Ask HN: How to get the most out of an internship?
I'm sure many other students are have just started/are starting their first internships at big tech companies and startups in the Bay Area.
What did you find useful at your first internship, and what would you recommend to incoming interns?
- Set yourself some goals for the summer. Break them down into actionable steps. Plan a roadmap. Schedule self check-ins once or twice a week to keep up with the goals.
- If you're in a big city, take advantage of the meetups around you. Network and work on interesting stuff on the side.
- Try to work on an interesting project. This one depends on the company you're working for/how they manage interns. But they sometimes give you the opportunity to come up with your own project idea and execute it (ideal). Sometimes they'll pair you up with someone and you basically help them on whatever they work on (not ideal, but not bad). Sometimes you just get fed small bugs and remedial tasks (Don't intern here).