Let the downvotes begin! :)
Unpaid PHP LAMP HTML Javascript / AJAX CAKE MVC Frameworks experience in the valley Seriously?
If you want to criticize something, you should do so with the experience of having done a better job at it. (Yes, I have written job postings, and I take great care and pride in crafting them.)
To be considered I must have experience with multiple technologies, the ability to build web applications, and a whole portfolio of work.
Why am I looking for an unpaid internship with a mysterious startup, again?
Shall I put out a request asking for someone with very little experience and no previous proven application of that knowledge and skill? Then maybe you will apply.
I'm expecting to save $3000 CAD/month this summer as an intern after all expenses (I'm living cheaply, but my wages are quite average). The work I'll be doing is also a great deal more interesting, I suspect, than any web startup could ever offer.
While I would't expect to make as much money if I was working for a startup, this offer is simply a rip off. As reference, personally I would expect to be offered a bare minimum of $12/hour for technical work. That's the level at which I wouldn't laugh in your face and walk off.
If your company is too cheap to pay students working for them, that also raises questions about the sort of work that they would be doing, and now interesting it might be. It also implies strongly that the students would be on a lower rung and would be a "lower class" at the company, with poorer working conditions and a lack of respect.
Overall, unpaid positions without massive perks [edit: or other forms of payment] scream "AVOID!".
I know this isn't true of all coders, I know there are some good guys out there who would take a risk and would do this to benefit from the greater reward. Working for equity is clearly not something you are interested in. Nor is the environment of a startup. Why are you here then?
That's different. Equity is a form of payment (although, admittedly, it is a gamble). However, the way that you advertised it here really makes it sound like you are looking for free work, and a naieve student to take advantage of. And working without any sort of compensation is indeed being taken advantage of.
Also, as a side note, I suspect (and Google seems to support) that American students have far higher costs for going to university -- I believe that in Europe, the tuition fees are significantly cheaper thanks to government subsidies. With lower costs, there's less pressure to earn money to cover the costs.
You make a valid point above. We are not looking to screw people out of money. We were hoping to offer someone a good experience, and begin line up future employees for when we could afford to pay them.
We apologies, we appear to be poorer than the students :)
Just put it into the ad next time, and it might look less like you're trying to screw the students over.
This is the same guy that put up this very job posting - he's just describing what the company does!
sorry I'm not on the same time zone as you guys I think