Ask HN: Why are most software eng. internships not offered to non-students?
With students, it's recommended to take an internship before going into their first full-time job for a career. But such a path is less probable for a non-student. Ironically, the self-taught person is expected to apply to jobs with a portfolio which is a greater leap to take, without internships as a stepping stone. A portfolio can be a display of skill. But internships help build a connection to a company that would recognize them as a known quantity.
No other professional field comes close to computer science in being able to start learning and applying skills for free without a traditional learning institution. Yet, landing internships without being in school is way more difficult. Implying you can't learn what CS schools have for yourself for free. University is great for a lot of people, but you might not need it. I do find more value in most internships, though. So why not make them open to anyone so long as they pass non-arbitrary requirements that don't involve formal schooling?
No other professional field comes close to computer science in being able to start learning and applying skills for free without a traditional learning institution. Yet, landing internships without being in school is way more difficult. Implying you can't learn what CS schools have for yourself for free. University is great for a lot of people, but you might not need it. I do find more value in most internships, though. So why not make them open to anyone so long as they pass non-arbitrary requirements that don't involve formal schooling?