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A comment on Ask HN: What is the best way to spend my time as a 17-year-old who can code?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: What is the best way to spend my time as a 17-yea... by wai1234 on Sunday September 24, 2017 @12:41PM (#15325408)
Never, I mean NEVER, intern for free. You will almost certainly be the equivalent of 'drink run boy' and learn nothing. If you are willing to work for free, find a volunteer group where everyone is unpaid. That has its own problems but at least it's sane. BTW, 'non-profit' is not the same as volunteer.
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Re:Ask HN: What is the best way to spend my time as a 17-yea... by dogruck on Sunday September 24, 2017 @04:32PM (#15326363)
I hear where you are coming from, and I was always fortunate to have interesting, paid internships. I don't follow your logic though.

If you are being paid, they very might well ask you to fetch lunch and dry cleaning. And, since you're being paid, you feel obligated to comply. Many interns have that unfortunate experience.

If you're not being paid, then you just say no thanks, I'll go home instead.

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