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Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

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Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#1

Post by mattdeboard »

I live in a Midwestern state where I am approximately a college junior (I am a 31-year-old non-traditional student who is changing careers from PR to software development). For a few years now, long before I decided to go back to school, I have been teaching myself Python and its associated web frameworks, as well as a few other languages in which I've dabbled.

I am more than willing to accept intern pay -- that is, market minimum or less, or none -- for an internship opportunity where I can be surrounded by people smarter and more experienced than myself. Unfortunately, there is only one company here who does something does something I consider really interesting.

How do I approach this company about an internship? Or should I even do that? The CEO hosts local Python meetups once a month, which I have trouble getting to since I have class on the nights they're held. We have exchanged a couple of emails (Me: "Does your company host any learning opportunities for aspiring programmers?" Him: "No, not really, what kind of format would interest you?" Me: "Shadowing would be cool." Him: None) but nothing really came of it.

How do I approach a company about internship opportunities they might not advertise or, in fact, even have available? (This company is seeking a python dev right now, a job I'm sure I'm not qualified for)

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#2

Post by isharabash »

Ask in person and keep on asking.

Be flexible in what you're willing to accept too, the idea is to get your foot in the door and either learn straight out, or make connections with people you can learn from.

Also make sure you're ready with the resume and everything else.

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#3

Post by patio11 »

A bit of free advice from a consultant: if you get asked for a proposal, write a proposal which includes includes exactly what he needs to know to say "yes" and then ask for the "yes." That doesn't quite come across in that gloss. I don't know if I'd be angling for internships, though.

Do you know what the difference between you and the typical junior Python dev is? The junior Python dev gets paid for programming Python. Seriously. Apply for the freaking job. The worst thing that happens is you get told you have a hole in your engineering skillset. The likely thing to happen is that you will discover engineers are not hired for engineering skillset, because if they were there wouldn't be so many terrible ones still on the payrolls of corporations big and small.

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#4

Post by Mz »

"Shadowing" is asking them to do something for you and offers nothing in return. It's a net loss for the company. You probably need to be willing to do whatever -- get coffee, stuff envelopes, sweep the floor. I have not done an internship of the sort you are wanting but did arrange an internship I needed for a college class. I went and asked. The longer I was there, the more I shaped it to what I wanted to do for them. I initially did "whatever" but as I got to know people better, opportunities came up for me to say "let me fix x for you". When that went well, they were more willing to listen to additional suggestions and work with me. It had the potential to become a self-created paid position had I not left the area when I did. It was a non-profit, so I would have had to find funding for my own position but the interest was there from their side.

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#5

Post by mbm »

Get to know a professor with industry connections and demonstrate to him/her that you're smart and/or hard-working. Use that as an inroad to a programming internship. It'll take some time, but it might be your best bet if there aren't a lot of internships on the market.

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#6

Post by retroafroman »

patio11 wrote: post #3

A bit of free advice from a consultant: if you get asked for a proposal, write a proposal which includes includes exactly what he needs to know to say "yes" and then ask for the "yes." That doesn't quite come across in that gloss. I don't know if I'd be angling for internships, though. Do you know what the difference between you and the typical junior Python dev is? The junior Python dev gets paid for programming Pyt…

This is exactly right. I ended up in an awesome internship that didn't exist until I proposed the position and me as the best candidate for that position. Think of something that they could use or would be advantageous for them and then offer to do it as an internship for them.

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#7

Post by o1iver »

I am also a university student and I just got an internship by talking to PHD students about their projects. I finally met one who was leading a super-interesting one. I asked about internships (+ bachelor thesis) and he got in touch with the company leading the project with the university, where I then applied and was just taken. It wasn't advertised, so just go and ask people with connections to the industry.

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#8

Post by mattdeboard »

Mz wrote: post #4

"Shadowing" is asking them to do something for you and offers nothing in return. It's a net loss for the company. You probably need to be willing to do whatever -- get coffee, stuff envelopes, sweep the floor. I have not done an internship of the sort you are wanting but did arrange an internship I needed for a college class. I went and asked. The longer I was there, the more I shaped it to what I wanted to do for th…

And when I'm there in person, what do I say? If I was qualified for a position, or it was an advertised internship, it's a well-worn dialogue on what to do and say. However, this is the first time in my life I've been passionate enough about something to be willing to ask someone what I can do to help with nothing to gain from it but knowledge. Looking for specific "talking points," I guess.

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#9

Post by aepstein »

The best way to get their attention is to build something in Python that they would be interested in.

For example, do they have an API? If so, build off their API. Make a cool related service. Make a microsite. Develop a prototype of some technology/algorithm that would be useful in their business.

Forget resumes/shadowing/etc, just take the initiative to build something they will notice and love, and you'll have an instant connection.

Re: Ask HN: How to pursue an unadvertised/nonexistent internship?

#10

Post by n0on3 »

Be direct, honest and keep it simple. That means, (1) be very clear on your abilities and expectations, (2) don't make them loose time, and (3) if you want to know whether they are looking for / would be interested in someone like you for an internship or not, just ask.
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