Updated 2018/01/14 with link to new community topic on project ideas.
Mainframe skills are in high demand, with the 10 top insurers, 44 of the top 50 banks, 18 of the top 25 retailers, and 90% of the largest airlines, using mainframe as the backbone for computing infrastructure according to IBM. Linux and open source are increasingly used more and more on mainframe; IBM estimates 90% of it’s customer base leverages Linux on mainframe, and a recent Open Mainframe Project survey found that over half of all workloads in these enterprises are ran by Linux on mainframe. This means that there are great opportunities for students looking at a future career in mainframe.
If you are a student reading this – we have a unique opportunity for you. Spend your summer using your open source and Linux skills, learning about and contributing to the future of mainframe in our annual summer internship program. This program pairs a student with a mentor from one of our great member companies, which results in a contribution to driving open source and Linux on mainframe. Past students have built Docker containers, created applications on HyperLedger, and even ported a new Linux distribution to mainframe!
You can be a part of this legacy, learn new skills, and potentially open yourself up to career opportunities coming out of the program. You also get a healthy stipend ( $6,000 USD ), a fully paid trip to a technology conference to showcase your work, and networking opportunities with peers and leaders in the industry.
Kevin Lee, one of our 2017 interns, shares his experience: “As an intern for the Open Mainframe Project by the Linux Foundation, I tested, improved, and created business networks on Hyperledger Fabric on the mainframe. From my internship at the Linux Foundation, I had the opportunity to not only experience blockchain systems in industry, but also become immersed in the process of developing and building a project from start to completion. As the pioneer and developer of IMMUNIchain during the internship, I worked closely with my mentors on brainstorming, coding, debugging, deploying, testing, and finally presenting my project at the conference. Members of my mentoring team, led by Vicom Infinity CTO Leonard J. Santalucia and IBM Transformation Leader Jin VanStee, were all specialized in different industries and helped to cri
tique and improve my project with their diverse perspectives. From my experience working with the Linux Foundation, I not only become more well-versed in reconciling the varying definitions of blockchain in academia and in industry, but I also gained valuable experience and built meaning relationships with my mentors.”
If this sounds interesting to you, you can apply for the program now – please note the application period closes February 16th, 2018. And look for our past interns in the community forums, and look in the coming weeks for more posts from them on their experiences.
Looking for help on putting together your project proposal or have a new idea on a project you would like to work on around mainframe and open source? Check out the new community forums topic where you can connect with former mentors and interns for help!
