# Looking for an AI Automation Mentor — Open to Unpaid Internship **URL:** \ **Category:** Help me Build my Workflow\ **Created:** [October 8, 2026, 11:37am UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/looking-for-an-ai-automation-mentor-open-to-unpaid-internship/319710 "2026-10-08T11:37:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fatima\_Shoaib](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/fatima_shoaib/32/194520_2.png) [@Fatima\_Shoaib](https://community.n8n.io/u/Fatima_Shoaib)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 11:37am UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/looking-for-an-ai-automation-mentor-open-to-unpaid-internship/319710/1 "2026-10-08T11:37:17Z")
I’m a Software Engineering graduate and currently building my career in AI Automation and n8n. I’ve completed my n8n courses and learned the fundamentals of workflow automation, APIs, webhooks, AI integrations, databases and related concepts. I’ve also built few projects. Now, I’m looking for an experienced AI Automation Engineer, n8n developer where I can learn by working on real projects. I’m specifically looking for something like an unpaid internship/apprenticeship, where I can: • Work on real client projects • Gain experience with testing, debugging, deployment, and maintenance • Get guidance and feedback from someone experienced • Contribute to the team while developing my skills I’m a beginner, but I’m serious about learning, willing to put in the work, and already have a portfolio that I can share. > **[Its-Fatima - Overview](https://github.com/Its-Fatima)** > > Its-Fatima has 3 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub. If you’re working in AI automation and are open to mentoring a beginner or taking on an unpaid intern, I’d really appreciate the opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![waqasahmedwaseer](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/waqasahmedwaseer/32/193080_2.png) [@waqasahmedwaseer](https://community.n8n.io/u/waqasahmedwaseer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2026, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/looking-for-an-ai-automation-mentor-open-to-unpaid-internship/319710/2 "2026-10-10T20:30:03Z")
Welcome to the community, Fatima! I’m Waqas, founder of Wasevo (an AI automation agency), so I see this from the other side of the table — the person who would actually take on an intern or apprentice. Here’s what would make me say yes, and what usually doesn’t: **What agencies and mentors actually look for** 1. **Proof over promises.** Everyone says they’re serious and hardworking. What stands out: 2–3 small, _finished_ automations solving a real problem (a lead-qualification flow, an inbox triage bot, a weekly report generator), each with a short write-up covering the problem, your approach, and the edge cases you handled (timeouts, API errors, retries, logging). That counts for more than any certificate. 2. **Debugging muscle.** Courses teach you nodes; client work is debugging failed executions, handling rate limits, OAuth/credential setup, and writing handovers that someone else can maintain. Practice this deliberately — break things on purpose and fix them. 3. **A specific offer, not a general ask.** Instead of “looking for an unpaid internship,” try: “I build n8n workflow automations — happy to take a small trial task so you can evaluate my work.” A concrete offer converts far better than a general plea, paid or unpaid. 4. **Visibility and consistency.** Answer questions here in the forum, publish one workflow or build-log per week. Mentors notice consistency, and explaining your work teaches you faster than tutorials do. **Where to look:** this forum’s jobs/mentorship corners, automation agencies (many hire junior builders who show proof of work), and open-source contributions — n8n community nodes are a great way to get real code reviews from experienced developers. And one free mentorship channel available today: post your workflows here and ask the community to tear them apart. Debugging help from people who ship automations daily is exactly the feedback loop you’re asking an internship to provide. Good luck — the fact that you already have a portfolio on GitHub puts you ahead of most beginners. ---
**Author:** ![Fatima\_Shoaib](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/fatima_shoaib/32/194520_2.png) [@Fatima\_Shoaib](https://community.n8n.io/u/Fatima_Shoaib)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/looking-for-an-ai-automation-mentor-open-to-unpaid-internship/319710/3 "2026-10-10T22:10:40Z")
Thanks a lot for sharing your opinion, I’ll try to to implement these suggestions