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Discussion on: I've Trained Programming Interns For 6+ Years, Ask Me Anything!

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nileshnayak1999 profile image
nilesh nayak

I am a beginner in the coding world. I have some prior experience in Java . I am currently pursuing engineering and i am in the beginning of my second year. I am not able to actually know in which direction should I follow. I had a dream about gsoc and going abroad to pursue higher courses. I live in India so it's pretty difficult for me to find some proper guidance. I would love everyone's input in this ..and lastly what should I do so that I can follow my dream and can land a job in Google.

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codemouse92 profile image
Jason C. McDonald

Hi Nilesh,

Surprisingly, it isn't as important as you'd expect to find your direction right now! Many developers work in multiple branches of computer science until they find the one that best suits them. Be flexible and give it time. It may not be until years after graduation that you find where you fit best, but that's okay!

One of the best ways you can try out different branches of computer science is to become involved in open source development. Find projects you think are interesting, or which you use, and try your hand at fixing bugs or making small improvements. Help with documentation and testing. This not only builds that all-important portfolio, but it gives you an opportunity to try out many different areas of programming.

With a solid portfolio of open source contributions, you'll find it will be much easier to land an internship at a company like Google!

P.S. From what I've heard, Google is overrated, especially with the ethical controversies they're embroiled in. I am not saying you should give up on your dream of working for them, but keep your eyes open for other companies you might be interested in interning with as well. There are thousands of small and mid-size programming firms doing stuff even cooler than Google!