Choosing the Right Role for You
PART ONE – APPLICATIONS Start with your goals.
What do you actually want to get out of an internship? This is a really important question to ask yourself, because soon enough employers will be asking you too. It may be a specific technical skill like Ruby, or you could be looking for a mentor within the industry. Knowing what you want to achieve over the summer will act as a compass through the jungle that can sometimes be Summer of Tech.
Look for connections.
Sure, we've all heard of the big name tech companies - but is that the only reason you want to work there? When looking over the available internships, do your research. Who are the companies you haven't heard of, and what are they all about? Workplace fit is one of the most important aspects of professional life, and employers will be looking for this too. My advice is to apply to companies who are doing things that you're passionate about!
Visualise your summer.
Reading through a job description, you should be mentally ticking boxes - things that appeal to you, skills advertised you would like to learn, and personal descriptors that you feel match yourself. The job description should give you a reasonable idea of what the internship will be like, so read carefully!
PART TWO - OFFERS DAYA little further down the track, Offers Day will arrive. Applications, Meet and Greet and Speed Interviews will all lead employers to narrow down their shortlist, and send out internship offers to students. If you receive multiple offers, it can be tricky and sometimes a little overwhelming to decide on an internship. So how? Reassess.
Go back over the job descriptions and circle the things about each that appeal to you. Think back to the interviews - how did each company make their pitch to you? What is it about each particular role that interests you? As basic as it sounds, make a list of pros and cons. At the end of the day, your personal and professional development is the most important factor, so my advice would be to choose the company you feel you will grow the most with.
Ask.
Do you know any students who have interned at any of the companies before? Is there a tutor or lecturer whose opinion you value? Do you have any friends studying in the same industry? Asking others for their input is perfectly fine, but just remember at the end of the day it's your internship.
Decide.
Offers Day is a whirlwind, and you don't want to be mucking around. Ideally, you would have done most of your post-interview research and reassessing before Offers Day, so you have a clear plan for when your own offers are sent out. All of our Summer of Tech employers are great and provide amazing opportunities for students - so choose a company that's a good fit for you!
