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"You need an internship to land a full-time job!"
"What are you going to put on your resume?"
“You’re about to graduate in the worst economy in two decades.”
Sound familiar? If you’re a student, chances are you’ve heard some version of this way too many times. The problem? Landing an internship is harder than ever. And without experience, breaking into your dream career can feel next to impossible.
But what if there was another way to gain real-world experience, build job-ready skills, and make your resume stand out—without going through the ultra-competitive internship application cycle?
Enter the Externship.
Externships provide students with flexible, remote, and structured work experiences, where you contribute to real business projects, receive mentorship, and develop career skills. Whether you’re exploring career options, strengthening your resume, or trying to get your foot in the door with top employers, Externships offer a powerful alternative.
What is an Externship?
Simply put, an Externship is remote work experience delivered in the format of a class.
It is a structured, short-term, virtual experience that blends academic learning with real-world business projects.
Unlike internships, which typically require full-time commitments, Externships last 8-12 weeks with just 10 hours per week, making them ideal for students who need flexibility. Externships are designed to be completed alongside coursework or even another internship, allowing students to test-drive multiple career paths and industries before committing to a specific job or graduate program.
At Extern, students can choose from a range of Externships in industries like finance, consulting, strategy, product and marketing—all with mentorship and training built-in.
Why Should I do an Externship?
- Getting hired without prior experience is not just hard, it’s often impossible: The job market has never been more competitive for early talent. Nearly every internship requires some level of work experience and, shockingly, nearly 40% of “entry-level jobs” on LinkedIn now require 3+ years of experience.
- Certifications only get you halfway there: That’s because employers want to see that you not only learned useful skills, but that you actually have experience applying them to real work.
- Externships are guaranteed professional experience: At Extern, we believe there is nothing more valuable for a career than gaining professional experience as a form of education. Unlike traditional internships (which often require endless applications and ghosting from recruiters), once you’re accepted as an Extern member, you can choose whatever externship you want to do, at any time—no more resume black holes, no more playing the waiting game.
- Build a standout resume (even if you’re not “perfectly aligned”): Breaking into your dream career is tough, especially if your background doesn’t perfectly fit the traditional mold. But guess what? That shouldn’t hold you back. Externships let you gain real-world experience in any industry, no matter your major, GPA, or school. Want to be a venture capitalist but majoring in sociology? No problem. Looking to break into tech with a marketing degree? Go for it. Externships give you the freedom to build the experience you need—not just the experience your resume currently shows.
- Explore careers before you commit: It’s frustrating when you finally land an internship, only to realize… you don’t even like the field. But by then, you’ve already spent months applying and wasted an entire summer. With externships, you don’t have to commit long-term before figuring out what’s right for you. They’re shorter, more flexible, and available year-round, so by the time summer rolls around, you’ll already know exactly which industry you want to intern in.
- Differentiate yourself in a crowded job market: Applying to jobs feels like competing in the Hunger Games. Everyone has a similar resume, similar coursework, and the same list of extracurriculars. So how do you stand out?
Unique experiences like externships set you apart. They give you compelling stories to tell in interviews and prove that your skills are transferable across industries.
Hear from former extern Thomas Heslop of Howard University
“I'm a pre-med student that did a remote Externship with a VC firm. It wasn’t because I wanted to hang up my future white coat! The traditional road to medicine is a straightforward path, but I wanted to use my summer to explore the business world. The experience taught me a lot. I built on my Excel skills and pitch creation, both of which are transferable skills that are useful in any industry."
Externships = a low-pressure way to gain real-world experience, explore career options, and build a resume that actually gets noticed. So why wait?
What an Externship is NOT: Common Misconceptions
We hear these misconceptions all the time, so we’re here to set the record straight. To clear things up, here’s what an Externship is NOT:
❌ Externships are NOT case studies or simulations. Every Externship is a real business project designed to generate insights for an actual company.
❌ Externships are NOT busy work. Externs receive structured training and apply job-ready skills to meaningful projects.
❌ Externships are NOT job shadowing. Instead of watching others work, Externs actively participate in business projects and problem-solving.
❌ Externships are NOT long-term commitments. They’re designed to be short, flexible, and remote, making them accessible for students with busy schedules.
❌ Externships are NOT employment. While they provide valuable work experience, Externs are not employees of the host company. However, some Externships are Internship-Track, meaning top performers may be considered for paid internships or full-time roles directly with the host company.
Externship vs. Internship: Which One is Right for You?
While both Externships and internships provide valuable experience, they cater to different needs:
What is the Purpose of an Externship?
Think of an Externship as a sneak peek into your future career, but with training wheels. It's your golden ticket to dive into real projects that companies actually use, giving you a front-row seat to what life looks like in your dream job. It's about taking all that theory you've crammed into your brain and applying it to the real world, boosting your skills, and getting a feel for different career paths. Forget the old-school classroom vibe; an Externship is your chance to test-drive potential jobs and employers, making sure you're building the skills that matter in the real world. It's all about making your leap into the professional world smoother and smarter.
Externships bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world work experience. Here’s why they’re becoming essential for students:
✅ Explore Careers Before Committing – Think professional playground: students try different industries and roles without the long-term commitment of an internship.
✅ Gain Real-World Experience – Work on actual business problems, not just theoretical exercises.
✅ Build Job-Ready Skills – Learn to analyze data, develop marketing strategies, conduct research, and more.
✅ Expand Your Network – Connect with mentors, industry professionals, and company decision-makers.
✅ Boost Your Resume – Showcase tangible experience that sets you apart from other applicants.
The Externship Experience at Extern
At Extern, our mission is to make real professional experience accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Extern partners with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and industry leaders to offer structured Externships in consulting, marketing, product management, finance, gaming, healthcare, and more.
Each Externship includes:
✔️ A structured curriculum with training modules
✔️ Real-world business projects from exciting brands
✔️ Mentorship from industry experts
✔️ Career-development resources, workshops and webinars
✔️ Networking opportunities with executives and peers
✔️ Flexible scheduling that fits around your coursework
Here’s what one extern had to say about their experience:
"The Externship expanded my knowledge and provided me with valuable talking points in job interviews. Thanks to the skills I gained, I secured two internships during my undergrad!"
– Jannah Shakil, North Carolina State University
Are Externships Worth It?
100% YES. Externships are the perfect way to gain work experience without the stress of traditional internship applications.
📌 2 out of 3 externs secure an internship or full-time job within a year of completing an Externship.
📌 Internship-Track Externships give students a direct path to paid internships with top employers.
📌 Nearly half of externs have landed jobs or internships with Fortune 1000 companies.
📌 Skills learned in Externships help students stand out in competitive job markets.
Can an Externship Help You Get Hired?
Externships are one of the best ways to break into competitive fields.
Employers today often require 3+ years of experience for "entry-level" jobs—creating a frustrating catch-22 for students. Externships help break that cycle by giving students real, project-based work experience before they even apply for an internship or job.
In fact, many students use their Externship experience to:
📌 Secure internships and full-time roles at top firms
📌 Impress recruiters with real-world projects
📌 Get hired at the Externship host company
📌 Strengthen applications for graduate programs
Hear from former extern Richard Min!
“I found Extern because I overheard students in the library talking about how cool it was! I looked it up on my laptop, applied, and a month later was doing a venture capital externship. That single moment led to multiple externships and opened up Extern's professional network to me. It directly helped me land two internships and incredible connections in venture capital. And I'm now an incoming Summer Analyst at J.P. Morgan!”
- Richard Min, LSE
“I credit the externship as the sole reason I was hired to intern at AT&T. I had never heard of the AT&T internship program and would never even have applied to it if I hadn’t gone through the externship. It allowed me to develop my skills, showcase my work and ultimately stand out so I was awarded the fantastic opportunity to interview the CEO of AT&T!”
- Tori Nguyen, Virginia Commonwealth University
“"During my venture capital externship, I learned how to use industry-standard metrics and tools like SQL and Tableau to determine startup success potential. This opportunity helped me stand out as a candidate and opened new doors for me - including offers from EY and Accenture"
- Maisa Mirza, The University of Texas at Dallas
Who Can Do An Externship?
Anyone. Seriously.
Externships are designed for students from all majors, backgrounds, and levels of experience. Unlike internships that often require years of prior experience (yes, even for “entry-level” roles—wild, right?), externships welcome students who are just starting their career journeys.
✔️ Freshman testing the waters? Perfect. Externships help you explore different fields before committing to an internship.
✔️ Sophomore or junior looking for hands-on experience? Gain resume-boosting skills that make you stand out.
✔️ Senior or just graduated? The pressure is on and if the right internships or roles just aren’t happening, give your resume a boost with an Externship that will make you more marketable to recruiters.
✔️ Switching your major? No problem. Externships help you break into a new field, so you can “catch up” and snag the roles you want, even if your past experience doesn’t match the job descriptions you’re applying to.
No GPA cutoffs. No restrictions based on what school you attend. Just real opportunities to gain experience that matters.
"My Externship really changed my career trajectory. It taught me that I definitely want to pursue a career in the banking industry. I even made the decision to switch my major to Economics to better align with this goal! As students, we often chase after Fortune 500 work experiences, but the intimate experience of getting to work with a startup can actually really help you learn a lot and level up what you can bring to the table. The externship helped me develop hard skills, but also soft skills like communication and presentation."
- Diego Juarez, now an analyst at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co
What Skills Can I Learn at an Externship?
While the skills you gain depend on the specific externship you choose, our extern alumni consistently highlight these game-changing skills as some of the most valuable takeaways from their experience:
- Data Skills: Learn how to clean, analyze, and visualize large datasets using industry-standard tools. Whether you're working in marketing, finance, or tech, understanding data is a must-have skill for making informed decisions.
- Storytelling & Presentation Skills: No matter what career path you take, being able to distill complex information into a clear, compelling story is essential. You'll gain experience in crafting impactful presentations, structuring data-driven narratives, and communicating your insights effectively to decision-makers.
- Technical Skills (SQL, Python & More): Whether you're querying databases with SQL, automating tasks with Python, or exploring coding basics, externships give you hands-on exposure to technical skills that impress employers in nearly every industry.
- Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving: Every externship challenges you to analyze real-world problems and propose solutions. You’ll develop the ability to think strategically, work through challenges, and adapt quickly—skills that are invaluable in any job.
- AI Skills & Emerging Tech: The future of work is AI-driven, and externships give you the chance to stay ahead. You’ll learn how to leverage AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gamma to build chatbots, create next-level presentations, and analyze data faster—giving you a huge competitive edge in the hiring market.
- Professional Development Skills: Externships also help you polish your LinkedIn profile, craft a standout resume, and build a personal brand that makes employers take notice. Plus, you’ll develop networking skills that will help you build meaningful industry connections.
- Familiarity with Workplace Tools: Get comfortable using Slack, Zoom, Notion, Asana, and other essential tools that modern companies rely on every day. By the time you start an internship or full-time job, you’ll already know the ropes.
By the end of your externship, you won’t just list skills on your resume—you’ll have real projects and experiences to back them up. 🚀
“Less than two months after my externship, I landed a junior year internship with Goldman Sachs. I talked a lot about the project we worked on during the externship—how we had to check in on different points of the work, and how that really built my confidence. I mentioned this in all my interviews, and it definitely helped. I also had an HR internship this summer, and they noticed my confidence. I credit that to the experience I had earlier in the year with Extern.”
- Bintou Majula Drammeh, now interns at Goldman Sachs
Examples of Externships at Extern
Extern collaborates with industry leaders to design high-impact, real-world projects for students. See a few recent examples below.
Example 1:
About:
This externship offers a practical experience in understanding how people think and act when buying products. You’ll use a mix of research techniques and AI tools to collect information about consumers and learn how companies like Beats by Dre make decisions based on that data. By the end, you’ll be able to help businesses understand what their customers want and make better choices about products and marketing.
📌 Industry: Consumer Tech & Marketing
📌 Project: Conducted global research on Gen Z brand perceptions and advertising effectiveness.
📌 Outcome: Build marketing and data analysis experience with a popular consumer brand and showcase your ability to leverage AI tools in marketing assignments.
Example 2:
About:
Dive into the world of health & wellness startups with Silicon Valley seed fund igniteXL, where you'll get to discover and evaluate startups in the beauty, wellness and sustainability space and make recommendations on which ones are worth investing in! You’ll use VC industry tools to identify companies and assess growth potential, then create reports and recommendations like an analyst.
📌 Industry: Venture Capital, Startups
📌 Project: Research and pitch startups worth investing in that align with IgniteXL’s deal-sourcing criteria, and make strategic recommendations.
📌 Outcome: Build experience to stand out in the competitive venture capital hiring market, and hone research, analysis and presentation skills.
Example 3:
About:
Healthcare is at a crossroads. Patients wait too long for critical care, medical teams are stretched thin, and inefficiencies in clinic operations create real challenges for those who need help the most. This Externship is your chance to tackle these challenges head-on. Over 6 weeks, you’ll research real workflows, uncover pain points, and design smarter systems to improve patient experiences. Even better? You’ll bring your ideas to life by creating a digital tool that helps clinic staff make faster, better decisions—directly impacting lives.
Here’s your chance to make a difference and build valuable resume experience along the way! Are you ready to transform healthcare?
📌 Industry: Healthcare & Consulting
📌 Project: Leverage strategic consulting frameworks and prototype digital solutions to tackle healthcare operations challenges at Stanford Medicine clinics.
📌 Outcome: Gain strategy, consulting, data visualization, presentation and analytical skills to apply in the healthcare industry.
Ready to Gain Real-World Experience?
Join Extern today and start your first Externship!
Explore industries, gain experience, and build job-ready skills—all remotely.
