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Ask HN: How would you get a tech internship in high school?
2 points by yzzxy on Jan 27, 2014 | hide | past | favorite | 2 comments
Without any concrete proof of technical skill, it's hard to prove to a company that they should take me on as an intern, especially when there is a low chance of me returning to the job immediately. My resume is actually pretty strong - I have some quantifiable work experience with Linux and website management (2 separate projects) but no useful JOB experience. In addition I live in an area with access to a large tech center that has a lot of interesting software and hardware companies.

How would you go about applying to these companies? I already understand hiring basics like how to construct a resume, cover letter, interview procedures etc... but I'm wondering what I can do to increase the chances of getting a real call back from tech companies.

What companies would you apply to? My guess is that monolithic companies with complex hiring and internship tracks won't want to deal with an oddity like my application, so I have been targeting small teams that are more agile as well as medium-sized companies with distinct teams. Is this a good plan? Should I just apply everywhere?

If you were reading applications at a tech company, what would make you consider a high school student?




I'm in high school and just started a front-end development internship. I got it by simy giving a specific piece of feedback through an HN post, and then I got contacted from there about my work. I'd suggest using mediums where your technical prowess is more obvious than your age or formal experience, such as HN. That way, the company, if interested, will initiate contact, find out about your skillset, and then after all of that if you mention your age, all the technical details will make them ignore it in favor of their impression of you before age came into the picture.


This is good advice, I will try to be proactive in my commentating on places like HN where I would traditionally lurk. Unfortunately this is a bit of a moonshot!

Perhaps I should attempt to seek out places where my skills can be applied to problems and discussions. I'm surprised there hasn't been a prominent website or platform for intellectual / Socratic argument since the waning of discussion groups.




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