technology internships

Technology is a field where you learn by doing.

In the tech field, experience is more important than credentials in many cases.

Because of this, it’s crucial to start “making” and to learn by doing rather than just listening to podcasts or reading books. You need to get your hands dirty, try things out on your own, and figure out how they work. The benefits of having this practical knowledge are two-fold: you’ll be able to talk with recruiters in an intelligent way and you’ll be much more likely to succeed during technical interviews.

A technology internship helps you build a professional network.

Internships are a great way to build your professional network. A good professional network will not only help you find future jobs, it will also help you learn about your industry, receive career advice and mentorship, and even make friends who get what it’s like to work in your field.

Finding an internship is step one of building that professional network. Most internships are located in larger cities with big tech scenes, such as New York or the Bay Area. However, if you can’t afford to move to a big city for an internship, there are virtual options available as well (more on this later). Once you’ve found an internship (or three) that interests you, apply! And don’t just apply once—apply several times over the course of several months if necessary. This can be especially important if you’re applying for a position at a large company—they may have several rounds of applications they go through before making their final decision. So don’t get discouraged! Even if it takes time and persistence to land the internship of your dreams, sooner or later they’ll reach out with the good news: “You got the internship!”

The next step is finding a mentor within the company. If possible, talk to HR about mentorships when interviewing for an internship—some companies have formal mentorship programs already in place that pair interns with experienced employees from different parts of the company or departments. If not, take some initiative yourself! Ask around for people who might be interested in being a mentor to you during your time with the company—even if they’re currently busy with work themselves (which is likely), chances are they’d be happy to meet up for coffee every few weeks and give advice on navigating through your internship and what comes after it ends. You never know where those connections might lead…

Internships can lead to a job.

• Internships are an opportunity to prove yourself on the job and show you have what it takes to succeed in that company.
• Internships allow you to learn more about the company, its culture, and how your skills can be put to work at that organization.
• Internships provide a chance for you to meet and work with potential future colleagues! If you want to impress these people, make sure you know what they do before interacting with them. That way, if they ask “What do you think of our web app?” or something similar, you’ll have a more informed answer than just “Cool!”
• Internships get your resume in front of hiring managers who might not normally see it through traditional channels such as referral networks or job boards like LinkedIn or Monster. These experiences also allow prospective employers an intimate glimpse into how well suited their future employees would be for various positions within their companies (which may lead them down paths beyond just technical roles).

Sometimes it’s best to take an unpaid internship.

Weigh your options to see if an unpaid internship is right for you.

Sure, you’re looking for a chance to put your skills to use and build up your résumé, but it’s best not to do that at the expense of your finances. If you’re considering an unpaid internship in order to get a foot in the door of a company that has sparked your interest, make sure that the benefits outweigh the costs. Think about whether or not it’ll be worth it in terms of what you can learn, who you’ll meet and whether or not it’ll open doors for future employment opportunities with this organization.

It’s important to learn to code if you have a technology internship or will have one soon.

You might be thinking, “I don’t need to learn how to code. I just want to do social media marketing and be creative!” Sure, that’s true—but even so, it’s important to understand the basics of coding. You can learn these online for free through sites like Codecademy or Khan Academy. Why should you learn about code?

• Coding is a good skill for any job in technology; it helps your tech company stay competitive.
• You can solve problems by understanding exactly how something works under the hood. For example, let’s say there’s an issue with the email marketing software you’re using at your company. By understanding how email templates work, you can ask the right questions when troubleshooting with customer support.
• Code can help you automate tasks and save time on repetitive processes that take hours without automation. For example, instead of manually setting up 10 new social media accounts and adding followers every day (which would take over an hour), you could write a script that automates this task in less than 30 seconds.

Make sure your tech internship is legal.

While there are many amazing experiences to be found through internships, it is important to make sure that your technical internship is legal.

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued guidelines that define a legitimate internship or apprenticeship, as opposed to an unpaid job:

• The internship must be similar to training which would be given in an educational environment.
• The intern cannot displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff.
• The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded by their presence.
• The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period.

A technology internship can really help you get ahead in your career.

As a technology intern, you will be in high demand and can use your internship to build a strong professional network. It is not uncommon for interns to be offered full-time jobs after their internship with the company they have been working for. In some cases, companies will only hire people who have worked as unpaid interns.

A technology internship can also help you develop valuable skills, such as learning how to code. However, if an employer asks you to do work that could be completed by an employee who is paid a wage or salary, they may be illegally taking advantage of you. You should ask them about the difference between what they ask paid employees and what they ask unpaid interns to do. If there are no differences or the differences are small (for example: asking interns but not employees to bring donuts), then this is potentially illegal and you should consider leaving your internship immediately.