The Internship is a new film starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as two unemployed salesmen who land internship jobs at Google. It’s a funny movie that would be of particular interest to anyone who has experienced an internship or is interested in applying for one. The movie is entertaining and makes some very good points about internships. But there are other scenes that are purely for entertainment and not realistic when it comes to real-life situations. That’s OK because it’s a move. However, since this blog site is about internships, what’s real and what’s not should be pointed out for the benefit of students seriously looking for internships so they know what they should expect.
One reality to expect is that you cannot bluff your way through an interview like Vince and Owen did. They had no skills or experience at all in software engineering, yet they managed to get invited to the Google campus to compete for internship positions as software engineers. It was funny in the movie but in the real world, you need to have the skills.
Also, when Vince and Owen get to the Google campus, in the movie you see a giant slide inside the building, a driverless car, free food, Google bicycles and sleep pods. This is true. In fact, the driverless car is a Google project on technology for robotic cars. These things do exist at Google, but Google is an exception rather than the rule when it comes to office environments. Google hires the brightest, most creative young minds and allows their creativity to flow with perks like free food and sleep pods to help them re-energize. But the truth is that these bright and talented individuals work hard and know their stuff. This is what is expected of any intern who is hired for an internship position.
Something that really stands out in the movie is the focus on teamwork. This was not only an important point made in the movie but in reality is also an important part of every internship job. Students reviewing requirements for internship positions will often see that one of the requirements is to be able to work with a team. It may have been dramatized a bit in the movie but it is a fact. Interns must know how to share ideas, solve problems and produce results as members of a team.
One aspect of the movie that didn’t seem to be clear was the timeline on the internship. In the movie, it seemed like the interns spent most of their time competing in project contests and the winners get full-time jobs. Most real internships are for students who are still in college and want a summer job that will give them hands-on experience in their field of study. Internships can last 3, 6 or up to 12 months. Many of the students then return to finish college with enhanced skills and knowledge from their internship experience. Some make such a positive impression on the employer that they are invited back after they graduate to work full-time at the company.
Overall, The Internship was a good movie that should be seen by anyone interested in Google or software engineering, and especially by those looking for internships. If you have already applied for internships or interviewed for internship positions, you will find yourself laughing at scenes either because you already know how the process really works or because the companies you are interviewing with are so much more mainstream rather than the playground depicted in the movie. Either way, it’s a great move to see this summer.
Why not treat yourself and a friend to the movie and then apply for a Google internship today!
