So you didn’t get a summer internship. Now what?
First of all: you’re not alone. It’s 2025, and the job market is more competitive—and more confusing—than ever. But here’s the good news: internships are no longer the only way to gain legit, career-launching experience.
Whether you were ghosted by recruiters, started the search late, or just couldn’t find the right fit, there are still plenty of ways to level up this summer. From remote externships to short-term project gigs and fellowships that actually teach you something, we’re breaking down five smart, flexible ways to keep your resume glowing—and your career momentum strong.
🌐1. Extern: Real-World Experience, Anytime, Anywhere
If you're seeking real professional experience that is both flexible and impactful, Externships offer a powerful alternative to traditional internships. Unlike rigid, location-bound internships, Externships are fully remote, project-based experiences with well-known brands like Beats by Dre, Snap Inc., Expedia, and many more. These programs are specifically designed to help you build career-ready skills while working on real business challenges that contribute to your field. Each Externship is structured to provide hands-on experience that goes beyond theoretical learning—ensuring that what you do is practical, relevant, and portfolio-worthy.
Why Choose an Externship?
- Flexibility: Externships are fully remote and can fit around your schedule, allowing you to gain experience without disrupting your studies.
- Real Projects: You work on actual business challenges that contribute to your field, rather than hypothetical case studies.
- Career Portfolio: The projects you complete are yours to showcase—demonstrating your skills to future employers.
- All Year Access: Unlike traditional internships, Externships are available year-round, meaning you can start anytime you’re ready.
By participating in an Externship, you're not just learning—you're contributing meaningfully to projects that matter.
⚡ Quick Take: Real company work. Remote. Flexible. No endless applications.
💡 Pro Tip: Stack 2–3 externships back-to-back to show versatility on your resume. It’s like creating your own custom internship.
👉 Ready to gain experience that actually matters? Join us at Extern.
Still wondering what exactly an Externship is, or how it compares to a traditional internship? Here’s a quick breakdown to clear things up.
🎓2. Fellowships: Actually Learn from Industry Experts
Fellowships are structured, project-based learning opportunities that offer students the chance to work closely with professionals, contribute to impactful projects, and gain exposure to real-world industry challenges. Unlike many traditional internships that focus on shadowing or entry-level tasks, fellowships often involve leading or co-owning meaningful initiatives—making them a powerful career development experience.
Top Fellowship Programs to Explore
1. AltFinance Fellowship
The AltFinance Fellowship is focused on expanding pathways into alternative investment careers for Black undergraduate students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program delivers a comprehensive three-year experience, including intensive training, mentorship from top-tier finance professionals, internship placements, and a competitive stipend.
AltFinance aims to address representation in the financial services industry by equipping fellows with the skills, knowledge, and network necessary to thrive in private equity, hedge funds, and asset management. The fellowship provides unmatched exposure to financial institutions and encourages long-term, high-impact careers in the sector.
2. HUMRRO Fellowship Program
The HUMRRO Graduate Student Fellowship supports doctoral students whose research aligns with applied psychology, data science, and organizational behavior, especially in fields like education, defense, workforce development, and assessment. Administered by the Human Resources Research Organization, this fellowship is unique in its alignment with public and nonprofit sector research goals.
Fellows receive financial support and research mentorship, and their work may be featured or utilized in HUMRRO’s broader initiatives. It’s an excellent opportunity for graduate students aiming to translate academic expertise into societal impact, especially in roles involving policy, psychometrics, or human performance.
3. Major League Hacking (MLH) Fellowship
The Major League Hacking (MLH) Fellowship is a 12-week, fully remote program where students collaborate on open-source projects under the guidance of experienced mentors. Participants gain hands-on experience, enhance their coding skills, and receive a stipend. The program offers multiple batches throughout the year, making it accessible to students worldwide.
4. YCAT Summer Finance Fellowship/Internship Application
If you're interested in finance, investing, or capital markets but haven’t landed a traditional internship, the YCAT Summer Finance Fellowship offers a compelling alternative. Run by the Young, Gifted, and Capitalist (YCAT) Network, this program is designed to help underrepresented and high-potential students explore careers in finance while gaining real-world exposure to the industry.
This fellowship/internship hybrid offers both training and professional experience, helping students understand the nuances of financial analysis, investment strategies, and capital management. Participants are matched with real-world finance professionals and mentors who provide industry insight, resume advice, and interview prep.
⚡ Quick Take: Structured, project-based gigs with mentorship—and sometimes a stipend.
💡 Pro Tip: Apply to smaller or niche fellowships; fewer applicants = better odds and more meaningful experience.
📚 3. Join a Bootcamp and Learn Job-Ready Skills Fast
Bootcamps are like power-ups for your resume. In just a few weeks, you can dive into UX design, data analytics, coding, or product management—and have real work to show for it. Many even offer mentor guidance, job prep help, or hiring connections.
This is especially clutch if:
- You want to switch directions (like a psych major pivoting to product design)
- You’re building out a skill you’ve only dabbled in
- You need a project portfolio before recruiting ramps up again
🔥 Bootcamps Gen Z Students Should Check Out
1. Google Career Certificates (via Coursera)
Learn job-ready skills in UX, IT support, data analytics, and project management. Built by Google and trusted by employers like Deloitte and Verizon. Completely online, flexible, and beginner-friendly
2. Co.Lab Product Bootcamp
A 4-week cohort-based program where you collaborate in cross-functional teams to ship real products. You’ll learn the ropes of product thinking and teamwork—plus leave with a legit case study for your portfolio.
3. ADPList Product Design Sprint
Short, intense, and packed with value. You’ll join a 1-week sprint to solve UX problems with real-time feedback from industry mentors. It’s free, but competitive—prepare to flex those design muscles fast.
4. DataCamp Bootcamps
DataCamp's programs are structured around real business problems and weekly challenges. You'll explore tools like SQL, Python, and R, and can follow curated career tracks in analytics or data science.
5. ABC Bootcamps – Silicon Valley Program
Live in Silicon Valley, study innovation, and work on entrepreneurial projects with students from around the world. This international bootcamp includes pitch sessions, startup visits, and career exposure in tech.
6. General Assembly Immersives (Students Section)
One of the OGs in tech bootcamps, GA offers immersive programs in web dev, UX, data, and more. Expect hands-on projects, job-search support, and access to a global alumni network.
7. Springboard Career Tracks
Each program guarantees job placement or your money back. You’ll get 1:1 mentor sessions, career coaching, and build real-world projects. Especially great if you're looking for structure + support.
8. BrainStation Remote Bootcamps
These live, instructor-led courses let you interact in real time. Choose from web dev, digital marketing, product management, UX, and data science. Great for students who thrive in collaborative settings.
⚡ Quick Take: Short, focused programs that teach real skills and help you build actual projects.
💡 Pro Tip: Choose bootcamps that include career support or portfolio projects—they’ll pay off long after summer ends.
🔧4. Open-Source Contributions: Collaborate and Innovate
Contributing to open-source projects is a powerful way to build technical skills while collaborating with global communities. Unlike traditional internships, open-source contributions allow you to work on live projects accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Open Source Platforms
1. GitHub
GitHub is the largest platform for open-source collaboration, hosting millions of repositories where developers can contribute to real projects. For beginners, searching for projects labeled with “good first issue” is a great starting point. These tags are added by project maintainers to highlight beginner-friendly tasks that help newcomers get involved without feeling overwhelmed. Contributions to GitHub not only demonstrate your coding skills but also your understanding of version control, documentation, and collaborative coding.
2. Open Source Guides
Open Source Guides is a resource designed to help beginners understand the principles of open-source development. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to make your first contribution, navigate version control, and collaborate effectively with other developers. It also covers best practices for writing clean, maintainable code and understanding open-source licensing. Whether you are just starting out or looking to contribute to more complex projects, Open Source Guides is a fantastic place to build your knowledge.
Benefits of Open-Source Contributions:
- Real-World Experience: When you contribute to open-source projects, you’re not working on isolated, classroom-based tasks—you’re contributing to real applications that users depend on. Your code might be used by thousands of people globally, and your solutions need to meet professional standards.
- Portfolio Building: Each contribution is visible and verifiable on platforms like GitHub, meaning employers can directly assess your skills. A well-maintained GitHub profile with diverse project contributions is often seen as more valuable than a list of generic coursework.
- Global Collaboration: Open source is a community effort, allowing you to work with developers from all over the world. You’ll learn to navigate team-based development, manage version control, and collaborate effectively—skills that are critical in today’s tech-driven workplaces.
- Feedback and Mentorship: Many open-source projects have dedicated mentors who review contributions. This peer-based review process not only helps you improve your code but also teaches you to handle constructive criticism gracefully.
⚡ Quick Take: Build your portfolio by solving real problems in global dev communities.
💡 Pro Tip: Use the “good first issue” tag on GitHub to find beginner-friendly projects—even with zero experience.
🎨 5. Build Your Personal Brand (And Turn It Into Freelance Work)
In 2025, your online presence is your resume. Whether you’re dropping LinkedIn gems about your externship, posting career tips on TikTok, or building a portfolio site—your digital footprint can do a lot more than any PDF ever could.
But here’s where it gets smarter: when you build your personal brand online, you also create demand for your skills. Freelancing becomes the next logical step. From $50 logo designs to paid writing gigs, you don’t need a job title to prove your value—you just need proof of what you can do.
This is especially clutch if:
- You want to turn your skills into income this summer (without working 40+ hrs/week)
- You’re creative or entrepreneurial and want to experiment with side hustles
- You want to stand out in recruiting by showing what you can do
How to Build a Personal Brand That Gets You Noticed
- Start posting consistently on LinkedIn or TikTok. Document your externship learnings, share “What I wish I learned in class,” or review tools you actually use.
- Create a free site to house your portfolio. Use Notion, Carrd, or Canva Sites to show off work samples and projects.
- Design a visual portfolio. For creatives or designers, upload your work to Behance or Adobe Portfolio to get discovered.
Where to Freelance (and How to Get Paid)
- Start small and local. Offer resume help, design, or social media content for classmates, student orgs, or small businesses.
- Join Gen Z-friendly platforms. Upwork, Fiverr, Contra, and Passionfroot let you find gigs that match your vibe and schedule.
- Sell digital products. Got templates, resume kits, or aesthetic planners? Upload them to Gumroad and get paid passively.
- Monetize your creative work. Upload photos, videos, or designs to Adobe Stock or Shutterstock and start earning on autopilot.
- Pro tip for outreach: DM businesses on Instagram or LinkedIn with a clear pitch and sample. Don’t wait for permission.
⚡ Quick Take: In 2025, you don’t need a job title to get hired or get paid. Build a brand that proves your skills—and clients will come to you.
💡 Pro Tip: Use tools like Canva, Notion, and Behance to showcase your work, then land freelance gigs through platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Gumroad. It’s real money and real experience.
It shows: you can solve real problems, work with clients, and deliver results—basically everything an internship hopes to teach.
🚀 Take Charge of Your Career Journey
Missing out on a traditional internship doesn't mean missing out on growth. By exploring externships, fellowships, virtual internships, open-source contributions, and micro-internships, you can gain valuable experience, develop new skills, and build a professional network. Embrace these opportunities to take charge of your career journey and make a meaningful impact in your chosen field.
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