Background: Computer Science (CS) industry internships are valuable experiences for undergraduate CS students, and participation in extracurriculars predicts internship participation.

Purpose: We seek to understand the specific extracurricular activities that are most helpful in securing internships to help identify what activities students can do to help them get internships.

Methods: We used linear probability models to analyze survey responses from 14,155 undergraduate CS majors. We examine the relationships between students’ internship participation, seven extracurricular activities, and background.

Findings: All seven extracurricular activities increased the predicted probability of internship attainment (p < .05). We found no differences in internship attainment by gender, race, or ethnicity. First-generation status, non-US citizenship, and disability predicted a statistically significantly lower probability of internship attainment. Women, non-binary, Asian, and Black students were predicted to have a statistically significantly higher probability of participating in extracurricular activities than white or male students, while those with lower GPAs or first-generation status had a lower probability.

Implications: Our work uncovers inequities, particularly for first-generation college students, and provides insights that are relevant for students seeking internships.

Fri 20 Feb

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10:40 - 12:00
Career Paths in Tech: What Students Do, Post, and Code to Get HiredPapers at Meeting Room 102
Chair(s): Gagan Garg Johns Hopkins University
10:40
20m
Talk
Extracurricular Activities Predict CS Internship Attainment
Papers
Christopher Perdriau University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bridget Agyare University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Colleen M. Lewis University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
11:00
20m
Talk
Navigating Computing Careers: TikTok’s Potential Role as an Informal ResourceK12
Papers
Emily Martinez Temple University, Yashi Patel Temple University, Adyan Chowdhury Temple University, Noel Chacko Temple University, Francisco Castro New York University, Stephen MacNeil Temple University
11:20
20m
Talk
The Open Source Resume: How Open Source Contributions Help Students Demonstrate Alignment With Employer Needs
Papers
Utsab Saha Computing Talent Initiative, Jeffrey D'Andria Computing Talent Initiative, Tyler Menezes CodeDay
11:40
20m
Talk
Why Learn This? Visualizing Pathways Between CS Courses and Careers to Engage Students
Papers
Stacey Levine Georgia State University, Anu G. Bourgeois Georgia State University