I'm doing an internship and experiencing ageism, but for being too young (aka inexperienced). It’s wild how you can show up hungry, bring in new ideas, run strategy circles, and still get side-eyed because your birth year falls after the original iPod. Recruiters, what are companies really looking for when they extend internships? Do they not want/need the interns to take on challenges?

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Many tech companies offer internships to spot future full-time talent. Sometimes it’s about potential, sometimes it’s just pipeline. But yes, some orgs keep interns on “safe” projects to minimize risk and oversight, even when interns are hungry for more. The best companies assign stretch projects and treat internships as real tests for hiring, not just checkbox exercises. If you want more challenge, schedule a one-on-one with your manager

There are so many things to learn! I've been in your place, it feels amazing, with so many new experiences and ideas. Keep in mind that senior engineers usually face a lot of pressure from multiple departments: business, DevOps, management... It needs to be a give-and-take relationship.

What they can offer you are good suggestions and tips. Ask questions when you see it’s a good time to do so. What you can offer is help with repetitive tasks, taking notes, trying to understand the work, and reading documentation. There is a lot to learn there, and it will also help you generate more questions.

You’ll see that you’ll have your chance to stand out soon, without needing to steal the scene. Solving even one of the issues assigned to you is already an impressive accomplishment for an intern. Don’t feel like you need to be the loudest voice in the room.

It’s always frustrating. Internships are meant to give you real challenges, but some companies still get caught up in “years of experience” or traditional expectations. The right ones value curiosity, initiative, and how you can contribute, not just how many birthdays you’ve had.

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