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Qualifications for Summer Internships?
DMBeiler asks: "I'm a first year computer-science student, with a lot of computing background. I learned C++ in the curriculum here, but am also familiar with Perl, PHP, and know my way around Linux. I consider myself adept enough to pick up a working knowledge of a language fairly quickly. As an underclassman, with little formal training, do any jobs/internships exist for me, say, over the summer? What do I need to bring to the table to be considered for even a menial position, these days?"
Try going for a job instead of a internship. Having an internship on your school record or resume may look good to school officials and some business types, but real work experience counts a lot more.
I've interned approximately 10 months for Apple computer (EE for the Mac Mini in 2004), and been on two recruiting events to my college during that time, taking resumés (but not doing any interviews). From the recruiting side you quickly find that everyone's resumé looks exactly the same as everyone else: you all have the same courses, projects, and skills in programming languages and the like.
What I want to see is you telling me why I should hire you -- why should I push this resumé to the hiring manager with a "we've got to hire this kid." What makes you different? We all know you want to work for us -- you wouldn't have been in line giving me your resumé otherwise. If you give me the impression that you're not full-out gung-ho for the position, I'm not even going to consider you.
I want to see things like what you do in your free time: do you have a life? But I don't want to see someone who only does extracurricular activities. Do you surf and play in a band, say, but also work on some really neat [EE/CS] projects at the same time? Can you balance school/fun/hobbies? Do you have personal drive and a spark of intelligence? If you're bright and driven, we can teach you anything you need to know. That's far more important than simply knowing many things. Tell me something cool you've done. Impress me. Make me want to see you come work for us.
Even more interesting is being in the college at which you're recruiting: you can see everyone taking the same classes you've taken, doing the same projects and trying to pass it off as if it's unique. Hey, kid: I did that last quarter. In fact, you were in my section and goofed off half the time; or perhaps you're the guy who took the easy route on that project while I busted my ass doing it the hard way. I don't think so.
Don't be disappointed if you don't get anything your first year: Many do not. Don't, however, waste your time. Do -something- related to your major and expected career. Make up some project for yourself and do it, and do it well. Work for free for a company as long as it's giving yourself some valuable experience. In other words, do -anything- to differentiate yourself in a positive light and make me remember you. I went through 60 resumés in 6 hours at one career fair, and I can't remember 2/3 of the people I talked to. The only ones I remember are those who made an impression.
Good luck! I'll be at Google and http://www.pasemi.com/ this summer/fall (have to see more of the world before I graduate and pick a permanent career). Once you have experience in one job, the next come much, much easier.
Have any work experience? Willing to start at entry level?
;)
My company has passed up plenty of people who have applied that had Master's Degrees in Computer Science and little to no experience in the field. They usually either scoff at an entry level position, or insist that the entry level salary be raised to something not entry level anymore.
Hired someone entry level once who only have a Bachelors in Comp Sci. Within a year he was making what all those Masters Degree fellows wanted because he proved himself in short order as an asset. Now we send him out to get that Masters.