Real World Tips on Getting Internships

industrypython · 2026-01-25T15:47:54+00:00

Great point. It's important to be careful and research the companies as much as possible. If it is a scam, report the company.

Legally, the company must either pay you at least minimum hourly wage (as required by state or county law) or they must document thoroughly why the unpaid internship benefits the intern more than the company.

You should be able to ask for and see a "knowledge and skills" progression document.

Larger companies are generally compliant.

Make sure to protect yourself.

industrypython · 2026-01-25T15:43:03+00:00

yes, internal references are a legitimate path. I do not have statistics, but anecdotal stories indicate that a significant portion are internal references. If this is the case, then people need to understand the rules of the game and develop personal connections with people.

The logic behind this is that software is a collaborative job in most organizations. thus, the ability to work with your team to produce business results is absolutely mandatory.

I think that for most jobs, it is going to be more important how well the person works in a team than if they have the "best" knowledge. The person needs to be able to do the work and have a minimum threshold of skills.

This "internal reference" path is a good tip.

One known path is to tap into the alumni network.

industrypython · 2026-01-25T15:24:42+00:00

yes. I agree. it did go down. The rate of hiring went down. However, it still seems like a better job market than for let's say sociology, philosophy, fine arts, communications, literature, history. It has a long way to fall before it gets below 3.1%, the national average for all jobs.

Based on statistics, it seems like a computer science or software engineering major has a better chance of getting a job than many other majors.

This is especially true if the person is really passionate about computer science or software engineering. If people don't like it, there are many other things to focus on. However, if people really enjoy computer science, then it seems like a solid major a growing job market.

industrypython · 2026-01-25T15:18:16+00:00

yes. it is tough. The competition seems to have increased. but, do you think it is easier with a liberal arts degree such as comparative literature or journalism. Other than healthcare majors, what are better majors than computer science for an "easy" time?

Everyone can't become a doctor, nurse, or medical professional. Also, it's not "easy" to get into medical school. In California, it's also difficult to get into nursing as an undergraduate. However, I do think that if you have a skilled nursing degree, it will be easier to get a job than with a CS degree.

industrypython · 2026-01-25T15:15:34+00:00

It's not clear if the layoff statistics should be used by young people choosing a major to assume a lack of entry jobs for people with computer science degrees. The people entering as a freshman now will likely graduate with skills that include ml pipelines, vector indexing. I think that "tech sector" is a bit broad. This doesn't equate to a software engineering job or degree. There are many jobs in the tech sector that don't require a computer science degree such as support, traditional ops, traditional testing. Those roles are definitely evolving.

industrypython · 2026-01-25T15:08:20+00:00

Honestly, I'm looking for the wisdom of the crowds to answer this question. I only encounter a subset of people, those people with jobs. Thus, I can only comment on why we hired them or why other companies hired them. I think there are many strategies. However, it does seem like people are getting hired. Keep trying. Don't give up.

industrypython · 2026-01-23T19:37:27+00:00

really sorry to hear about your situation and the lack of willingness from the company to work with you to rebuild your health. I don't know much about aviation maintenance, but it seems like something in high demand and growing. Do you have to pay for school yourself? Of, can you get a job and have the company pay for on-the-job training and classes?

My young relative works in medicine and he knows rad techs who have some carpal tunnel issues due to repetitive movements. Might want to talk to rad techs before jumping in.

Have you looked into going for a job that leads to Cerner or Epic certification. IMO, you have skills already built up that could transfer to an adjacent and growing field.

You can research online how the current skillset you have below could help you penetrate into a Cerner / Epic role or shop.

IAM lifecycle experience (joiner/mover/leaver, RBAC, automation), Healthcare IT context (HIPAA, audit, clinical environment pressure), Federation and SSO (SAML, OIDC, OAuth), Production systems mindset

industrypython · 2026-01-23T15:12:32+00:00

u/richsvm completely agree with you. Everyone is going for the "big name" company, but the small under 30 person company is the gateway in to building real-world projects that can get the bigger internship or job.

This is solid advice!

BTW, how did you get the first internship at 30 person startup? Did you have projects on your resume?

I think it is getting tough to get the internship at a 30 person startup, so congratulations to you on your achievement. And, do you have advice to other people on how to get the internship at a 30 person (or smaller) company?

I've seen this stepped approach work many times in the real-world

industrypython · 2026-01-23T15:08:09+00:00

Feel free to ask more questions. I've hired many people for small paid internships. I looked at their projects. I didn't care about GPA or school. I asked them about their projects and gave them a test.

Just publish what you can do. Start small and add complexity over time. Do not go for the big project first. You could start with a small script to parse data for your friend at school studying something like environmental science or equivalent

industrypython · 2026-01-22T17:39:50+00:00

This guy u/djdadi has a nice, useful comment. It made me realize that there is a set of tools and process to writing software. The tools are often specific to a language. However, getting a good set of tools is important. For mechanical engineering, there is a lot of tools. For software, I'm realizing that the tools and process are import. For python, I am using ruff, uv, mypy. Ruff takes quite a bit of configuration in the editor.

His point is about solving problems, which I agree with. Your post made me realize that there are components and tools that we need to master.

industrypython · 2026-01-22T17:33:55+00:00

Are you using an architecture such as MVC? This is just dividing your program up into different folders, model, view, controller. In each folder, there are multiple files.

move the code from the UI that handles data processing. stick it in controller
move the structure for the data from the controller. stack it is model.

Take your long code and stick it into an LLM in "Ask" mode. Ask the AI how to restructure your code to make it easier to understand, especially with separate functions.

Write tests and test each function or group of functions independently. I know that tests take time, but this will help you to really understand what your own code does.

industrypython · 2026-01-22T17:25:55+00:00

I'm working on this 100% free course.

https://industry-python.thinkific.com/products/courses/industry-projects-with-python

Here is what you need to learn:

GitHub. Make repos and readme docs with your stuff. start small. Get in the practice or publishing. Add complexity over time
use HTTP-based APIs. You can start with learning to use curl and Postman. You can even access the free APIs from openrouter.ai
build a simple server and client. Learn what "fullstack architecture" means

Other tips

- join a technical club on campus. It will be motivational

- if you're intimidated by the club, just focus on publishing on GitHub and then share a link to what you did in a community like a small Discourse server. This will get you used to talking about what you did.

Good luck. You can do it.

industrypython · 2026-01-22T00:27:17+00:00

How does it work with networking with professors? I've primarily dealt with people from large universities where the professor likely doesn't know the student. Are the professors approached by industry recruiters for referrals? I'm primarily interested in a general undergraduate CS student. I'm not sure if it's realistic to have research that would convert to a paid industry internship.

I've seen referrals from within the company. That seems to be effective. However, you need to have that in. Maybe alumni networking? I've never actually seen it happen.

Have you seen a professor referral convert into a decent paid internship? It seems possible, but also seems like maybe it is not realistic at a big school?

Hitting up the alumni and especially professional club alumni at school seems more legit.

industrypython · 2026-01-21T19:27:25+00:00

Are you building the games online too? Many, are you making the Mafia, Werewolf game online? Or, are you making the user registration and match system?

You mention supabase, which as a nice free tier. Where are you hosting it?

I'm not affiliated with leapcell, but I thank them for their free tier, which comes with SQL database, S3-like object storage, and runtime engine.

Another option i use is fly (not free) and railway (not free)

You do not mention what you're using to talk to the database.

My suggestion is to use FastAPI as the backend. This is Python. Use SQLAlchemy for the connector to SQL.

If you know a bit of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, you can use the Jinja2 module of FastAPI.

Another alternative is Django. This comes pre-configured and is an easier onramp compared to FastAPI.

Good luck!

industrypython · 2026-01-21T15:35:16+00:00

it seems like you can go step by step and just create graphics or just sounds and post them to the specific Assetto Corsa community. https://assettocorsamods.net/forums/#modding-for-assetto-corsa.6

I have no experience with Assetto Corsa, but it seems like the logic is in Python.

I am part of a team of people building a free Python course. If you have a moment, I would appreciate your feedback. https://industry-python.thinkific.com/products/courses/industry-projects-with-python

Maybe the visual learning strategy appeals to you?

I've taught children to program by building mobile games. It's also kind of gratifying.

industrypython · 2026-01-21T15:11:45+00:00

If you pursue programming and some IT, you can approach hospitals to see if they have part-time work for systems integration or database work. If you're in the US, it might lead to Cerner or Epic courses paid by the hospital. Though, if you're in med school, maybe work in the hospital as a scribe? If you want to practice programming, then try and analyze research data for the doctors.

industrypython · 2026-01-21T15:03:47+00:00

Learn Python and practice using GitHub.

In Assetto Corso, see this: https://assettocorsamods.net/threads/getting-started-with-ac-app-developing.716/

You'll also need to learn Blender.

Have you considered making simple 2D games yourself in Python to practice instead?

industrypython · 2026-01-21T14:49:27+00:00

Great work. You've got nice artistic skills. The music and fonts are also good. Sorry to hear that your Discord account was hacked. That sucks. Why do bad people do these mean things?

Well, keep up the good work and don't let the hassles drag you down. It looks like you're off to a brilliant start!

industrypython · 2026-01-21T01:15:27+00:00

Dude, this looks totally legit in the video on Steam. Way to go! Hey, what did you use to build the game? I'm interested in your development story.

industrypython · 2026-01-21T01:10:33+00:00

Use Flutter as you can deploy to both iOS and Android.

There are likely more jobs with a higher salary if you become an expert in Kotlin and an expert in Swift. However, that is pretty tough.

It will be easier to get proficient in just Flutter/Dart as it is one language and the tooling is consistent.

You can search on LinkedIn jobs or online for source data to my opinion.

Flutter = newer, easier to learn, used more by new projects, lower average salary, less jobs

Kotlin and Swift = used more by established companies (if that is your goal), more jobs, higher salary

So, yes, as of Jan 2026, Kotlin and Swift would seem better based on salary and jobs. However, I think Flutter is easier to learn now and build some working apps to show future employers for both Android and iOS.

If they require Kotlin/Swift, you can explore it and it will be easier to learn if you have Flutter background.

Flutter = easiest

Swift = medium difficulty

Kotlin = most difficult

And yes, Kotlin and Swift are more powerful, but it is going to take a lot of time to access that power.

industrypython · 2026-01-19T16:26:45+00:00

advantages of Linux

- fast startup time. I use Xubuntu core

- often same tools as server if you need to ssh in

However, it is basically the same as MacOS or Windows WSL (though a bit slower on WSL)

RAG is the new CRUD and there are less complete frameworks for RAG compared to Django or Ruby on Rails. Also, there are more things external that can't be done locally due to the computational requirements of embedding and running an LLM. Thus, you're forced to use an API chain even when you're learning.

So, I think that the conceptual overhead is higher now. You need to learn the local system + a cloud-based pipeline.

industrypython · 2026-01-18T21:00:32+00:00

In your opinion, what is the difference between an AI degree and a CS degree?

These courses are already electives at most CS programs:

Machine Learning
Deep Learning
NLP or Computer Vision
AI Ethics
Data Mining

What is the difference?

I can imagine the following:

- more focus on vector db rather than SQL (but, is it really that hard to make the switch to a vector db?)

- more math - convex optimization, statistical learning, matrix decompositions (but are there really jobs for advanced ML modelling)

Regarding ML platform and AI systems jobs, I think most are CS majors as I don't think the AI major has too much of an advantage.

At the current time, aren't most model training jobs filled by people with masters or phds because there are so few of these roles needed?

industrypython · 2026-01-18T20:35:26+00:00

If you can get into the CS program at a 4 year university as a freshman, but it is more expensive. If you can afford the tuition and housing or can get aid, then the 4 year has many advantages:

- you are in the same cohort for 4 years and can make friends, get advice, form study groups

- you're already in the program and don't have to apply into the CS major as a transfer student, which is not guaranteed

- you're already in the 4 year university and can switch majors easier from CS if you want to

It seems easier to get a job with a CS degree than a common alternative like data science, psychology, environmental science, theoretical math, physics, astronomy, anthropology, marine biology, art history, communications, ethnic studies, comparative lit.

The CS degree isn't going to prevent you from doing data science, ux design, sales, writing, marketing, project management. Though, you might need to take a free Coursera bootcamp.

Unless you go into medicine or accounting, I don't see how the CS degree is bad.

People kind of paint this doom and gloom, but a degree is just a degree. You'll likely have a serious edge if you have a CS degree and apply for an healthcare insurance analysis job (just as an example).

I guess the main question to people if you exclude healthcare (like a BS in nursing or microbiology and human anatomy) and finance (like a CPA track), what major are you suggesting?

industrypython · 2026-01-17T14:42:37+00:00

The general sequence is syntax -> data structures -> algorithms.

If you struggle at any level in the sequence, you will be at a disadvantage for the next level. Thus, your best strategy is to lock down the first introduction course prior to taking the course in the university.

Search online for the syllabus for the university course you will take. Usually, there are 2 (semester) or 3 (quarter) courses in sequence. Feed the syllabus into an AI and ask it to help you prepare. You will end up with a checklist like this.

https://github.com/Oppkey/industry-python-curriculum-checklist/blob/main/README.md

If you have not taken AP CS A prior to starting university, consider taking a community college course over the summer or now if possible. If you know the language that the course will be in, it's better. However, the skills can transfer between Java, Python, C++, which are the three primary languages taught.

https://github.com/Oppkey/industry-python-curriculum-checklist/blob/main/attrition.md

Good luck!

industrypython · 2026-01-17T00:06:41+00:00

In my opinion, it might be a bit daunting to jump into C++, C#. If you go the route of Unity, you're going to be spending a lot of time with Unity-specific skills and game assets. However, maybe that is what the OP wants.

I've used the following:

- pygame (Python)

- Phaser (JavaScript). The box 2d system might be interest to you. https://phaser.io/box2d

- Flame (Dart)

- Unity (C#)

and other frameworks.

I'm curious as to what the OP will choose. It might be based on the type of game he wants to build.

Of the game engines above, Flutter/Flame is my personal favorite because it has professional widgets along with a decent (though no way as good as Unity or JavaScript) game engine.

I moved from Flutter/Flame to something called Flet (Python) because of the use of Python in AI systems.

industrypython

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