is Bob Smith, and I'm interested in interning/working for your company. May I speak with your hiring manager/HR department to discuss this?" Etc. Try it out on your parents, teachers, etc. Ask them to find ways to answer "No" and hang up on you, then eliminate those questions from your script. Remember that your script is just your plan, and that it will need to be flexible. You know, strategy vs. tactics. Testing it out on people will help show you which parts will likely progress normally, and which can go in any direction. Try to avoid questions that *can* be answered with a "No": "Hi, my name is Bob Smith, and I'm very interesting in interning in your department. I'd love to come in and chat with you about the possibility. I'm free this Thursday and Friday, anytime after 3:30 pm. When is best for you?" See? No way to say "No" without changing the conversation around.
Once you've got something that will allow you to get what you want without being too forceful, start calling up the companies on your list. It's fine to read from the script, though by now you'll probably have it memorized more than you'd ever want to anyway. Call, call, and call some more. If you get a nibble, don't go nuts and scare them off, but definitely show interest and drive. Remember, in their eyes, you're just an irresponsible kid. There's plenty of reasons NOT to hire you or take you on as an intern, so show them why they should. Don't be pushy, but show that you're not a flake, and that you have what it takes. If you get something good, congratulations! If not, don't give up. This WILL require many calls just to get the hang of it, and many more to be successful. Call the least