My answer to this question has evolved a fait bit over time, and probably will in the future, but at the moment I find that making sure that I deliver at least one item (however small) every week helps; I feel I am always making progress. So if you have big projects, break it down into simple, manageable steps & tasks. Then work your way down the list.
Completely agree with @cgsmith.
I did an internship at age 30: it was 2008, the economy was in the doldrums, and I was desperate to change the direction of my career. The internship lasted 6 months, I was obviously far more experienced (in terms of strategic thinking & organisational experience) than other interns, my boss and even the boss of my boss. Long story short, 6 months later I was hired by the company with a decent position, salary, and having completed my professional turnaround.
This guy is my hero. What he says sounds so simple and obvious, but I've learned from experience that doing the simple and obvious stuff can be so hard...
Make a list of the top VCs in your country --> Check their website. It usually lists the startups they have invested in --> choose the startups you are interested in --> visit their website --> contact the people in your startup(s) of choice.
1/ For reasons explained in other comments, I would search for a full-time job rather than an internship. To find small companies, check out the most prominent VCs present in the UK and check out what startups they have invested in (it's almost always publicly listed on their websites).
2/ No. Get a full-time job. While you're job hunting, work on a personal project that will further your skills and expertise. You will almost certainly be quizzed on that (at least, if you try to join successful startups)
3/ See above. In case you're interested: we're based in London, UK, and are currently hiring for 3 positions: https://pusher.com/jobs
06:00 - Alarm goes off & hit snooze
06:09 - Alarm goes off again. Hit snooze again.
06:18 - Alarm goes off again. OK this is ridiculous. I drag myself out of bed and get ready to go to the gym.
06:30 - In the gym for a 60 min workout.
07:40 - Back home & jump straight into the shower.
08:00 - Kiss wife goodbye & off to work
08:45 - Arrive at the office & Prepare breakfast. Read the news.
09:30 - Think about strategy for the year and quarter. Reassess priorities & prepare my to do list for the day.
09:45 - Start working
Edit: this bizarre story has been picked by other news outlets, so maybe there's something to it.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/07/facebook-...
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-11-06/facebook-now-wants-...