OpenAI engineer highlights startups for hands-on coding and problem-solving experience

An OpenAI engineer highlights the value of interning at both startups and large tech companies for students seeking hands-on coding and problem-solving experience.

Startups offer unique opportunities to program software from scratch and tackle challenges independently, providing a dynamic environment for rapid learning and skill development.

Conversely, big tech companies like Microsoft and Google provide financial benefits, potential prestige, and a less pressured atmosphere, allowing interns to focus on building software at scale and managing larger projects.

The engineer emphasized that combining experiences from both environments can help students gain a clearer understanding of their preferred career path in technology.

"Interning at both a big tech company and a startup will help students get a clearer sense of the career path they want to take," the engineer said.

This advice comes amid a shifting job market where AI is impacting entry-level tech roles, with companies like Microsoft and Google recruiting fewer recent graduates in 2024 compared to previous years.

By engaging with both types of companies, students can balance the benefits of financial stability and prestige with the excitement and challenge of hands-on coding, preparing them for diverse opportunities in the tech industry.

An OpenAI engineer advises students to intern at both big tech firms and startups to gain diverse coding and problem-solving experience. Startups offer hands-on programming from scratch, while big tech provides financial benefits and learning to build software at scale, helping clarify career paths.