
Ask HN: Unpaid Internship Options - jack57
I have an internship opportunity in Glendale, California working on games for a Viacom company, but it is unpaid and they do not pay for housing.  I am currently on the other side of the country, and have a paid internship from last summer working on Android applications for a defense contractor.  I can do the unpaid internship with the fairly well known Viacom company using a $4000 dollar stipend from my university, or stay in my lesser state writing Android apps for pay.  The Android work is actually very interesting, but doesn't have the allure of working for a well known company in California across the country.<p>Will the unpaid internship be worth the experience?
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stevenameyer
Is money an issue for you? if yes then i think the the answer is probably to
go with the one that pays. If not then go to the one that you think will
benefit you most in the long run, and there are a lot of factors that could
play into that decision which i dont think anyone on here could tell you the
answer to.

What kind of work do you want to finally end up doing? How much responsibility
will you be given at each? Will you make better connections at one or the
other? Which work environment do you like more? Are you passionate on
interested in the work they are doing? Which one will provide you with a
better learning experience?

There are so many personal factors that weigh into a decision like this, and
money may or may not be a large factor for you. But thats up to you to decide.
Ultimately i think it comes down to where you'll be happier, and which will
help you the most down the road. Answer those to questions and i think you
will probably come to your answer.

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merinid
At this stage in your career, money is less important than a brand name on
your resume, more interesting work, and a diversity of experience. Do side
work to get paid?

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shail
I think if you try a bit more (considering you have experience building
Android apps), you can get similar setup which pays too. So I will suggest try
other places.

There should be only and only one reason for you to do that unpaid internship,
that is if you are going to learn something very unique which you will not
learn anywhere else even if its paying a lot.

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1337biz
If you are not super tight with your money situation I would go with the
unpaid one. Sounds way more exciting and an interesting environment to
experience. You will have enough opportunities for "regular" jobs after
college so use the internships to take some risks.

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brudgers
That you are classifying the unpaid internship as an opportunity says
something about your goals. That you are debating a paid internship over an
unpaid one says something, too.

Internships are supposed to be about learning. There's plenty of other options
if you just want a job.

Good luck.

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JoachimSchipper
When weighing this, also consider the fact that professional game developers
get paid relatively little, especially per actually-worked-hour, due to an
enormous oversupply. The opposite is true for defense and Android developers.

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shrughes
Get a paid internship. Paid internships exist (all over the place). Game
development paid internships do too. You have more options than those two,
those are just the ones you've found.

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27182818284
California is expensive. A defense contractor where you gain experience in the
emerging mobile market sounds like the WAY better option, even if it doesn't
impress the opposite sex.

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seivan
I wouldn't take the unpaid internship. It's not worth it. If you're good, you
wouldn't be free. There's a developer shortage, don't let these fuckers skin
you.

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logn
Do you really value your time at $0/hr? Sure you get experience, but you're
getting experience at the other job too.

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charlesjshort
If you don't need ca$h there are plenty of opportunities for equity. Get one
or the other, maybe a mix of the two.

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edwardunknown
Well, if you can afford it and want to move to California anyway the
internship could be an excuse to do it. But _never, ever trust anyone who asks
you to work for free_. It doesn't matter who they are or what they're
promising, don't fucking trust them.

