Winternships
LAUNCHING TECH CAREERS
Landing one or more summer internships nearly doubles the likelihood of landing a job within six months of graduating from college. We also know that employers look for internship candidates that have some tech experience on their resumes, so it is a classic Catch-22. If you don’t have a ‘connection’, how do you land that first tech internship?
The Winternship program is a series of career development workshops and a paid, three-week, mini-internship experience in January for women and other underrepresented groups in tech at CUNY who are interested in pursuing a career in tech. In just three weeks, ‘Winterns’ get immersed in their host company’s business and work on a challenge project. Over 80 companies have hosted over 700 Winterns in the last few years.
This year, the entire Winternship program will be virtual.
| September 18 | Application Due |
| October 3 or 4 | Workshop |
| October 20 | Match Event |
| November TBD | Employer Workshop |
| December 5 or 6 | Workshop |
| January 4 – 22 | Virtual Mini Internship |
| January 30 or 31 | Workshop |
| February 11 | Winternship Celebration |
- Women and other underrepresented groups in tech
- Undergraduate, degree-seeking student at a CUNY college
- Enrolled in at least 1 course at a CUNY college during the Fall 2020 semester
- Interested in pursuing a career in tech
- Good academic standing (2.0+ GPA)
- First Year / Freshman, Second Year / Sophomore, or Junior
- 18+ years of age by November 1, 2020
- Living in the United States in January 2021
Winternship FAQ
What is a Winternship?
The Winternship program is a series of career development workshops and a paid, three-week, mini-internship experience in January for women and other underrepresented groups in tech at CUNY who are interested in pursuing a career in tech.
Winternships are curated uniquely by each company to give Winterns an immersive experience in their business/industry. Winternships also include a group challenge posed by the company for the students to tackle together and then present/pitch at the program.
Why should you participate in a Winternship?
Participating in the Winternship program gives you insight into an industry and a specific business. This experience can be highlighted on your resume, giving you real-world experience/exposure outside of your academic studies. In addition, the Winternship will allow you to gain team building experience (and possibly long-lasting friendships with your peers) as you work on the challenge project with your team. The challenge project can be added to your portfolio/lists of projects on your resume, in addition to giving you practice pitching in front of senior executives. We believe that with one or more of these ‘Winternship’ experiences under your belt and on your resume, you will be much more competitive when it comes time to apply for a full 10-week summer internship and eventually a job.
Who is eligible for Winternship?
- Undergraduate, degree-seeking student at a CUNY college
- Enrolled in at least 1 course at a CUNY college during the Fall 2020 semester
- Interested in pursuing a career in tech
- Good academic standing (2.0+ GPA)
- First Year / Freshman, Second Year / Sophomore, or Junior
- 18+ years of age by November 1, 2020
- Living in the United States in January 2021
- Identify with an underrepresented group in tech
If I already participated in Winternship, can I apply again?
If you participated in Winternship once and meet all of the other eligibility requirements, you can apply again for Winternship. If you have participated in Winternship twice, you cannot apply again. We encourage you to apply to the Career Readiness program instead!
Do Winterns have to have declared a major/minor in CS or a related degree?
No! Since Winterns are primarily first and second year students, you may not have have declared a major. However, we are looking for students interested in majoring in computer science and related fields.
What type of companies participate in Winternships?
Startups, big enterprise companies, mid-size companies, and non-profits. Companies come from a variety of industries.
How many Winterns do companies hire?
We want the students to meet each other and share the experience in a group so we are asking companies to hire teams of 3 – 5 Winterns.
Are the Winterns paid? How much?
Yes! All Winterns are paid at least New York City minimum wage. We ask that companies pay the Winterns whatever they would pay a junior-level intern. Winternships at different companies may pay differently.
Do Winterns have to interview with the companies to get hired?
No. Winterns are not required to formally interview with any companies. Students and companies will have the opportunity to meet each other at a career fair style event. Every student accepted into Winternship will be matched with a company.
Can Winterns specify what company they want for the Winternship?
The Winternship enrollment form will allow Winterns to fill out information on their experience and areas of interest, but Winterns are not guaranteed that they will match to a company that fulfills all of these areas.
What is the timing of the mini internship?
The Winternship 2021 mini internship is between January 4 – 22. Winterns will work full-time Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.
When and how will I be notified about my Winternship application?
All Winternship applicants will be notified by email by Oct 1. Make sure to check your spam and trash for an email from breakthroughtechny@cornell.edu!
Do companies have to follow certain curriculum/template for the Winternship?
Companies can tailor their three-week experience as they see fit. We expect each company to be unique.
What is the group challenge?
The group challenge is a tech challenge posed to the Winterns at the beginning of the Winternship. During the three weeks, students will work on the challenge together and at the end of the Winternship they will pitch their concepts/findings/solutions to execs/leaders of the company. This gives the Winterns an opportunity to work together, practice their pitching, and add a project to their resume/portfolio.
Who designs the group challenge?
Each company designs their own challenge. Depending on the skills of the Winterns and the preferences of the host company, challenge projects could involve coding a prototype, doing a data analytics project, designing a new work process or website, etc. Each company will understand the skill level of their Winterns and will design the challenge accordingly.
Do the Winterns only interact with the tech team?
No! We want the Winterns to learn about all aspects of the company. At the end of the three weeks, Winterns should have a basic understanding of the business, how it operates, and what the challenges are so that they can talk about it in future interviews. Learning about the different functions and roles of people across the business is important.
Are companies expected to hire Winterns for summer internships?
No – companies are not expected to hire Winterns for summer internships. However, companies are welcome to extend summer internship offers or invite Winterns to interview for summer internships.
What is the application deadline?
Applications for Winternship 2021 are due Friday September 18 11:59PM.
I have more questions, who do I contact?
Email us at breakthroughtechny@cornell.edu!