Well, there are a few different ways this can go for you. (Quick background: my first tech job was in the I.T. department for my school district, before I was 1

Well, there are a few different ways this can go for you. (Quick background: my first tech job was in the I.T. department for my school district, before I was 18. So, I've been in your position.) You're essentially going to be entering into a negotiation with them. They are clearly interested in your talents, but might try to convince you that you're too young, so you have to do your best to improve your position. One of the first things you have to do is be straightforward about your age: "I'm 17 and still in high school, but..." You want to come across as mature as possible. Even better is to reverse that a little bit. Companies love enthusiastic people. (Well, smart companies do, anyway.) They love to have people that want to be there. Those people can bring a lot of new life into a business. And, best of all (for the company), they tend to be cheap. So, how about: "I'm familiar with your company, it would be my dream job to work there, but I'm 17 and still in high school." Describe your previous work even if you can't provide references. Try really really hard to come up with some kind of references, though. There's nothing wrong with very briefly telling a bit about yourself; at what age did you start doing this kind of work, how much time do you spend on it? At this point it'll proceed from one of two scenarios: they'll say yes (but maybe with some restrictions, like, "contact us after you graduate"), or they'll say no. If they say no, what you have to do next is immediately offer a counter-proposal: ask about an internship, offer to contact them again as soon as you've graduated, offer to discuss it on the phone. The goal of your counter-proposal should be to leave an opening for them that they will like. If all else fails with the recruiter, send a brief email back to the engineer. Thank him for contacting the recruiter on your behalf, and tell him that you'd love to work there one day but you're 17 and still in high school. (Don't ask for his help; you're sending him a thank you note. You're just also letting him know how it went with the recruiter, but only in one sentence.) That engineer might see an opportunity within the company for you that the recruiter doesn't. Even after all this, it still might not work out for you. The usual adage is that if the company doesn't see how valuable you are, or doesn't want to try to make something work with you, then it's probably not the right place for you anyway. From the sounds of things, you've got lots of talent and you'll have no trouble working at some great places later on, so don't let it get you down.