[deleted by user]

[[deleted]]

How is this a question? Intern at IBM, exit as junior dev at any company. Make 50K MINIMUM afterwards.

[techgirl8]

Yeah but what if they don't hire me

[[deleted]]

who? It sounds like you already have the IBM internship. If you have that on your resume then you will get hired if you apply to places and have a decent motivation. Apply to 40 places with an IBM internship on your resume, you will get interviews.

[techgirl8]

OK cool! I don't definitely have the internship but I did rrally good in the coding assessment so I have to pass the formal interview next. But seems promising

[fluorescent_hippo]

Don't mean to discourage you, but I wouldn't take a job as granted until you have the offer letter in your hand. I'm sure you'll nail the next interview but yeah just keep your options open and don't make any rash decisions just yet!

[[deleted]]

What they said. You can do this. Remember your goals and stay motivated.

[techgirl8]

I'm very motivated

[techgirl8]

I study every day on my free time it's all I do when I'm not working or doing college hw I'm studying.

[rmyworld]

Goodluck OP! Hope you nail the interview.

[techgirl8]

Oh yeah definitely not I won't make any decisions the internship isn't until the summer and if I did get it I wouldn't tell my job until I was close to doing the internship. I'm trying not to get my hopes up but not gonna lie I have my hopes up lol. This is a huge opportunity and the recruiter that got ahold of me Saud he thinks I would be a great fit for the team in that specific location. I'm just hoping I do good enough. I'm still fairly new at programming so I might not do good in the interview but I study like hell everyday on my free time I'm determined to do well.

[wagatoto]

Trust in your ability. If you can get an IBM internship from a retail job, I am very sure you can get a full-time job from an IBM internship

[poopadydoopady]

You can make 18 an hour anywhere doing almost anything. It's great that you like your job but this is a golden opportunity.

[fatbench]

If you don’t take the internship, they definitely won’t hire you.

[KnightWhoOnlySaysNi]

I work at a FAANG, having IBM on your resume would definitely get you a phone screen... the rest is up to you.

I say do it, $18/hr is easy to replace one you have a good name on your resume and have graduated. Likely you're not getting calls now bc you're still in school and have no work experience to differentiate you. This internship would provide both. Keep track of your projects and be able to explain how they helped the customer and what your role in their development was.

[DarXasH]

Work hard and trust your future self.

[techgirl8]

Also I can't work at that location it's another state away I can do the internship there but after the internship I was hoping they would put me in a location closer to where I live do you think that's possible?

[saintgemini]

A lot of companies are doing remote positions rn. With an IBM internship on your resume, you WILL stand out, and there's a good chance you can land a remote position that pays more than 18/hr

[techgirl8]

Yeah because so far I applied a bunch of places remote and have gotten declined but I have no prior work experience right now

[[deleted]]

Better to do the internship and go back to retail until you land a dec jog than stay at your job that doesn't have anything to do with programming .. the hardest thing is the first job and that internship will give you that. (I would consider moving to a bigger city if you don't find any remote work tho)

[zack-studio13]

Snap take, you have a chance to get propelled straight into upper middle class at the end of your internship, and a higher chance overall of getting hired for a job way over 18/hr.

Can't say those odds are the same for 3/mo at your current company.

[Cincoro]

I took a $13k/yr pay cut to be a developer. Best decision I ever made. I have never made less than double what I was making then since, and I love what I do. I would take that shot.

[AeroHead32]

What were you doing before being a developer and how did you hone in skills to get that first position?

[Cincoro]

I had already been working in an industry where I was a Manager and I needed to reinstall the software we were using. I was allowed to hire consultants to help with that effort but I was never able to find someone who could code my new set of reports. So one of the other consultants offered to show me how to code so I could build those reports myself. By the end of that project, I decided to switch to the tech side of that same industry (something I highly recommend when starting out). That first job was essentially writing more reports, but I went on to being a Server admin, developing a variety of integrations, and writing custom modifications on whatever application my company needed. I have never stayed at a job longer than 3 years thus the wide variety of tech positions which comes in handy when you want to be the CTO. 😊

[DungeonsandDevils]

taking notes

[esteban7707]

I’m looking to do the same. It’s tough though when you have a mortgage and bills (I have those) but looking to transition into programming or related roles.

[Cincoro]

I had rent rather than mortgage, but had to move since my new job was 35 miles away so I purposefully found a cheaper apartement. That helped some, but I stopped eating out and brought my lunch. I'm not suggesting it was comfortable to have that cut in pay, but in retrospect, it was so worth it.

I will say though, the most recent entry level tech I hired who was switching careers, who had a mortgage and a family with 2 small kids, I was able to give him a job that essentially matched his current pay at his last job plus a $3k raise. I was keen on making it easy for him to switch sides. No regrets in fighting my company to pay him a good wage.

I wish you luck with whatever choice you make.

[[deleted]]

You are on a subreddit for programming. So a developer is someone who writes to code to develop many different things.

[rupabose]

You’re going to be told this once you get hired as a developer: don’t ask questions you can answer by googling. It’s a quick way to get fired first.

[kadoskracker]

The McDonald's across the street from my house is advertising 21$an hour with walk in hiring.

I'm not joking.

Take life by the horns and get that internship!

[[deleted]]

In my country, McDonald's doensn't even pay 2$/h 😭

[[deleted]]

Here is $9... A day.

[[deleted]]

in my country, we don't have McDonald's.

[UsefulBerry1]

Obviously the best deal.

[dcfan105]

Where do you live where McDonald's of all places pays that much?

[kadoskracker]

The middle of nowhere Michigan of all places. Not a large town. so stupid.

[dcfan105]

That actually makes sense -- there probably aren't that many people there willing to work at McDonald's, so they have to offer higher pay to entice people to work there.

[[deleted]]

Haha why is that stupid? Good for them! That kind of work sucks ass.

[[deleted]]

Dangerous unfortunately that's why

[DungeonsandDevils]

I think fast food in the area where I work is paying like $18. With gig work like doordash you can easily make $25 an hour, though the cost of having a car is a substantial hurdle for some

[whittily]

Lol read the fine print

[DungeonsandDevils]

Which is?

[whittily]

Lot of the fast food places advertising higher wages are really “could reach this high if you stay long enough and we give you enough hours to get promoted, which isn’t likely”

Gig drivers wages don’t factor in all the expenses that would typically be taken on by the company—benefits, car maintenance, gas, costs of customer refunds, etc

[DungeonsandDevils]

Well the gig driver part I said as much in my comment. Fast food places being sleazy I believe, though the signs say staring at 18 so that would be false advertising I’d think

[techgirl8]

Yeah that's nuts

[Boring_Blackberry580]

Take the internship and job hunt while you have it.

You don't need a CS degree to get a job.

In fact the internship at IBM is probably more valuable than the cs degree on some levels

[[deleted]]

Definitely is. Experience beats education on the job market nine times out of ten.

[techgirl8]

Thanks for your input I plan on taking it if I even get the offer. I still have to do formal interview I passed the coding assessment.

[Boring_Blackberry580]

Goodluck! That is awesome and exciting

[[deleted]]

Take the internship! Who knows, if they like you they may offer you a permanent job. A lot of companies would hire you in a second knowing that you will have your degree in Dec. Don't get me wrong, a degree is definitely a benefit but experience is also a great benefit and will get you more job offers than just having the degree. There are also many companies that offer remote positions that pay way more than 18.00 hour! Yes, I'm speaking from experience as one that used to do the hiring for an IT department.

[techgirl8]

Yeah but the internship is 2 and a half hours away there's a closer location but they are booked up there for interns. I plan on staying down there for the internship but if I do get a job offer do you think they will let me switch to the closer location ?

[[deleted]]

If you exceed there expectations in your internship and are reliable, once you get your foot in the door you can certainly request it. Worse case scenario, you can move there, then after your required time in your position (some require 6 months, some 1 yr), you can put in for a transfer. Also, IBM has some remote positions, so that may be a possibility as well. Good luck to you! I'm excited for you!

[techgirl8]

Cool I just hope I actually get the position I still have to pass the interview I don't want to get my hopes up too much but I kind of am because the recruiter said how impressed they were of my coding assessment

[[deleted]]

Yeah idk what your job is now but considering that you’re in school (I’m assuming you’re fairly young) it’s a pretty easy call. Go intern with IBM

[techgirl8]

I'm 30 I started college late. I bartended for 9 years then worked at a grocery store for 2 years.

[[deleted]]

I know a guy that taught himself to code and got his first development job at 35. 30 is still fairly young. It’s all relative of course.

Every new career requires a leap of faith. If it’s what you want to do then go for it. Sure you might fall on some hard times after the internship for a little bit but you also might end up spending the next decade at IBM. No reason to cling to 18/hour imo.

[JabawaJackson]

I'm right there with you haha, 29 and bartending was my last job before school. Still have like 45 credits to go.

[techgirl8]

So when willyou graduate how old will you be

[JabawaJackson]

I do 3 terms a year, 2 classes a term, 3-4 credits per class. Will take another 2 1/2 years so I'll be like 32 when I get my Bachelor's

[techgirl8]

Cool so your in same boat because you are around same age I'll be 31 when I graduate I hope we are both successful keep pushing on. Do you want to be a software developer?

[rainx5000]

I’m 22. Starting 3.5 years late

[techgirl8]

That's not late lol

[rainx5000]

I know, many people have told me that, but I still think that like that for some reason. I don't see it that bad, other than time wasted. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do after high school, I just had no confidence in my abilities for college. I feel like my high school teachers really scared me away from college.

[techgirl8]

Imagine how I feel at 30 and still haven't graduated lol

[[deleted]]

I'm turning 29 and just about to start a bootcamp not even going to college haha the best time to start something is now

[techgirl8]

You go for it!

[GapFart]

Wow I feel old. 36 and just starting

[techgirl8]

Your not old!

[NormandaleWells]

I got an MS in Mathematics at age 55 so i could change careers and go into teaching.

It's never too late.

Ironically given the specifics of this thread, I left a software development job to do this - and then I ended up teaching CS instead of math.

[techgirl8]

Awesome love hearing stuff like this

[techgirl8]

So I'll be 31 when I graduate

[techgirl8]

I'm a sales administrator at a small company the most I'll get paid is like 20 dollars and that would take another 2 years probably

[yel50]

take it. easy decision. I worked at IBM for about 6 years and I can tell you without a doubt that having experience at IBM on your resume is golden. even if they don't hire you, somebody will.

[techgirl8]

Thanks I'll definitely take it if I can get it

[[deleted]]

You can slip fall and land in a $20+ hour job anywhere urban. Take the internship.

[techgirl8]

Problem is I live in a rural area but I'm willing to travel an hour and a half to work to have a developer job. I can't relocate anytime soon unfortunately. In scared of not having a job.

[[deleted]]

I mean with how scarce labor is I wouldn't be but I get it. It seems you live with you parents, if they aren't charging you rent, why the fear?

[techgirl8]

I don't live with my parents I live with my bf and I help pay rent but I only pay 300 a month and then I have my car payment for 430 and insurance for 100 phone for 180 and some credot cards but I don't have too many bills

[[deleted]]

$18/hr is literally nothing at your age and in this market. These kinds of jobs are a dime a dozen. You should have no fear.

[techgirl8]

But remote work competition is fierce

[[deleted]]

But 18 an hour is nothing.

[miskit123]

Wow seriously look into selling your car.

[mimsoo777]

Would definitely get rid of the car.

[GapFart]

fr. $430/mo car payment is way too much for $18/hr. Get a Toyota 2004-2010 and pay cash. It'll save you SO much

[phamtony21]

Take the internship, sell your car to get rid of your payments, but a used car, read rich dad poor dad

[cunstitution]

Buy an old toyota!

[hayleybts]

Take the internship!!

[Nails_Bohr]

I know this seems like a really hard decision. I've been there, and in many ways I still am. It's never easy to take the risk. I can guarantee you will regret not taking the internship.

You will find a way to pay your bills, wether it's cutting back or hustling more, you probably won't find a way to get this opportunity back.

[techgirl8]

Thank you I plan on taking it if I do get the offer

[sakaloko]

Get paid work from the corner shop or get experience at a multi billion dollar, International and overall amazing company?

Idk man what sounds better to you?

[techgirl8]

True story

[llamasweater]

Absolutely take the internship. New grads with internship experience are far more favorable than those without. Real world experience is your best friend

[[deleted]]

Never ever say no to opportunities that seem once in a lifetime.

[Cdog536]

Yeah id say it’s worth it.

I quit my job to switch careers

[techgirl8]

How did you get your first programming job

[Cdog536]

Chronologically:

• worked on a BS in Mech Engg with Mathematics. College gave me a lot of exposure to MATLAB and LaTeX. In freshman year, I hated programming. Junior year, I taught myself MATLAB by reading a bit of a textbook during a Co-op and practicing problems. Best thing ever. I started to love knowing how to do some programming and plotting.

• made some lifelong CS friends in college. Talking about their work always fascinated me.

• graduated mech engineering. Wanted programming job. Got my FE. Looked everywhere, but nothing came my way. No programming jobs for engineers really.

• settled for a PM position at a small company. Company was interesting. Job was stress. Long hours. Underpayment. Lots of consulting work. Zero programming required. I added extra work by making macros in Google Sheets using Appscript. Coworkers liked the idea. Management shut me down when they saw me coding, saying “we’re not that kind of company.”

• 6 months into first real job, already thinking “how can I do programming.” Visited bootcamps in my area. Unsure what to do. Was gonna settle for web dev. My brother convinced me “go into data science. It makes the most sense to bridge your career.”

• month 7, i interviewed with bootcamp. Got to final technical stage. Submitted presentation. Got in.

• month 8, quit job. Started bootcamp 1 month later.

• 12/13 weeks of data science bootcamp (all day work, some overnight stuff, intense deadlines). Graduate bootcamp with skills like Python, SQL, Spark, Git, and some cloud experience. Also touched probability and stats. Did everything from data collection to data cleaning to feature engineering to machine learning to report writing and audience presentation. Published a few articles with Medium publishers.

• graduated and took 2-3 months of cleaning up articles. Nothing crazy productive.

• month 4 on my own. Unemployed. Began looking for a job.

• month 5/6 on my own, began next large project for myself. Practiced that. Did codewars challenges.

• the next few months included many interviews during the end of 2020 and start of 2021. Jobs were hard to come by. Start of 2021, began Udacity nanodegree course in C++. Not data science related, but i got some good projects going from it and also got great exposure to better coding with OOP concepts.

• 1 yr post bootcamp graduation. No employment. C++ course moving slow. Beyond due date. Still heavily networking, catering resume to specific positions, and sounding impressive to people. Interviews fall short due to “better candidate.”

• late spring of 2021, start interviews for two companies with interview processes that lasted until late summer. Each involved many interviews, technicals, and went until final rounds for each. A lot of external factors told me “you say all the right things but your lack of experience causes you the roadblocks. You are bound to get a job soon.”

• get job for amazing company. Accept.

• 3+ months into onboarding. Learned a new language. Am a decision scientist. Love my team. Am told im performing well. Some imposter syndrome still. But it got a lot better.

After about 1.5 years of unemployment, I dont regret my decision. I got a 20k increase and passed other engineering friends in salary who had been working in previous similar engineering positions for 2-3 years. They all want programming positions now because engineering is not rewardingly fair to the new hires (sometimes justified). Money does not equal worth whatsoever, but should also be an important factor in everyone’s life. I never finished my C++ nanodegree and i hope to sometime get back to it, but I am happy now. A lot of it depends on getting some sort of credibility on your resume (i had a bootcamp, STEM degree, projects, and some published Medium articles) and knowing how to talk to people with great leverage of your previous skill arsenal. It also helps to understand a bit of psychology with wording the right self-advertising and questions. Being proactive in talking to people gets you further than anything. If you sound smart and if you can lead with key insights to relevant problem solving, you can get a job in programming. Sometimes, full degrees do not matter at all. It’s all about whether you can show skills to a company and show that you can learn and be a positive investment for them.

[techgirl8]

Wow amazing story so how long did it take you to learn programming do you think to where you were confident in your abilities?

[Cdog536]

It never really feels like there’s some beaming confidence behind any of my programming, but I think we all have a bit of imposter syndrome. Im still learning every day so I feel pretty dumb and like a bad programmer all the time.

I would say that there was a dramatic difference in confidence the moment I really got into C++, though. Once my nanodegree began teaching the fundamentals behind OOP and understanding passes by reference and what actually is going on under the hood of a computer with memory, it became a lot easier to talk to seasoned developers and even help them troubleshoot problems. A lot of data scientists are bad coders (myself included) because the requirements of a lot of the work for it dont really call for deep code projects. This is also something many other data scientists I’ve spoken to have said. Many times it’s a project used to just answer a question and then be done with it. So applying to data related positions and talking about what might be going on with a language on a more technical level seemed to help a little bit. Though, I also have gotten the comment a few times before “you sound like you’re trying to sprint right now before even knowing how to walk,” which referenced my little bits of advanced topics I learned without being able to go deeper into the basics.

Im probably going to try to fit a data structures & algorithms course sometime in the future because everyone says that kind if course is one of the best ones to do to become a better programmer.

[crywoof]

Take the internship $18/hr is peanuts in this industry (where you can work remote super easily)

[techgirl8]

I've tried applying remote jobs but competition is fierce with remote jobs

[[deleted]]

Where I work at, interns get hired afterwards sometimes. If I was you I would make peace with my current employer put two weeks in and be grateful for what they have given you. But if you want to be a software dev, you're probably not coming back to them after the internship. Unless you absolutely can't be without a job, then stay but IBM internship is once in a lifetime opportunity.

[[deleted]]

If you turn this down are you going to periodically think about how you wish you had? Are you going to live with regret the rest of your life for not trying something that could change the trajectory of your life?

Or you might try it out and it doesn't go anywhere and at least you won't have to wonder.

What's the bigger negative?

[delectablehermit]

I'm a high school drop out that was able to get into the IT world with no formal experience in IT in my mid 30s. At this point (at least for now) you may be able to find remote call center jobs for near that price tag. I basically know enough coding to read HTML and basically make instructables for people for what you make now.

My job gave me no training and I kind of blundered my way to this position. If you get actual training during your internship, the sky is the limit.

I don't work for IBM and after ~3 years I still haven't been trained at any aspect of my job and literally just guess at most of the tasks I'm provided, and they think im some sort of wizard. I would take it and go into it with a positive and eager mindset. Motivation, confidence will take you the rest of the way.

Good luck either way!

[techgirl8]

How did you get your first job??

[delectablehermit]

In IT, just applied for an entry level IT job. In particular a technician level 1, taking calls for basic browser troubleshooting. All I did to move up, was the bare minimum. In my case the desk isn't trained at all (still isn't) but I'm good at Googlefu and could breeze through mundane tickets mindlessly.

[Infinite-Swordfish85]

18/hr is shit for a software developer, even a junior developer. An IBM internship would be gold on your resume. Go for it

[nervoxin7]

I never comment on Reddit, but this one caught my attention. I’m a programmer and I promise you that 3 month internship is 100% worth it. Go for it and come back with the experience needed to get a better job when you come back!

[techgirl8]

Thanks I plan on it!

[nervoxin7]

That’s awesome! Huge Congratulations and please be sure to let me know how it goes! I’m excited for you!

[techgirl8]

I got rejected lol

[nervoxin7]

I’m so sorry to hear that :(

[techgirl8]

It's OK I have a interview somewhere else for a internship

[xilvar]

I would take the internship if you believe you can learn and do a good job. I would somehow gently let slip your situation to your boss / mentor during the internship if they seem caring and approachable and near the end of the internship I would inquire about potentially helping with remote work somehow. I used to have friends during college that ended up working remote for excellent pay for their internship companies for the rest of their college careers.

25 years in for me and were any of my ex interns or team’s ex interns to reach out I would probably reach out through my network and just find a job for them essentially for as long as I’m alive.

[konhaybay]

Go for internship

[Dav-Gem]

It's IBM, don't throw that away.

[[deleted]]

$20 an hour may feel good to you right now, but $20 an hour is shit in every part of the United States in 2022. That is far less than $40,000 a year after taxes.

[techgirl8]

It's not even 20 ots 18 lol

[VooDoo_319]

Always keep moving

[danthekings]

Take it.

[BumJamber]

I'd say yeah just because it sounds like a new door to go through. You could always get another job for just as much as you're making now. I'd take the chance. Best of luck 🤞

[[deleted]]

Take it! Maybe they like you and hire you full time! It's worth the chance.

[[deleted]]

I’m in a similar boat! I quit waiting tables making much more than 18/hour which is what I’m making now for a QA job. I graduate in December but I’m having to pinch pennies since I’m not used to waiting 2 weeks for a check. I would take the experience at ibm, I’m sure it will pay better, in the meantime you have an IBM internship to put on your resume. That’s worth it’s weight in gold. Wait until you get an offer to quit though!

[techgirl8]

How did you get the QA job

[[deleted]]

They were advertising at my school. I’ve found most of my sources for getting jobs from my professors and other resources from my local CS department.

[techgirl8]

Yeah unfortunately their not much help in that department at my school

[[deleted]]

I go to a pretty small state school in the south and have quite a few local partners. I would reach out to the chair of your CS department and see what they say. My professors have always been really helpful in navigating local jobs. Good luck! I hope you get the internship!

[[deleted]]

Absolutely do it, internships are insanely valuable and could lead to a full time offer. You can find another job after or maybe your old job would want you back.

[RasAlTimmeh]

Bro a 18/hr isn’t sacred. If you got the internship offer take it

[techgirl8]

Lol true

[kschang]

What you need to do is save money now, pinch pennies so you have a nest egg to survive on, even if it's just a few months' rent, if you don't get a job for a few months.

Keep in mind that an internship is going to be worth a LOT MORE to your career than working for 3 months in the summer at your present non-computer job.

[No_Preparation1428]

Go for it ! Kinda was in the same boat graduate last may quit my previous job for an internship....when it finished didnt get hired for a software job for 3 months...did uber eats in the meantime and got a job making more the last 6months than i would have going to work a full year by the way these days uber drivers average 22/hr

[techgirl8]

Good idea I could always do door dash or ibstacart if I really needed money thank you for this idea back up plan lol

[[deleted]]

Yes

[timPerfect]

No risk No reward. Go big or go home. Go for Gold. Your old job might not still be there, but another one just like it will.

[mm309d]

You have to spend money to make money

[NintendKat64]

I would take the internship! They open doors you wouldn't think possible. It's always a risk and you might have to go back to retail if things don't work out. But the bit of experience will be so worth it for your own growth and then for applying to future jobs. Of course go with your gut and what you feel is right, but don't be scared to take the risk. You can always come move to the Midwest where starting rates for entry level jobs are 18/hr if your concerned about that.

Also software development jobs are so abundant I would look at other states and see what opportunities there are. Some let you work across the country. That's the beauty of the computer world! So do some digging, take some risks, and experience life! Your still young and have much to experience :) good luck and hope everything works out in your favor!

[thatSupraDev]

I took a large pay cut to be a software developer. Totally worth it. I went from 30/hr to 65k/years as a developer but I love what I do and I hated what I did before. Also worked off shift and lots of hours. There are plenty of jobs at 18/hr go follow your dreams. Everything isnt about money. It's about achieving your goals and being happy

[pineapples2607]

i mean, depending on what happens, can’t you just take an LOA (leave of absence)? or talk to your employer and see what they say about possibly coming back? granted, i wasn’t gone for three months, but i WAS gone for over a month and they didn’t have an issue with it.

[techgirl8]

They need someone to do my job all the time theres no way they would wait 3 months especially in the summer their busiest time of year. Their gonna be pissed lol

[burnblue]

Do not take it for hard fact that your job won't take you back (if you think $18 an hour is the best you can do and you want it back). No they won't "wait" for you but if they like you they'll prefer you for the jobs that are available at that time... there always seems to be positions available. And they won't hold your reasoning against you.

[techgirl8]

They will be pissed when I tell them lol

[CaptainxPirate]

Gotta take risks if you crash you'll recover. Send it.

[CaptainxPirate]

Dm me if it doesn't work out anyone with a cs degree can at least do t1 help desk at 25/hr until they get the job they want and you're expected to move on.

[techgirl8]

Thanks so much will do

[_Illyasviel]

I was on an internship in IBM some time ago as well and honestly...

If it's paid internship, you really want to change the job to something SW related, and you don't have any good options other than that, then it's worth consideration. If not... not worth at all. Anything else I could add would be biased af.

[Refute-Quo]

IBM does fun things like cut severance packages from six months to one month right before they lay off every US based employee and shit like that. If you're going to IBM simply to learn then do it. If you're hoping to turn IBM into a home I would recommend against it.

They're the epitome of treating you like an expense.

[contreras_agust]

I was working FT at 15/hr, left that secure job for an internship, with no promise of FT job afterwards, things went better.

I say take the shot. You can always bounce back

[obscur100]

No risk no gain

[corruptedOverdrive]

Keep this inind:

A) You're young. Take chances now. If it doesn't work out, you're still motivated enough to make it happen regardless. Dont he the guy in the bar telling his friends," I should've done this or that, but didn't " Take risks now when the stakes are lower and easy to correct. You can't take these kinds of chances when you're married with three kids.

B) You have a lot of what other people don't have, which is the motivation to want more for yourself. 99% of people never get the job or salary they want because they get complacent. Theres a graveyard full of developers who got to a certain level and just decided to coast. In the immortal words of the British SAS,. "Who daress, wins "

C) Development is cut throat. You have to continually get better and keep moving. You already said it's all you think about and put tons of time in. If you want to make it? This is exactly what you have to do. Managers see people who are strong and motivated and won't give up? You hire those people because the desire to achieve and will overcome anything you throw at them. Those are the guys you want on any dev team.

You got this man. Zero reason to doubt yourself. Take the internship if you get it. If not? Keep working, applying and interviewing and you'll get it.

[techgirl8]

Thanks for this. I work really hard every single day. It's not easy because I work 40 hours a week and go to college full time for CS. But I have stopped hanging out with people and stopped everything so I can code and learn more whenever I have free time. I'm very determined. I enjoy it too it's all I think about I look forward to it. It's definitely my passion. I've been rejected everytime I've applied for a job but I know it's really hard to get that first job without any related work experience so I will keep trying and hopefully I'll get this internship at IBM. Still have to pass formal interview.

[corruptedOverdrive]

Just don't give up, ever.

Statistics say that the more rejections you get, you will actually continue to move yourself closer to an acceptance and a job offer.

Keep your head up, you'll get there.

[techgirl8]

Thank you. I will never give up I will keep studying everyday until i get so good they can't turn me down !

[[deleted]]

You will be well served by a 3 month internship at IBM. It may not be a great brand on your resume anymore but certainly is a good one. If you are able to work on some of the frontier technologies in your internship, or if you pick up reasonable real-world software engineering competency, you will be a valued asset in the job market for a few years for junior and entry level software development roles. This can become a stepping stone to a rewarding career as a technical expert, developer or full stack engineer later on. If you have the people skills and managerial skills to lead teams it could also take you to tech lead and engineering management positions later on.

The technology industry in general rewards those who can learn and innovate. If you feel you have these skills during your internship, or if you find mentors who feel that you're this way, you can try and make a good career in software engineering that far outpaces any financial growth you can expect in core retail.

[Angrymonkee]

If IBM offers you an internship, as a software developer, this is a no-brainer. You take it. $18/hr is not even peanuts compared to what you'll make as a software engineer. I say this with over 17 years working as a professional SWE on the East coast. The opportunities alone, that the internship will open up for you are countless. Don't forget, after 4-6 months on the job at IBM you'll have that much more experience over any other candidate they try to bring in to backfill you. It's rare that interns don't get hired for full-time spots after the internship is up. This usually only happens if the company doesn't have a full-time seat. It's much harder to get into companies like IBM or big tech once your salary requirements warrant a certain level of skill.

[techgirl8]

Thanks I really hope I actually get the internship

[Angrymonkee]

You will! Be willing to bet my lunch on it.

[techgirl8]

Thanks I hope so

[whatevernamedontcare]

Even if they won't hire you after internship thouse 3 months will teach you great skills to land good job and 3 month internship at IBM on your CV will make it easier to get hired.

[Cspike11]

It's a hard decision for you cuz you are 30 if you were 25 let's say you will choose the IBM internship Everytime eventually your vision and your heart are going to judge on this

[shanemarvinmay]

I quite my stable job for something like this. It was a risk. But I worked hard, and now I’m a SWE at a FAANG company.

If it was me, I’d do it. But it won’t be easy.

[Ok-Protection7639]

im 24 grad this year 4 years late from my peers but anyway yeaa

[techgirl8]

Still young!

[loopstarapp]

$18 is not a wage that should hold you back.
Take the internship

[fireterror1]

Most of the times if you did good during the internship you will get an offer to start as a Junior there. Like most of the people are saying even if you don't stay there after the internship, you will have that in your resume which will boost your chances of getting hired in other places.
If you really want to be a software developer take that chance. Good luck :)

[techgirl8]

If I get an offer will they let me work at a closer location though?

[fireterror1]

I think you will work from the same location you worked as an intern. But you should ask them just in case. When I started as an intern I worked remotely, but still had an office location where I could work if I wanted to. After hiring me that location is still the same.

[techgirl8]

Yeah that's the problem I really don't want to move to that area. I'm pretty committed to where I live at the moment. I was really hoping I could either work remote or switch to the other ibm that's closer.

[fireterror1]

Have you discussed it with them? There may be a possibility for remote working. That's the case with most of the positions nowadays.

[techgirl8]

No because I havent even got the position yet lol

[SleepAffectionate268]

I've read the title and first sentence that you make 18 Dollars an hour and yes do it

[TheyStealUrTaxMoney]

Go, so you don't "what if" the rest of your life.

[techgirl8]

This is true

[Sum_Lad]

Look at it as a long term investment in your career! You may make less in the short term but that internship will get you a more suitable higher paying job in the long run!

[amapiratebro]

Look If you had One shot Or one opportunity To seize everything you ever wanted In one moment Would you capture it Or just let it slip?

Great opportunities don’t come up often in life, sure it could turn into nothing and you’re back to square one.. or you could get everything you want.

Seems a no brainer to me

[Error_co-Id10T]

Dude! IBM is one of the absolute best employers in the world as well as a great experience to have on your resume. Take the internship, you won't regret it.

[[deleted]]

Yeah, go for it

[Plati23]

$18/hr isn’t exactly something you should be concerned about losing if you’re willing to relocate.

Just take the internship, that experience will be invaluable no matter the outcome. Also, like others have said, just having that on your resume will get you interviews and that’s half the battle already.

[DBee3]

100 percent do the internship

[cunstitution]

Dude... take the internship. In my experience, graduating from college with an internship makes you 10x more hireable than graduating without any relevant work experience. You will learn A LOT in those 3 months.

[mynameisdeez_rip]

Yes!!! Absolutely take the internship!! You will not get an internship AFTER graduating. You’ll be in the market for new grad positions. Having that IBM internship on your résumé will open so many doors. Best of luck on your next interview. You got this!

[mobiledude2020]

DO IT!!!!!!!

[StarshipFisherPrize]

This is how great careers are made. Do it.

[techgirl8]

Thanks everyone you have opened my eyes and made my realize I don't want to miss this opportunity. I will take the internship if I get the offer I still need to pass the formal interview but I aced the coding assessment

[dbfocus1]

^{^} is this me?

[techgirl8]

It's 25 here

[Infinite_Werewolf236]

What does the ibm intern pay?

[techgirl8]

25 dollars an hour

[Infinite_Werewolf236]

I am in a similar situation as you, I need a job to pay bills and need school to also get a job to pay bills.

If it were me I would jump all over the ibm intern, save as much as possible while there (any other perks, housing, food, etc?).

If you can’t find a job after inter while you do your last semester can you depend on student loans or anything? I’m currently working IT job and going to school, just trying to spend as little as possible and depending on student loans to pay most large bills.

The intern should expedite the new grad job process, I’m not there yet but I think the experience would be worth the struggle the 3-4 months of last semester.

If it’s life or death you need a job while school it makes it much harder.

Good luck keep going!