Internships vs. Side Projects: What Really Matters for a Tech Student?

As a sophomore computer science student, I’ve spent my fair share of time juggling academics(kinda), personal projects, and hunting for internships. There’s always this debate among students—what’s more valuable: doing an internship at a well-known company or working on side projects that showcase your skills?

Based on my own journey building web apps, streaming platforms, and hacking together music players, here’s my take on what truly matters (and what makes you look cooler on LinkedIn).

The Case for Internships - The 'Corporate Badge'

Internships are like getting VIP backstage access to the tech industry. You get to see how things really work behind the scenes—sometimes inspiring, sometimes full of meetings that could’ve been emails. Here’s why they’re valuable:

• Real-World Exposure – Internships expose you to professional environments, collaboration tools, and workflows that college doesn’t teach. You’ll finally understand why production code is more than just "let’s console.log everything and hope it works."
• Networking Opportunities – You interact with industry professionals, which can open doors for future job opportunities. Aka, learning how to professionally slide into LinkedIn DMs.
• Resume Booster – Let’s be honest, having "Intern at Google or Amazon" makes recruiters pause and take notice.
• Learning from Experts – Internships allow you to work with senior developers and learn best practices in coding, debugging, and deployment.

According to a NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) report, over 66% of employers prefer candidates with internship experience. So, If you have one, flaunt it. If not, don’t worry—there’s another way.

Why Side Projects Make You a Mad Scientist (In a Good Way)

If internships are structured and safe, side projects are the wild west of learning. You build, break, fix, repeat, and come out stronger (and with some hilarious debugging stories). You don’t have to wait for an opportunity—you create one. Here’s why they matter:

• Showcases Your Initiative – Building projects shows that you don’t just rely on classroom learning—you take the initiative to learn and create. Internships may give you tasks, but side projects make you a self-starter.
• Full Control Over Tech Stack – Unlike an internship where you work within set guidelines, side projects let you experiment with different technologies and tools. You can go full Flask, Next.js, TypeScript, or whatever shiny new framework catches your eye.
• Stronger Portfolio – A well-built project, like a streaming app or a music player, demonstrates skills better than a bullet point on a resume. Actually, "Built MedPlay, a music streaming app from scratch" sounds way cooler than "wrote unit tests for an internal tool nobody will ever see."
• Learning at Your Own Pace – Instead of rushing through a 3-month internship, you can build and refine your project over time.

Fun Fact: According to a LinkedIn survey, over 50% of hiring managers consider personal projects just as valuable as work experience. Some even prefer candidates who have built real-world applications instead of just doing internship grunt work.

My Experience: Finding the Right Balance

I’ve had the chance to work on both. I happened to be part of MedPlay, a music streaming web app, and LAN MDH Streams, a local network-based streaming platform. These projects helped me apply what I learned in college and gain hands-on experience with Flask, APIs and databases. At the same time, working on IT infrastructure taught me how structured tech teams operate.

So, which is better? The answer: both.

Final Verdict: The Hybrid Approach

Here’s how you can make the most of both:

• Land an internship to gain exposure to professional environments and industry standards.
• Build side projects to stand out from the crowd and develop your problem-solving skills.
• Use both experiences in your resume to show technical and practical skills.

At the end of the day, what matters most is how well you can demonstrate your skills. Whether it’s through an internship or a killer GitHub portfolio, focus on learning, building, and improving.

What do you think? Have side projects helped you more than internships, or vice versa? Drop your thoughts in the comments!