How do I get a paid internship as a 16yo developer?

5 uint23 12 7/29/2025, 1:33:24 AM

[DISCUSSION]

Hi,

I'm 16 and I would like an internship but it seems IMPOSSIBLE to find / get one.. I mainly program in C/++ and I am quite proficient in it. I have 2 successful projects hosted on GitHub (700+ stars, 50+stars) which have a large community behind them too but no matter what I have to display, I can't get a job offer due to not having even a High School level qualification other than my GCSE results which are still yet to come.

I have also tried to email people from companies by scraping their email address' but to no avail as I haven't gotten a single response back, which is to be expected I guess.

On places like r/Internships I also see people complaining how unpaid internships are comparable to modern day slavery, which puts me off wanting one. I also have prior experience in a startup with a real job anyways which I got from connections which really made me appreciate getting paid from my labors.

I'd appreciate it if you have any tips to getting any further as I feel like I'm at a dead end.

If you're interested in my repos: github.com/uint23

Comments (12)

GianFabien · 26m ago

From what you've written I deduce you are living in a rural community in the UK and plan to got to Cambridge uni to study CS. Your GitHub works are both in C.

I see two options:

1. Since opportunities for your skillset are limited in your area, you could seek out project based C/C++ programming remote or gig work. But, I think you'd be up against a lot of competition.

2. Broaden your offering to being a Mr PC FixIt guy. I don't know if GeekSquad or similar operate in your area. You could charge for results instead of the time you take.

I would recommend the second option, because it exposes you to real-world use of computers and provides an insight into how businesses operate. This level of knowledge and expertise is a valuable complement to technical knowledge.

uint23 · 13m ago

I have thought about this because I do it for my friends anyways by RustDesk but currently it seems all the repair shops (like GeekSquad but in the UK) are just fronts for illegal vape shops - who also do repairs. I also tried to sell the same RustDesk service via Discord but no luck with that either.

I also normally do phone, computer repairs and small fixes for family friends and people I know but it's not that frequent and again I've tried to contact most businesses in my area but I don't think they take me seriously due to my lack of qualifications etc.

Do you know any other options for the second option?

eajr · 23m ago

The couple comments you've gotten so far are pretty spot-on. The job market is not good for software engineers in general right now. I'll second bix6's advice to start something of your own. When I was a teenager I got into reverse engineering via an mmorpg that the server executables leaked, and ended up launching a number of private modded servers that netted good income. Make something of your own and you'll learn a lot that will be very useful in your career further down the road. Best of luck to ya

uint23 · 12m ago

I have also done that and although it may be low, I also made my own externals and skin changers for CSGO a few years ago but sold nothing. Any advice?

bix6 · 39m ago

If you just want experience then intern for free due to the cost issue addaon mentioned. Otherwise why not try and start your own business with your skills? I think it’ll be hard for you to get a paid gig without some sort of referral especially while you’re under 18.

Could you travel to a nearby city that is bigger and get a referral there?

You should also think about your pitch. What value can you provide someone? Why should they take a chance on you? Etc.

uint23 · 20m ago

I probably could go to a nearby city for cheap but what do you mean by referral?

PaulHoule · 1h ago

When I was your age I did a data entry and analysis project for my Uncle Bob who was the PR director for a nearby beach. I did all the work with my TRS-80 Color Computer 3 and got enough money to buy a 286-based PC. I found out later how much value my data analysis project created and realized I should have asked for enough money to get a 386-based PC! I also did some software development for teachers in my school: I wrote something in BASIC for the PC and then found out the teacher had a CP/M machine so I used a Z-80 emulator to translate the software to work on CP/M.

So basically I'm saying you should look at people and places closer to you.

uint23 · 1h ago

Hi, Thanks for the reply! This is basically what I did initially and it did land me a software engineering job at a startup which was owned by my friends dad but that's the extent of it. I had to leave due to approaching exams and couldn't get rehired due to it not doing so well. I live in a quite rural area with not so many people I've basically tried everyone that comes to mind so far.

If you have any other way to contact people I would greatly appreciate it!

addaon · 1h ago

What are your goals for an internship? What are you trying to gain? Just pocket cash? General experience? A trial run with a company you'd consider going full time for? What are your college plans?

uint23 · 1h ago

Well I'd mainly like experience in something new and something I can put on my CV/Resume. I also would like to gain some money although I don't expect much and I'm happy with minimum wage. I legally can't full-time yet as you are required to be in some form of education until you are 18. After my A-Levels I'm planning to go to Cambridge for Computer Science as I like their course and, well it's quite prestigious but that's well in the future so it can change

addaon · 1h ago

The thing to realize is that interns cost companies far, far more in time spent in mentorship than they add in value, even ignoring compensation. The reason to invest in an intern is to help a promising engineer mature, while simultaneously increasing the chance that they choose to go to your company full-time, reducing the (also large) cost and risk of hiring. Trying to find an internship when you're not going to be on the market for 6+ years kind of upsets this value proposition. I'd suggest that if the goal is some pocket money and coding experience, talk to local (non-tech) businesses, figure out what technical problems they have, and offer to fix one of them. Think point-of-sale system integration, etc.

uint23 · 1h ago

Ah that makes sense now. I will try newer local companies although I have visited most of them as I live in a smaller community.

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