How to get a tech internship

Field-tested job-hunting tips for computer science students.

Also check out my post on getting started with computer science for college students.

Google headquarters

I probably don’t need to convince you that working at tech companies is really attractive. You can work with startups on meteoric rises and world-famous tech giants, all while surrounded by ping-pong tables and unlimited snacks. You can build apps that your friends use and products that make the world a better place.

There’s just one problem: how do you get a tech internship in the first place?

CS50: What Next?

ຫມາຍ​ເຫດ: this post is aimed mostly at Harvard students.

CS50 logo

So you took Harvard’s introductory computer science class, CS50. (Maybe you were a regular at my section or met me at office hours.) You learned a lot, you enjoyed it, and you want to continue exploring computer science. Maybe you want to concentrate in CS, get a minor, get an internship at a tech company, or better understand how computers are going to take over the world.

But CS is a huge field, and with just one course under your belt, it’s difficult to really break into it.

So what next?

Khan ຂອງ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ສໍາ​ນັກ​ງານ​ຝຶກ​ງານ, Summer '15

ພັກ​ແລ້ງ​ນີ້, ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄວ້​ໄດ້ confines ມິດ​ຂອງ Cambridge ແລະ​ເດີນ​ທາງ​ອອກ​ຕາ​ເວັນ​ຕົກ ປະ​ທ້ວງ​ມັນ​ອຸ​ດົມ​ສົມ​ບູນ ຝຶກ​ເປັນ​ວິ​ສະ​ວະ​ຊອບ​ແວ​ທີ່ ຄານ​ສໍາ​ນັກ​ງານ. ແລະ​ວ່າ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ດີ​ເຮັດ​ມັນ​ຍຸດ​ຕິ​ທໍາ: ມັນ​ເປັນ​ປະ​ສົບ​ການ​ປ່ຽນ​ແປງ​ທັງ​ຫມົດ.

Salman Khan of Khan Academy
ມີ​ຫນ້າ​ຫວາດ​ສຽວ Sal Khan, ຜູ້​ກໍ່​ຕັ້ງ​ຂອງ​ຄານ​ສໍາ​ນັກ​ງານ​ໄດ້

ໂຄງ​ການ​ທີ່​ຫນ້າ​ຫວາດ​ສຽວ

ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ເພີ່ມ​ໂຕນ​ເປັນ​ວິ​ສະ​ວະ​ກອນ​ຊອບ​ແວ​ໂດຍ​ເຮັດ​ວຽກ​ຮ່ວມ​ກັບ​ທີ່​ປຶກ​ສາ​ຂອງ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ໂຄງ​ການ​ເຢັນ​ເຊັ່ນ​::
– ການ​ສ້າງ SEO'd ຫນ້າ​ດິນ​ສໍາ​ລັບ​ວິ​ດີ​ໂອ​ຂອງ​ພວກ​ເຮົາ
– ການ​ກໍ່​ສ້າງ​ຄຸນ​ນະ​ສົມ​ບັດ​ເພື່ອ​ສົ່ງ​ຜູ້​ຊົມ​ໃຊ້​ອີ​ເມວ​ແຈ້ງ​ເຕືອນ​ເມື່ອ​ໃດ​ກໍ​ຕາມ​ຄໍາ​ຖາມ​ຂອງ​ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ​ໃນ​ວິ​ດີ​ໂອ​ຂອງ​ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ໄດ້​ຮັບ​ການ​ຕອບ, ການ​ເຮັດ​ວຽກ​ຢ່າງ​ໃກ້​ຊິດ​ກັບ​ການ​ອອກ​ແບບ
– ການ​ຕິດ​ຕາມ​ລົງ​ແລະ​ແກ້​ໄຂ​ແມງ​ໄມ້​ໃນ​ເຄື່ອງ​ຫຼິ​​້ນ​ວີ​ດີ​ໂອ​ຂອງ​ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ໃຫມ່

ມາ, ຄື, ແລະ​ການ​ຊອກ​ຫາ: ການ​ກໍ່​ສ້າງ​ລະ​ບົບ​ນິ​ເວດ​ເປີດ​ແລະ curated

ລະ​ບົບ​ນິ​ເວດ​ທີ່​ສຸດ​ເຊັ່ນ​: ຮ້ານ​ທີມ​ແມ່ນ​ບໍ່​ວ່າ​ຈະ​ເປີດ​ຫຼື​ອະ​ນຸ​ບານ. ແຕ່​ເປັນ​ຫຍັງ​ຈຶ່ງ​ບໍ່​ສາ​ມາດ​ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ມີ​ທັງ? ດີ, ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ສາ​ມາດ​ເຮັດ​ໄດ້ — ທັງ​ຫມົດ​ທີ່​ທ່ານ​ຕ້ອງ​ການ​ເປັນ​ສາມ​ພາ​ສາ: ເຜີຍ​ແຜ່, ຄົ້ນ​ຫາ, ແລະ ຄື. ວ່າ​ໄປ​ສໍາ​ລັບ​ເຕັກ​ໂນ​ໂລ​ຊີ​ແລະ​ສິ່ງ​ອື່ນ.

ປົກ​ກະ​ຕິ​ແລ້ວ​ມີ​ສອງ​ທາງ​ເລືອກ​ໃນ​ເວ​ລາ​ທີ່​ທ່ານ​ຕ້ອງ​ການ​ທີ່​ຈະ​ເຜີຍ​ແຜ່ app ເປັນ: ເຜີຍ​ແຜ່​ບາງ​ສິ່ງ​ບາງ​ຢ່າງ​ເຊັ່ນ​: iOS App Store (ບ່ອນ​ທີ່​ປະ​ຊາ​ຊົນ​ຈະ​ຊອກ​ຫາ app ຂອງ​ທ່ານ, ແຕ່​ຄວາມ​ຄິດ​ເຫັນ Apple ສາ​ມາດ​ປະ​ຕິ​ເສດ​ການ​ຍື່ນ​ສະ​ເຫນີ​ຂອງ​ທ່ານ) ຫຼື​ພຽງ​ແຕ່​ເຮັດ​ໃຫ້​ມັນ​ສຸດ​ເວັບ​ໄຊ​ທ​໌​ຂອງ​ທ່ານ (ບ່ອນ​ທີ່​ມັນ​ເປັນ​ການ​ງ່າຍ​ທີ່​ຈະ​ເຜີຍ​ແຜ່, ແຕ່​ວ່າ​ບໍ່​ມີ​ໃຜ​ຮັບ​ປະ​ກັນ​ຈະ​ບໍ່​ມີ​ໃຜ​ເຫັນ​.) Not the greatest set of options.

Isn’t there a way to combine the strengths of both of these to make for the best possible experience for both publishers and consumers? I think there is. It’s called an open and curated ecosystem. Let’s take a look at:

  • What open ແລະ curated ecosystems are
  • Examples of open and curated ecosystems
  • What you need to make an open and curated ecosystem
  • Examples of these ecosystems beyond just technology

and see if we can discover something about the power of crowdsourcing, innovation, and the three verbs ເຜີຍ​ແຜ່, ຄົ້ນ​ຫາ, ແລະ ຄື.

Curated vs. open ecosystems

The iOS App Store and open internet, among others, are app ecosystemsplaces where apps can be published and found. And I think the big factors that differentiate one ecosystem from another are whether the ecosystem is open, where anyone can publish apps and whether it is curated, where the best apps rise to the top and users are assured quality apps. That’s the major difference between the iOS store and the internet at large, which I mentioned earlier.

Let’s look at examples of curated and open ecosystems and what differentiates them.

5 invaluable ກິດ​ການ​ຜະ​ລິດ​ຟຣີ​ສໍາ​ລັບ​ວິ​ທະ​ຍາ​ໄລ

A ບໍ່​ເທົ່າ​ໃດ​ປີ​ກ່ອນ​ຫນ້າ​ນີ້​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄດ້​ຂຽນ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ ກິດ​ທີ່​ເປັນ​ປະ​ໂຫຍດ​ສໍາ​ລັບ​ໂຮງ​ຮຽນ​ສູງ — ແຕ່​ໃນ​ປັດ​ຈຸ​ບັນ​ວິ​ທະ​ຍາ​ໄລ​ແມ່ນ​ທີ່​ນີ້, ແລະ​ມັນ​ເອົາ​ຊຸດ​ໃຫມ່​ລວມ​ທັງ​ຫມົດ​ຂອງ​ຄວາມ​ຕ້ອງ​ການ. ນັບ​ຕັ້ງ​ແຕ່ ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄດ້​ເຂົ້າ​ມາ​ຢູ່ Harvard, ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄດ້​ທີ່​ຕ້ອງ​ເຮັດ​ຫຼາຍ, ແລະ​ກິດ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄດ້​ມີ​ການ​ເຮັດ​ໄດ້​ຫຼາຍ​ເກີນ​ໄປ.

ເຫຼົ່າ​ນີ້​ກິດ​ໃຫມ່​ຈໍາ​ເປັນ​ຕ້ອງ​ໄດ້ ດໍາ​ເນີນ​ການ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ເວ​ທີ​ການ​ທັງ​ຫມົດ (ປ່ອງຢ້ຽມ, Mac, Android, iOS), ຊິງ seamlessly ລະ​ຫວ່າງ​ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ, ແລະ​ການ​ຊ່ວຍ​ເຫຼືອ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ຮັກ​ຂອງ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ ຂໍ້​ມູນ​ການ​ຈັດ​ຕັ້ງ. ພວກ​ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ​ຈະ versatile, ທີ່​ເຂັ້ມ​ແຂງ, ແລະ ງ່າຍ​ທີ່​ຈະ​ນໍາ​ໃຊ້. ແລະ​ພວກ​ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ​ຈະ​ຕ້ອງ​ໄດ້ ຟຣີ.

With that in mind, here are the five apps that I’ve relied on most at Harvard and that I recommend to anyone in college or anywhere else in life. They’re ranked in order of usefulness.

Evernote, Wunderlist, Mailbox, Sunrise, Pocket
5 ຟຣີ, essential apps for college: Evernote, Wunderlist, Mailbox, Sunrise, and Pocket.

ດ້ວຍ​ຕົນ​ເອງ​ການ​ສະ​ແດງ​ອອກ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ການ​ອິນ​ເຕີ​ເນັດ: ມີ​ວິ​ທີ​ການ​ປະ​ສົມ?

The internet should help you express yourself easily and ensure you have control over the content and quality of your writings. But is that possible?

The internet has always been called the great platform for self-expression. The claim goes that you no longer need to be talented and lucky enough to get your work into a book or newspaper or magazine; anyone can publish anything to the internet, and if it’s good enough, it can get found.

It’s definitely true that the cost of self-expression has gone down with the internet, so people are much more likely and able to use it to publish their ideas. (The idea of economic cost, or amount of effort it takes to do something, is a very powerful one, ໂດຍ​ວິ​ທີ​ທາງ​ການ. When it gets easier to do something, that thing explodes in popularity. It’s pretty self-evident, but it’s a powerful way of looking at things like the rise of self-expression with the internet.)

ມີ two main ways of publishing content online:

  • Publishing independently (making your own platform)
  • Using someone else’s platform (hosted publishing)

Both of these fall short of the goal of allowing for easy self-publishing. ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ຄິດ​ວ່າ, ເຖິງ​ແມ່ນ​ວ່າ, ວ່າ there’s room for a hybrid that would bring the best of both.

ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ “ສັງ​ຄົມ” ສື່​ມວນ​ຊົນ, ສາຍ​ພົວ​ພັນ​ທີ່​ອ່ອນ​ແອ, ແລະ​ເລື່ອງ SnapChat

How social media is designed to help you build relationships with acquaintances, and why Snapchat (ແມ່ນ​ແລ້ວ, that Snapchat) is the most effective social media platform

It was late enough that I’d stopped thinking for the night, so I proudly proclaimed to my nearby friends that I was getting a Snapchat account. It had always struck me as a bit vapid and narcissisticyou’re swapping carefully-chosen selfies with others to try and win favorbut I figured I’d give it a go.

But I quickly learned that Snapchat, like any other social media platform, gives rise to a number of use cases that the creators probably never intended. (ສໍາ​ລັບ​ຕົວ​ຢ່າງ, Twitter probably never foresaw that it would contribute to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.) What I saw was this: Snapchat and other social media platforms are surprisingly effective ways to grow and maintain your network of weak ties (acquaintances) by reducing the costs of communication and increasing the number ofhooks,” or chances to strike up conversation, you have. All social media can do this, but Snapchat, by its very nature, is the king of this.