The story of 15 work days
Three weeks can shape a career. That s the idea behind Sprinternships, three week paid micro internships for UIC female and nonbinary students who see themselves working in tech one day. Nearly 115 students completed a Sprinternship this May thanks to Break Through Tech Chicago, the computer science department’s grant funded program that prepares UIC women to compete for the rewarding, high paying roles that characterize the tech world.
Twenty Chicago area organizations welcomed Sprinterns. They represented fields from computing (IBM) to pharmaceuticals (AbbVie) to finance (William Blair & Company), proving that both technology companies and businesses in other fields can benefit from gender diversity in tech-oriented roles.
Each Sprinternship centered on a challenge project: a customized work experience that required Sprinterns to use their technological skills to solve a business problem. Students also met company leaders, developed relationships with staff mentors, received résumé advice, and strengthened their teamwork skills.
“Being a woman in computer science, I was incredibly intimidated at the thought of a 12-week internship,” said Ifra Rabbani, a senior computer science major who worked with the U.S. Soccer Federation. “This was short, but it was so much fun. I think it better prepared me for ending up in a longer internship or job in the future.”
The impact is real: at the program’s end, one in five Sprinterns was hired for a full-length summer internship or full-time job at one of the participating organizations.