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Ask HN: Portfolio or Internship?

3 points by metastew ↗ HN
Hi, I'm a student at a technical college for Information Technology program and I'm going to be doing programming concentration for next year. As part of the program, each student is required to do a COOP term, however we can have the option of working on our portfolio instead.

So here's the backstory, recently I've applied to a few tech companies around my area to be their intern, but so far I haven't heard back from them. I probably should mention that this area is somewhat barren of tech jobs. I'm not keen on the idea of working for someone for free, especially when I have bills and school to pay for. So I wanted to get started with a few webapp ideas of my own this summer and put them into production so that I could make passive income while I'm in school, and as a bonus, beefing up my portfolio.

But here is where I'm hesitant to go forward with the portfolio idea, should I keep looking around for tech companies for internship or go ahead and work on my webapp ideas? Would I be hurting my chances after graduation by forgoing internship?

Thanks HN.

3 comments

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bartonfink
If you work on your portfilio, essentially working for yourself, you preclude a lot of chances for learning from others. You get to work on what you want and you get to work how you want to, but you're never going to be sure if you're doing something "the best way". Those learning opportunities have the most value early in your career, which is the big win for an internship. On the flip side, if you aren't going to get those opportunities and are just going to be cheap labor for some sweatshop, the internship will just be experience on paper and probably won't have done much for your actual development.
symmet
I think an important aspect of the internship, as touched on by bartonfink, is the social connection. This decision isn't as easily boiled down to whether you'll make more impressive things at an internship or on your own.

I don't think forgoing an internship would necessarily hurt you, but your portfolio would have to really stand out to make up for it.

I would say continue to pursue internships and see what turns up. If nothing viable or attractive comes up, then plunge into your ideas.

kd0amg
I probably should mention that this area is somewhat barren of tech jobs.

So is my area, so students here don't limit their search to the local area. Most people I know who have done a co-op (me included) did so at least a couple hundred miles away from school.