Start building a CV portfolio. When DS was in undergrad in built a small app for PalmOS; Did a travel blog in post grad internships; Featured hobbies in his first job that went to halftime, raising chickens, and did a small Iphone app. DS found it helpful to have something to show which directed interviewer to areas he could talk about.
No on the LinkedIn, but he's aware he needs to put in a profile. We could hit up the family contact who would be very helpful, but he'd have to move to Memphis for the summer. That's painful. I was just thinking that maybe having some actual skills could be more useful than having a summer internship, especially if it ends up paying little.
Hacker school sounds interesting. Doesn't sound like he has time or energy this summer. Has he got hooked up on Linkedin, yet? Mined your family contacts?
i suppose if he becomes a real hacker in the meantime he can get lots of good experience, too.
True, persistent birds do get plenty of worms. Though I don't think searching for web/media design is going to go his way, he doesn't have those skills yet. Maybe after this summer.
Good to know some opportunities come in at the last minute. Thanks for the suggestion about Microsoft research, lp, but their site says the majority of their interns are PhD candidates. They might consider less than that for students who've shown serious interest in research, but my son hasn't done any. Seems like a waste of time in this case.
DS got linenships at the very last minute. Rising senior he thought he had job lined up but it fell through during finals week. He got home and made a call to Xerox-Wilsonville Try Microsoft Research -DS (post grad) had a rising senior roommate in Redmod CD also got the ? He got a second MRs job at last second when a researcher forgot to put in for assistant, in 2008 he got a phone call on Thusday and on monday in was in Seattle (post grad internship). Digital media cos.-I noticed a few were advertising on CL earlier this year.
-- Edited by longprime on Friday 21st of March 2014 09:11:47 AM
Thanks, Intrepid, that is some very good advice! Sounds like your daughter worked very hard to get those interviews. Wow, that is a huge number of resumes to send out. And if she put a cover letter on all of them, even more work. Definitely paid off! I think starting late has been a problem for my son. He was extremely busy in the fall, missed the first job fair, the job fair in NYC, and the only one he attended had almost no recruiters for CS. He is very personable and comes across well, so we keep harping on the fact that people need to meet him and not just look at the resume. He just didn't put this as top priority, right away, and he really needed to.
I'm thinking, though, for his field, that maybe he'd be better off getting the skills to actually start doing a part time contracting job. Perhaps that is more useful, and if he did, he might never even want an internship in the future. Go right from working part time, to working after graduation. But some of those internships seem to pay really well, and they could help you get into the company. I see that worked out well for your daughter. Will probably forward your post to my son for next year, thanks!
Well, I don't know that I am going to be of much assistance specifically for your son........but I can offer my perspectives and history with my daughter and her internships during her college career.
In her freshman year (2009/2010), I insisted (quite firmly with the knowledge that Dad is only paying for school and not personal items & interest) that she start the process early (which I met with some resistance). However, she did began submitting applications in the fall semester. I would also do numerous searches for her and forward anything and everything I could find in regards to her field of study (mechanical & aerospace engineering). She also went to the career fair that was held on campus in the fall to begin making contacts and hopefully get a lead on any possible openings. She also contacted the Department of Professional Practices on campus (they have a very active program which helps to promote internships & cooperatives with a large database), registered with them and then would peruse the possibilities. She was very diligent (again with Dad's insistence) and probably submitted close to 100 applications/resumes over a few months. She finally received an offer at the beginning of March (which for those on the previous board will recall was with NASA). It was a great experience.
In her sophomore year, she again began the process of looking for the following summer in September & October. I did notice that the previous experience of beginning the process early was not lost on her. The light had been apparently turned on as she was significantly more open to the entire process and she took it upon herself to begin investigating any possibilities that might exist. Before January had rolled around, she had submitted less resumes than the previous year, probably around 70-75. She received a call around the second week of January for a telephone interview, which apparently went real well (as a side note, the school also offered presentations & lectures on interviewing, how to dress, presentation & would review the student's resumes). Within 2 weeks, the company flew her to Dallas for an onsite interview at which point she was offered the position. This one would be Southwest Airlines. Even in the interim before receiving the final offer, she continued to search (as did I) and she would submit additional resumes.
Junior year rolls around and Dad doesn't really have to push anymore. She has now earned some good income the past two summers, met many new friends, made contacts at 2 great organizations and was excited about the possibility of snagging another great opportunity. She followed the same approach as she had previously done the first 2 years. Start early, submit a lot of resumes, practice her interviewing techniques, etc. By January, she had 4 job offers for the upcoming summer and she was able to pick & choose (Office of Naval Research, Coca-Cola, DuPont, John Hopkins Physics Lab). She decided to work for Coke in Atlanta and spent the summer researching procedures to increase energy efficiency in their vending machines. She did numerous presentations (which further enhanced her speaking skills in front of an audience) and again garnered some wonderful contacts.
Senior year arrives and she procrastinates a bit more than I would have liked. To be fair, it was a hectic semester what with her major senior project and classes. But none-the-less, she doesn't start the process until mid-November. But now, all of the previous work over the last 3 years seemed to be paying off. DuPont calls & emails her beginning in December (on a weekly basis) and seriously wanted to talk with her again (the funny part is that she wasn't even going to apply with them this time around). She didn't seem real excited (again I think she was distracted, but encouraged her to a least stay in touch and go through the interview process). A quick telephone interview after finals in the fall semester and she was immediately offered the position (employed before Christmas this time). Another great experience and this one offered an extremely generous financial package. At a few of the office meetings, she met one or two of the local VP's - they wanted to meet the young girl who actually turned them down the previous year.
I hope I don't come across as arrogant or flippant nor braggadocios, as I felt it was really important to provide a somewhat detailed history of her experiences.
1. What I learned as I watched (and helped her) is that you can never start too early. In fact, the school she attended encouraged and pushed those students seeking internships & coops to begin the process almost as soon as the fall semester started.
2. Apply, apply, apply, apply. Send out a boatload of resumes, even to those companies and/or organizations that might not seem to fit within their field of interest. Don't stop applying/submitting until hired. There was not 1 instance where she submitted a resume/application to a real person, everything was done online.
3. Utilize the school's resources as much as possible. Talk to the career department (if they have one), professors, anyone that might know about an opening.
4. Learn to write a wonderful resume (even if it is a bit thin in those early years).
5. Practice interviewing (telephone, Skype and in-person formats). Each presents with a different set of challenges and communication variables (such as the proper attire).
6. Be open to anything. Sometimes an internship may not be exactly what you anticipated nor wanted, but as the student is competing against thousands of others applicants, consider all the positives before writing a company or organization off.
He is specifically looking for internships or maybe hacker school in Seattle or NYC. Already applied to Zillow, no chance at Microsoft. As a sophomore, it's hard to hype up your resume with just your classwork. Especially since (according to S1), the schools are only really preparing you to be a professor, with so many classes in theory. Though it didn't seem to stop my kid or yours from getting a job....
My youngest son is having a tough time getting an internship this summer (comp sci, rising junior). He goes to a great school, but it is one that isn't recruited at all for comp sci. They have a very small program. It's hard getting personal contact with anyone, and he's pretty much having to submit resumes over the internet. The worst way to go about things, if you don't have a lot of flashy stuff on your resume, plus they don't give you contact numbers. Hasn't had any interviews or callbacks at all yet.
So the oldest, who is right in the middle of current tech happenings and is very knowledgeable, suggested that he might consider a hacker school. For those unfamiliar, it is an intensive program that can be 8-12 weeks, and you can gain all sorts of education about all things tech. Ruby on Rails, web development, mobile app development. Apparently web development is very highly in demand right now, and you can quickly get a high paying job without even finishing college (he would finish, though). Or you can start contracting for a high rate of pay.
They are very difficult to get into, can cost up to 12K, and are extremely intense, so it is only for the highly committed. I am somewhat hesitant about encouraging it for those reasons, but I'm wondering if maybe moving a little slower with a couple of night classes (the hacker schools offer them for cheaper/less intense) with JavaScript, Web development, iOS might still be useful. At least it would add many more skills to the resume, and potentially make one more employable. Many of the internships out there ask for A LOT more than most college comp sci majors would have without a ton of work on their own.
Anyone with experience or ideas about this? My sister thinks they might be a scam, but since my older son is very familiar, I am certain they aren't.
