Paragon One is now

A world where anyone can access professional experience as a form of education

At Extern, our mission is to empower everyone to discover and launch their career through meaningful, professional experiences available anytime, anywhere. We pioneered the remote Externship—a flexible, remote project with a company that combines real experience with structured training to help students build confidence and career-ready skills.

At Extern, we know today’s job market is tough. Internships are more competitive than ever, and hands-on, real experience is critical to stand out.  Externships were designed to bring value to college students and companies alike. For student members, Extern combines accessible, real-world experiences with expert guidance and a growing community. Companies are able to engage with far greater numbers of students than traditional internships allow, and reach diverse candidates who otherwise would fall outside of their talent funnels.

Why Externships

At Extern, we’re forging a new path for career readiness, one that bridges technical training with hands-on professional experience. Externships offer an inclusive alternative to traditional internships, ensuring that students from all backgrounds can gain work experience that builds their resumes and expands their career potential.
Externships are an innovative way to gain work experience offering a unique alternative to traditional internships.
Here's why they stand out:
Flexible duration
Unlike internships that often last an entire summer or season, Externships are shorter. This allows participants to explore multiple opportunities and career paths within the same timeframe.
Equitable access
Externships aim to provide real experience to everyone, not just the few who land competitive internships. They're designed to be more inclusive, breaking down barriers to professional development.
Key benefits
For Students
Externships allow students to gain meaningful experience, explore diverse career paths, and build competitive skills, all while maintaining flexibility. This hands-on experience empowers students to build resumes that stand out in today’s job market.
For Companies
By managing the recruitment, training, and oversight of externs, we enable companies to access expertly curated, high-quality project output without devoting internal resources to managing operations.
For Higher Ed
Externships offer students at higher ed institutions a robust career-preparation component, equipping graduates with professional experience that enhances their employability and enriches academic programs.

An Externship defined

An Externship is a structured, professional experience guided by mentorship. We created the remote Externship to allow students to collaborate on meaningful projects with companies and build in-demand skills like Generative AI so they can develop confidence and advance their careers.
Real-world projects
Externships go beyond classroom learning, providing students the chance to work on projects that solve real business problems, support growth, and impact company strategy.
Managed expertise
Extern handles every aspect of the Externship experience for companies, from project goals and student recruitment to training and feedback, ensuring seamless project execution.
Time-saving curation
Companies receive carefully selected, high-quality project outcomes that integrate with their team’s goals, making Externships a valuable and efficient resource.
Proven track record
With thousands of student externs contributing to projects for top brands, the Extern platform has demonstrated exceptional results for both student members (70+ NPS) and companies (80+ NPS).
Get started

Ready to get started?

Learn how Externships can help you prosper
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.