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Is an internship in an unrelated domain always better than no internship at all?

I am a freshman student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science. I'm currently working on developing my programming skills via various MOOCs and also doing personal projects so I can start applying to good internships related to my field of data science and machine learning in a few months.

Our college placement cell is always offering "internships" to students, they are mostly in the categories of either sales related (where we have to call people and inform them about a particular product generating leads) or academic counsellor positions in various colleges in our vicinity.

I am very introverted and these kinds of roles do not generally suit me and mostly just stress me out.

So coming to my question, while I develop my skills for a proper data science related internship, are these other internships even valuable to pursue, or are they probably just a waste of my time which I could divert elsewhere? (like upskilling in data science areas, or maybe just relaxing to avoid potential burnout)

college college-advice computer-science internship internships skills data-science data data-analysis data-analytics-data-visualization upskilling
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Pali’s Answer

You might be surprised at the benefits of a non-traditional, non-data internship. I had one and ended up designing a data science project during my time there. Later, I was hired for a full-time role that wasn't focused on data, but I managed to shift to a data-focused team. I had only done coursework and projects/training before that. Gaining real-time experience that helps companies is important, and using data is just another tool to achieve success. Once you've shown your impact and eagerness to learn, you can always aim for roles you enjoy more. I hope this encourages you!
Thank you comment icon That sounds awesome! I hadn't thought of doing a data science project with a non-data internship. Thank you, Pali, for the advice. Can you share what your internship role was, and just a high-level description of the project you went about building there? Momin
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Thiffany’s Answer

Hi Momin,

Every internship or job you take will add value to your CV and experience. Focus on learning transferable skills—these are useful in any job, no matter the field. It's also important to explain how this internship fits into your career goals. Instead of saying you took it just to have something, show how it helps your career path. Take the internship to gain valuable experience and make connections. It will show you're employable and could provide great references. Make sure it aligns with your career story.

Best of luck,

Professor Belda
Thank you comment icon Thank you, Professor Belda! Focusing on transferrable skills and aligning the internship with my career path and story does help me look at it in a new light. Momin
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Lilit’s Answer

Hi Momin,
Thank You for your really thoughtful and important question.
Everything depends on your priorities and goals.
Being introvert is okay. It is really great that you are self-aware about what stresses you out.
The mentioned internship can improve your communication and presentability skills, but you can improve them by yourself.
You can use the resources below:
Book: Quiet by Susan Cain – a fantastic read on the power of introverts.
https://archive.org/details/quiet-the-power-of-introverts-in-a-world-that-cant-stop-talking-susan-cain_202007/page/n9/mode/2up

Course: “Improving Communication Skills” by the University of Pennsylvania on Coursera.

Instead of mentioned internship you can look for independent work, like data cleaning, analysis, or model building
Upwork is one of the most popular platforms for freelance data science (upwork.com)
Kaggle is not a freelance site, but a great place to build your portfolio and make visibility

I hope this helps you make a more informed decision. If you ever feel unsure, it's always a good idea to reflect on what brings you energy versus what drains it.
You're already on a great path!!
Thank you comment icon Thank you, Lilit, for your thoughtful response. That book has been sitting on my reading list for a while, I'll have to finally get to reading it this month. I’ll surely check out the UPenn course on Coursera, too. I hadn’t seriously considered freelance data science before, but you’re right, it could be a great alternative to internships. Thanks again for the push! Momin
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Holly’s Answer

Taking an internship experience, even in an unrelated field, can be super helpful. As a fellow introvert who took on a role that was not related to my field for my first college internship, I grew professionally and personally more than I could ever imagine. I can't lie, it got stressful at times, especially when it's out of your comfort zone, but I would not be the person I am today if I had not taken that opportunity! Take one of those opportunities, and worst case if it's not a good fit for you, you'll know you at least put in the effort to try and gained some new skills along the way.
Thank you comment icon Thank you for the advice, Holly. I'll make sure to keep this in mind! Could you possibly tell me what the internship was, and what made you feel like taking it? Momin
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Mariem’s Answer

Hi, :)

Honestly, it depends on your goals, but in most cases, yes doing an internship in an unrelated domain is usually better than not doing one at all. Even if it’s not directly related to what you want to do in the future, it can still help you develop important soft skills like communication, teamwork, and time management. It also shows initiative and gives you a taste of real work experience, which can make you stand out more than having no experience at all.
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Carla’s Answer

Hi Momin,

You're asking a great question, and it shows you're thinking smartly about how to use your time and energy, which is key for growing professionally.

Even if an internship isn't directly related to your field, it can still be useful. It can help you learn important skills like communication, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving. Plus, you might discover new things about yourself, like how you handle work situations or what kind of work environment you like best.

If the company also has roles in your field, an internship could be a great way to get started and meet people. Sometimes, working in one area can lead to opportunities in another.

The main thing is to commit fully if you choose to do an internship. Be clear about your goals and what you want to learn. If the role doesn’t fit your strengths or causes too much stress, it's okay to focus on learning new skills or working on personal projects.

No matter what you decide, trust that you're moving forward. Every choice you make helps shape your future, and you're already doing a fantastic job by asking the right questions. Keep exploring, stay curious, and believe in your journey. You're doing great!
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Karin’s Answer

Hi Momin,

I would say, yes and no. As a freshman it's often difficult to find meaningful internships because you don't have a lot of skills yet that a company would be interested in.

But internships that are not directly related to your field of studies can be useful too. You will develop your communication skills, organisational skills, team work, maybe leadership skills etc. Internships can be valuable as evidence for all those soft skills that are important but difficult to have "proof" of. Employers also like to see that you can function outside of an education bubble, in "the real world".

On the other hand, you seem to have a plan to work on your technical skills outside of classes and be a good candidate for internships closer to your heart. That's not a bad strategy either. Maybe it would be best to do a bit of both.

I hope this helps! All the best to you!

KP
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Wendy’s Answer

I would think about what is going to differentiate you amongst your peers. Is everyone in your field doing the same type of internship? If so, could doing something different stand out? There is a technical baseline that will be expected but often times it is the experience that makes you look a little bit different as a candidate that will make you stand out when you are going through a full time interview process. Having a dynamic skill set is important, so think about an internship that either helps you develop a skill you didnt have previously or one that explores a personal passion. I find that stories around that in an interview process stand out because the candidates are engaged instead of trying to be the cookie-cutter candidate they think I am looking for.
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Stephen’s Answer

Hi Momin,

I agree with others that an internship in a different field can be very valuable. Data science skills are needed in many areas. While your technical skills are important, having experience in different business settings can make you stand out from other job seekers.

I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. It might seem scary, but it can help you overcome self-doubt. An internship is a great chance to take some risks. You might discover new ways to use your data science skills.

Good luck!
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Christian’s Answer

This is a good question, and I think it's worth noting you're in a strong position as a freshman already. I think the right answer is that an internship is better than no internship in a large majority of cases. It really comes down to the experience you gain from it, the investment required, and the opportunity cost of that investment.

Here are some reasons that it is better:

1. By taking and completing an internship, you gain general professional skills. These are the very basics of success in any professional field that include teamwork, communication, working under deadlines, basic work ethic and etiquette. These can easily be transferred to any job in any field, regardless of how related it is to the discipline that you wish to pursue.

2. At some point you need to start building a resume, and having some internship on your resume can show initiative and work ethic and signal some of those basic professional skills mentioned above, even if they're not technical experiences.

3. And you all might be able to give you a transferable skills beyond the professional basics. If it teaches you how to handle data in some capacity, basic spreadsheet work, project management, maybe even interaction with customers, etc., those are the types of skills and experiences that can be reframed in order to make you more marketable for a future role in data science or machine learning.

4. An internship can often be a good start on networking as well. There may be someone you interact with in that job who knows somebody that might be useful to you in the future. Perhaps they went to school with someone at one of your target companies, or perhaps they pursued a similar path in the past and are able to guide you on your journey.

I do think it's fair to say there are times an internship is not worth it. I think the primary way to think about this aspect is that effort and time are required to complete an internship. If that effort or time is too large or takes too much away from other things that you're doing to advance your career, that could be something that makes it not worth it. For example, if your internship requires you to work full time while also taking a full class load, and those working hours take away from your ability to learn what you need to learn in your classes and perform well from an academic standpoint, that internship is probably hindering you more than it's helping. There are going to be cases where it's more helpful to focus on your class work, focus on your focus on your side projects, and other learning.

However, on the whole, I think in the vast majority of cases, having an internship is going to be better than not having one. You can manage level of investment and effort required and durability to learn and develop those key basic and maybe second level professional skills. Will also be good to have at least something on your resume for the first time you apply to things more in line with your target career. As a freshman, I should hope you're not at risk of burnout already, so I wouldn't factor that in unless you've gotten medical advice to take it easy. As for being an introvert, I don't mean to minimize any legitimate anxieties you might have, but part of succeeding in virtually any professional environment will require you to work well with and through other people. I think it's worth practicing that in a low-stakes environment to make it easier and more natural as you progess.
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Jason’s Answer

As you move forward in your career, you'll notice that sales skills become important in almost every job. Sometimes you'll need to sell to customers, and other times you'll need to share your ideas with your team or bosses. A sales-focused internship is a great place to practice these skills. You can try new things, make mistakes, and learn without big risks. It's an opportunity to organize your thoughts, create a strong message, share it with others, and get feedback. Since the pressure is low, try to stay relaxed. Think of sales not as selling, but as finding solutions to problems with the right product or service.
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Emily’s Answer

Hi! Good question. Both an internship and upskilling your technical skills are great options that will prepare you for your future in data science. While a non-data science internship may seem irrelevant, I'd argue that there's some great potential to learn highly transferrable soft skills that will allow you to better prepare for a future role within data science. A sales role could allow you to grow your communication skills or perhaps teach you the sales process which could be beneficial should you decide to, as one example, create a data science solution that you want to sell. It could also be a great way to step out of your comfort zone. An academic counselor position could allow you to learn organizational and collaboration skills. Both of these options would allow you to grow your professional experience. Perhaps you can spend additional time upskilling your data science skillset on the side as well!
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Jugal’s Answer

That's a great question, and I appreciate all the details you provided!

In short, taking an internship in a field unrelated to your career goals isn't always better than not having one, especially in your case.

You're on the right track. In a technical field like Data Science, spending time learning and working on projects is more beneficial than being in a stressful sales position that doesn't relate to your goals.

Here's why:

1. Opportunity Cost: Every hour spent on something unrelated is time not spent on valuable skills. A sales role involves stress and skills that don't overlap with data science.

2. Freshman Expectations: As a freshman, you're not expected to have a technical internship yet. Focus on learning and building your skills.

3. Personal Fit: If you're introverted, a stressful sales job might drain you, leaving no energy for your studies or projects. Avoiding burnout is important.

When is an unrelated internship useful? It can help if you have nothing else on your resume, aren't in a technical field, or the role teaches useful skills without exhausting you. But a high-stress sales role isn't the right fit.

Recommendation: Treat your personal development as your internship. Here's a plan:

- Focus on Projects: Keep building and sharing your work on GitHub.
- Seek Related Experience: Look for opportunities like assisting professors with data tasks or joining data-focused clubs.
- Network Smartly: Connect with seniors or alumni who have the internships you want. A simple LinkedIn message can open doors.

Trust your instincts. Skip the sales internship and focus on building your technical skills. This will lead to better opportunities in the future.
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Minigrace’s Answer

An internship in a different field might not seem perfect for your career goals, but it still offers great benefits. It helps you gain useful skills, understand various industries, and explore new career options.

Here's a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks:

Benefits of Unrelated Internships:
- Exploring Careers: These internships let you learn about different industries and roles, which might lead you to a career that suits your interests better.
- Gaining Skills: No matter the field, internships help you develop important skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability, which are useful in any job.
- Building Your Resume: Any internship shows you are eager to learn and take initiative, making your resume stronger.
- Networking: You'll meet people from different industries, which can help your career in the future.

Drawbacks of Unrelated Internships:
- Missing Specific Skills: If you want to gain certain skills for a specific field, an unrelated internship might not provide them.
- Employer Preferences: Some employers might prefer candidates with directly related experience.
- Explaining Relevance: You'll need to show how the skills from an unrelated internship apply to the jobs you want.

In conclusion, whether an unrelated internship is better than none depends on your goals. If you're unsure about your career path or want to build transferable skills, an unrelated internship can be very helpful. But if you need experience in a specific field, focusing on relevant internships might be more beneficial.
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Lin’s Answer

Hi Momin,

Regarding your first point, it is correct that a broad internship can help you practice general skills. Roles in sales or counseling can teach soft skills like communication and time management. However, for a highly technical career like data science, the benefit of these generic skills is minimal. Given that you find such roles stressful, the potential for burnout (or too much out of comfort zone) would likely outweigh any small advantages gained. The cost to your energy and well-being would be too high for a limited reward.

Regarding your second point, it is absolutely correct that relevant experience is more important for improving your data science skills and your CV. A hiring manager for a technical role looks for specific, demonstrated abilities in areas like Python, SQL, data analysis, and machine learning. An unrelated internship does not provide this evidence. The time spent in such a role is time that could have been used to build a portfolio of projects, which is what truly signals your capability and passion to a potential employer.

Given these points, the better path is to focus your time on activities that build relevant experience. Instead of taking an unrelated internship, you could:
1. build personal end-to-end data science projects;
2. participate in Kaggle competitions; contribute to open-source software;
3. volunteer your data skills for a non-profit organization;
4. or ask a university professor if you can assist with their research.

As a freshman, investing your time in building this technical foundation is the most valuable and effective strategy for your future career.
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Swapnil’s Answer

Gaining exposure to the professional world while you are still studying is always valuable, provided it aligns with your broader career plan. I understand your concern about how an internship outside your chosen field might impact your learning trajectory and technical development. Before accepting or declining such an opportunity, I recommend clarifying the time commitment required for the internship. This will help you assess whether you can balance the role alongside your ongoing upskilling efforts.

It’s important to recognize that many essential soft skills—such as effective communication, presentation, and teamwork—are best developed in a professional environment. If you identify these as areas for growth, an internship, even in an unrelated field, can be an excellent platform to strengthen them. Personally, I recall working in a part-time role unrelated to my primary interests, and I still appreciate how much it contributed to my communication abilities.

Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to your question. If you are unable to secure an internship directly related to your field at this stage, I would encourage you to consider roles that offer professional experience. At the very least, you will enhance your soft skills, which are highly valued in any industry. Strong communicators and effective collaborators are often recognized and respected, sometimes even more so than those with purely technical expertise.
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Faraz’s Answer

I agree with a lot of what has been said here. You have to approach it as what will you gain for the internship, for example while data science is where you want to go, as someone who has worked in that field business knowledge is important. So if you feel the internship gives you those skills, that might be a reason to do so. Perhaps it could be a non-data science internship in an industry you're interested in.

That being said, if the internship doesn't make sense for you, as mentioned above there are multiple options to do virtual work. Kaggle for projects is a great way to show you can do the work.
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Ethan’s Answer

An internship is a chance to experience what it's like in a full-time role. As long as the role is in a somewhat related field, it is certainly better than no internship at all. Oftentimes, positions in finance, law, science and tech will overlap in terms of baseline skills that would be expected of an intern. If you're deciding between an internship in an unrelated field or no internship entirely, I would definitely pick the internship. At the minimum, it shows recruiters that you were still proactive with your time and were willing to explore new opportunities.
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Teklemuz Ayenew’s Answer

Enhancing your data science skills gives you a better chance to land internships that fit your long-term goals. Creating a portfolio with personal projects, joining Kaggle competitions, and contributing to open-source projects can highlight your technical skills and passion—qualities that matter more than unrelated experience. I recommend you to avoid internships that don't match your interests, as they might lead to burnout and regret later. Choosing roles that don’t align with your strengths or goals, like sales, could steer you away from your path in data science or machine learning.

Instead, follow your passion and look into remote or virtual internships, which offer practical experience without losing focus. Platforms like Forage provide free virtual work experiences in data and analytics. Websites such as Internshala, LetsIntern, LinkedIn, and Wellfound frequently list remote roles with startups and tech companies. Exciting opportunities include the New York Red Bulls' remote internship in scouting and match analysis, Nithio's climate finance platform with roles in algorithmic model development, and virtual internships with The Intern Group, connecting aspiring data scientists with international organizations. These experiences will help you build a strong portfolio, expand your professional network, and stay true to your goals—making you a more competitive and confident candidate in the field.
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Anthony’s Answer

Hi! I believe any work experience related or unrelated can bring you on the right path forward. By this I mean the experience and lessons learned, working with different people, adding to your resume, and the compensation. Yes I believe that being open and taking any internship can be beneficial as it can bring different and new opportunities you my or may not enjoy. Try everything!
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Erik’s Answer

Hi Momin,

I think taking any internship even in a field that may not completely align with your aspirations is great! It shows work ethics, experience, and at a minimum that you can be reliable in holding a job.

With that being said if your personality type or interests don't align with the role then that is another story. I wouldn't force yourself to do something you are extremely uncomfortable with unless you think it will provide growth in brining you out of your shell.
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