Tell me more ×
Programmers Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professional programmers interested in conceptual questions about software development. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 4 down vote favorite
1

I'm currently a second year undergraduate Computer Science student. I'm having a hard time deciding to either apply for an internship or spend the summer back home, working on some fields I feel I haven't yet got a good grasp of (OOP, algorithms) + working on one or two open source projects I found really attractive.

I don't really care about getting paid from doing the internship, I'm only looking for experience. I'll still do an internship next year since it's mandatory (University rules) and most probably the year after.

What weighs more for an employer and what would benefit me most in the long run?

share|improve this question
Why "vs" instead of "and"? This is a false dichotomy. – Caleb May 3 '12 at 17:59

closed as not constructive by gnat, Walter, Caleb, Yannis Rizos♦ May 4 '12 at 3:40

As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or specific expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, see the FAQ for guidance.

3 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Internship. You'll learn how to work with people and get references when looking for a job later.

share|improve this answer
+1 for learn how to work with people – Philip May 3 '12 at 17:15
up vote 4 down vote

Internship shows you can work with people in an office setting and have an idea how offices work, a good recommendation from the company you intern for can show that you have programming skills and other important soft skills. Internships also have the potential to lead to a full time position within the company. Contributing to open source projects really just shows you can program. Basically working on open source projects is similar to community service, its helpful and can make you feel good, but its not the most efficient/best way to improve a resume.

share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

Internship. You can always hack for open source.

share|improve this answer
At least if you have no other hobbys/projects... – Philip May 3 '12 at 17:16
1  
Oh, but we engineers have no personal life dilbert.com/strips/comic/2012-04-22. – gruszczy May 3 '12 at 17:43

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.