Readers React: Want a good internship? Study math and science
To the editor: Interns are being abused, as described by Drexel President John A. Fry, but not by the tech world. (“Stop exploiting young workers: Here’s an alternative to unpaid internships that works,” Op-Ed, Jan. 29)
Companies such as Google and Facebook hire our best students for internships in positions that differ from those gofer positions of the past. The modern tech intern is paid a substantial salary, put to work on the line with production teams and given real problems to solve.
The quid pro quo is that companies get to see how the interns operate on teams in a real-world setting, thus giving them an edge in hiring the best qualified. It’s another reason for young people to consider the advantages of studying math and science.
David Wilczynski, Manhattan Beach
The writer is a retired lecturer in USC’s computer science department.
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