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Ask HN: When is the best time to start looking for summer internships?

6 points by ifrins ↗ HN
Hey, I'm wondering when do you think it is the best time to start looking for an internship, on the second year of university, the third?

Has anyone done an internship on the first year summer?

Lastly, when do you think it'd be advisable to start looking for companies and sending CVs, late fall, early start of the year...?

Thanks

6 comments

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brd
The sooner the better. My first internship was the summer I turned 18, prior to me starting uni. It absolutely set me apart and allowed me to pick and choose opportunities moving forward.

When sending resumes, I'd say it depends on the companies you are applying to. If you can seek out direct lines of communication with people involved in the hiring process (i.e. career service dept) then do so without delay.

If you are applying cold then do your best to find out when they start hiring their interns and apply at the beginning of that window. If you can't find out, then apply immediately and follow up routinely.

Show some initiative. Be the squeaky wheel. You will be better off.

ifrins
Out of curiosity, was your first internship in a bigco or a startup?
brd
It was a relatively small consulting shop, I worked on some internal projects for them.

My next two were both big co.

misframer
I agree. My first internship was the summer before my senior year of high school. I've interned every summer since.

I think I usually start looking in January or February and commit by April.

tectonic
Hey ifrins. Your previous work looks cool. If you're looking for summer internships in San Francisco, send me a note!
redtexture
Yesterday.

Always be thinking about what you desire to do. All of your life. There is no start, and no end to the process. It's desirable to have made choices available to yourself, so that there is more than one opportunity.