Internships

[lw3s]

Hello all! I am a High School Junior and recent-ish Eagle Scout, OA member, and former SPL. I am very interested in programming and have self-educated to the point where I believe I'm at least as good as the 90th percentile of College Sophomores. I have been seeking internships both through applications online and networking personal connections, but very few organizations are willing to even read the resume of a high school student. I don't know why it took me so long to think of it, but I know the Eagle Scout community is very proud of the fact that it supports its own ("Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!"), and I was wondering if anyone here was in a company that was willing to take a chance on a high school kid. I'm fine with unpaid, long hours, bad culture, etc. I just really, really want experience. I have a 1590 SAT, 4.0 Unweighted/4.5 Weighted GPA (First in class), 5s on 4 AP exams, a few projects, and a very strong skills-based resume available upon request. Thank you for your help!

[RememberSchiff]

@lw3s  welcome to scouter.com.  Well done. Keep enthusiastic and keep networking. Find a problem that needs fixing.

Other scouters are here to help.

 

[RememberSchiff]

You raise a good point about the Eagle Scout or Scouter community. During recruiting, many colleges and universities mention their alumni network as potential future employers.

[BetterWithCheddar]

Welcome, @lw3s. Good on you for reaching out!

I don't have any programming experience, but here are some pointers that would be applicable to most industries:

1. The best internships post in the Fall. Many places will begin the process of hiring summer students and Spring graduates in the Fall. That seems early, but they're trying to attract the best students to fill their talent pool. Try proactively reaching out to places of interest to inquire when they typically post their summer internships.
2. Write for Blogs or Newsletters. Make a list of information sources that compile professional content for your industry. Reach out to them and offer to submit content or provide peer reviews. It might not be an internship, but you'll start to write and think like a member of your chosen field, and you'll make connections with the editors of these publications.
3. Hire a Resume Coach. Go to Fiverr and pay someone $50 to review your resume. You can often find people with HR experience in your chosen field who will help improve your resume and make it stand out. They'll also alert you to any gaps that you might be able to address. Bonus: You've now added someone in your chosen field to your network.

Good luck!