Even if you can't find an externship right away, there are powerful ways to build experience and stay on track.

What If You Can't Find an Externship? Smart Steps When Nothing Is Working

If you feel like you just can't find an externship no matter how many emails you send or applications you fill out, you are definitely not alone. Many college students and recent grads hit this wall at least once, especially in competitive fields like healthcare, law, and tech.

Externships are usually short-term, job shadowing style experiences where you follow a professional, observe daily work, and sometimes help with small tasks. They’re different from internships, which are often longer and more project-based. But when you can’t land an externship, it can feel like your whole career plan is falling apart.

The good news: it’s not over. In this guide from Externships.com, we’ll walk through why you might be struggling, how to adjust your strategy, and what to do when you can’t find an externship but still want to build strong experience for your future career.

Why You Still Can't Find an Externship (and Why It's Not Just You)

Before you assume you’re “not good enough,” it helps to understand why externships can be so hard to get. When you know the real reasons, you can create a smarter plan instead of just sending more applications into the void.

Externships Are Limited and Competitive

Unlike large internship programs, many clinical externships and law externships are informal. A hospital department, clinic, or small firm might only take one or two students per term, or even per year. That means dozens of qualified students may be competing for a handful of spots.

So if you feel like you can’t find an externship, it may be less about you and more about simple math: not enough openings to match the demand.

Hidden Opportunities Aren't Posted Publicly

A lot of externships are never advertised on big job boards. Instead, they come from:

• Faculty connections at your college or university.
• Personal referrals from friends, family, or classmates.
• Networking with professionals on LinkedIn or at events.
• Students reaching out directly to offices, clinics, or firms.

If your search is only happening through job boards, you’re likely missing most of the hidden externship market.

Your Materials Might Not Show Your Potential

Externships are often short-term and unpaid, but they still want students who seem motivated and prepared. If your resume is generic or your email sounds like a copy-paste template, you may be getting passed over.

Small changes like tailoring your resume bullets, writing a clear, specific email, and showing genuine interest in that particular organization can make a big difference.

Plan B Options When You Can't Find an Externship

Here’s the key mindset shift: not having an externship doesn’t mean you can’t build experience. It just means you may need to be more creative about how you get exposure to your field.

1. Create Your Own Job Shadowing Experience

If official externship programs are full, you can still create your own version of job shadowing. Many professionals are open to short-term observers if you ask respectfully and clearly.

Try this simple outreach plan:

• Make a list of local clinics, offices, labs, nonprofits, or firms in your target field.
• Find specific contacts (doctors, attorneys, managers) on the organization’s website or LinkedIn.
• Send a short, polite email asking if you can shadow for a day or a few half-days.

Here’s a quick example message you can adapt:

“Hi Dr. Lopez, my name is Maya and I’m a junior biology major at State University. I’m very interested in pediatric medicine and am hoping to observe how a pediatric clinic operates. If your schedule allows, would you be open to letting me shadow you for a day or two this semester? I’d be happy to follow any guidelines your office requires. Thank you for considering it.”

This kind of informal job shadowing may not be labeled as an “externship,” but it still gives you real-world exposure you can describe on your resume or in interviews.

2. Look for Related Experience That Counts

When you feel like you can't find an externship, widen your view of what “counts” as relevant experience. Depending on your field, you might look for:

• Volunteering at hospitals, community clinics, or health nonprofits (for pre-med or nursing).
• Working as a medical scribe, receptionist, or patient care tech.
• Campus legal aid offices, debate clubs, or mock trial teams (for pre-law).
• Research assistant roles with faculty members.
• Part-time roles in related settings, like customer service or office admin.

Externships.com encourages students to treat these as building blocks, not “less than” experiences. Recruiters often care more about your skills and initiative than the exact title of your past roles.

3. Take Advantage of Virtual Opportunities

Some organizations offer virtual externships or job shadowing sessions through webinars, live Q&As, or short online projects. Keep an eye out for:

• Remote career “day in the life” events hosted by hospitals, law firms, or companies.
• Online mentoring platforms where you can get guidance from professionals.
• Short-term virtual projects that mimic externship tasks, such as case studies or chart reviews.

Even if it’s online, you can still list it on your resume and talk about what you learned.

Externship vs Internship: Why It Matters (But Not That Much)

It’s easy to panic and think, “If I can’t find an externship, I’m behind.” But let’s quickly break down the difference between an externship and an internship:

• Externship: Short-term, often a few days to a few weeks. Mostly observation and job shadowing. Great for early exposure.
• Internship: Longer-term, usually a few months. More hands-on work, projects, and responsibility.

Here’s the encouraging part: graduate schools and employers rarely say, “Externship only.” They usually care about a mix of:

• Exposure to the field (through externships, shadowing, volunteering).
• Practical skills (through internships, jobs, research, or projects).
• Strong recommendations from people who have seen you work.

So if you truly can't find an externship, you can still build an impressive profile through other types of experience.

How to Stand Out as an Applicant

While you’re exploring alternative options, it’s also smart to upgrade your applications so that when externship openings do pop up, you’re ready. Even if you haven’t had a formal externship yet, you can stand out by showing effort, clarity, and growth.

Polish Your Resume for Externships and Beyond

Use your resume to highlight transferable skills, not just titles. For example, instead of writing “Front Desk – Answered phones,” try:

“Communicated with 50+ patients per day, managing check-in, basic questions, and follow-up appointments with attention to detail and empathy.”

This shows skills like communication, time management, and professionalism—exactly what externship supervisors want to see.

Write Strong, Specific Emails and Cover Letters

Whether you’re applying for a clinical externship, a law externship, or a self-created shadowing experience, your outreach message should:

• Be short and easy to skim.
• Explain who you are (major, year, school).
• Mention your career interest and why you’re reaching out to them specifically.
• Make a clear, respectful ask (e.g., “a day or two of shadowing” or “a short externship experience”).

Specific, human-sounding messages get more responses than vague “to whom it may concern” emails.

Use LinkedIn and Faculty Connections

Networking doesn’t have to be awkward. Start simple:

• Connect with alumni from your school who work in your target field.
• Ask professors if they know professionals who host externs or allow job shadowing.
• Join student organizations related to your major; they often have guest speakers or employer events.

When you show you’re actively trying to learn, people are more likely to help you, even if it doesn’t turn into an official externship right away.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting for your school to do everything. Career centers are helpful, but you’ll often need to send your own emails and make your own connections.
• Only applying to big-name hospitals or firms. Smaller clinics, community organizations, and local offices may be more open to externs and shadowing.
• Giving up after a few rejections. It’s normal to hear “no” or nothing at all. The students who eventually succeed keep refining their approach and trying again.
• Undervaluing other experiences. Don’t ignore your part-time jobs, volunteering, or campus leadership. These can be just as impressive as an externship on your resume.

FAQ: What If You Can't Find an Externship?

Can I still get into grad school or a good job if I can't find an externship?

Yes. Many students never have a formal externship but still get into strong graduate programs or land great jobs. Focus on building a mix of experiences—volunteering, internships, research, leadership roles, and job shadowing. Admissions committees and employers care about your skills, commitment, and growth, not just one type of experience.

How long should I keep looking for an externship?

You can keep searching throughout the semester or year, but avoid putting everything on hold while you wait. Keep applying for externships, but also move forward with other options like volunteering, campus roles, or paid part-time jobs in related settings. That way, your resume grows either way.

What can I put on my resume instead of an externship?

You can highlight shadowing experiences you arranged yourself, volunteer work, research projects, internships, coursework projects, campus leadership, or jobs that use transferable skills. Describe what you actually did and what you learned. A well-written description of real responsibility can impress more than a poorly explained externship line.

Final Thoughts

Feeling like you can't find an externship can be frustrating and scary, especially when everyone around you seems to have their plans figured out. But your future doesn’t depend on a single opportunity. You can create your own job shadowing experiences, build skills through volunteering and part-time work, and keep improving your resume and network over time.

Use the strategies in this guide to stay proactive, not discouraged. Keep reaching out, keep learning, and keep building experiences that show who you are and what you care about. And if you need more ideas, examples, and encouragement, keep visiting Externships.com for fresh tips and resources to support your journey.