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Ask HN: I just turned 30. Am I too old for an internship?

9 points by wunderlust ↗ HN
I know that internships are typically given to recent graduates, so is it something I should look into or would I be better off working on "side" projects and try to get a job as a junior developer once I have something to show? Ceterus paribus, I would guess that the latter route is better overall, but the idea of working within a company on something that actually has users and revenue (or at least funding) has a lot of appeal.

FYI, I've been coding on and off for a few years, I consider myself an intermediate coder, and I just turned 30. Most recently I made this: fraze.meteor.com. (It's a knock-off of the game Catchphrase - get your team to guess the phrase (in my case it's just a word/idiom) before the time runs out. It gets random 'idioms' from the Wordnik API.)

8 comments

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bmajz
Lots of startups looking for new talent, so you should be able to land a job with some work. The app you linked to is probably too small to generate interest though. Have you considered something like Recurse (https://www.recurse.com) as a place to get some more reps as a coder and then using their services to find a job? That seems like the best bet if you have the resources to be able to spend the time there.
wunderlust
I haven't heard of Recurse, but thanks for pointing me to it!

Also thanks for the feedback on the app. It is small, but it was the first complete web app I've made. I'll step it up for the next one!

bmajz
Definitely awesome first effort. Just keep on sharpening your skill and good things will happen. Mentoring will help accelerate your curve, which is what Recurse (or just a developer friend) can help with it. Good luck!
cgsmith
I am 28 but would never consider myself too old for an internship, but only if the internship is in my best interests.

For one, I would consider an internship if that was the only way to get hired at a company that I know I would like to work at. Maybe the company has great individuals that I will get to work along side?

Secondly, I would start by networking and try to get a paid position first as a juinor dev. I might be in a different position in life then you though; ie: two children and a wife in school.

funkylexoo
Completely agree with @cgsmith. I did an internship at age 30: it was 2008, the economy was in the doldrums, and I was desperate to change the direction of my career. The internship lasted 6 months, I was obviously far more experienced (in terms of strategic thinking & organisational experience) than other interns, my boss and even the boss of my boss. Long story short, 6 months later I was hired by the company with a decent position, salary, and having completed my professional turnaround.
wunderlust
So it's at least worth looking into. Thanks.
wunderlust
That makes sense. And no wife or kids, so my lifestyle is pretty flexible.
pc2g4d
You're absolutely not too old for an internship. I did two internships when I was 29, one of which led to full time employment.

Internships are tryouts---the company sees what you're like, you see what the company's like. I think they can be a great way to bolster your resume and potentially find long-term work.