When we look at candidates who send applications for our available Application Developer internship positions, almost all the ones we choose to interview are those with personal projects. We take a look at the code/site for their personal projects and get a feel for that person's ability. It may not encompass everything, but it can be a good measure for a person's willingness to learn (especially on their own) and apply it as well. If you like going that route, it might be nice to make an application related to something you care about, or interests you. Building a simple application from scratch is great practice regardless, and even if no one sees it, putting it on GitHub/writing documentation/etc. is good practice and can potentially boost your resume (make sure to link to it). The more personal projects you have/technologies you tinker with, the more appealing you look to potential employers, even if you don't have previous internships/experience. Answer from pip1000 on reddit.com