Beyond Internships

Whether you’re just starting to explore career paths or you’re deep into preparing for your next professional step, there are many ways to build valuable skills outside of a traditional internship. This page is designed to help you discover opportunities that fit your life, interests, and goals—on campus, in your community, and beyond.

Every experience counts—and we’re here to help you make the most of it.

What is Career Readiness?

  • The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines career readiness as “a foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college educated in the workplace and lifelong career management.” (NACE 2020)
  • The eight (8) competencies can be demonstrated in a variety of ways. For a deeper dive into the competencies, check out our “Build Career Readiness Competencies” page.
    • Career & Self-Development
    • Communication
    • Critical Thinking
    • Equity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Professionalism
    • Teamwork
    • Technology

Why does career readiness matter?

  • Employers utilize career readiness when sourcing talent, as high performance in key competencies can impact how an intern or new hire will succeed in the role.
    • There is a skills & knowledge gap among graduating seniors, with only 11% of business leaders strongly agreeing that graduating students can meet their business needs with their existing skills. (Chronicle for Higher Education 2022)
  • Career readiness competency development is a lifelong process – reflecting on core skills, integrating feedback and practicing the performance review format all support early in career talent in building strong mentorship relationships, advancing their career and supporting a strong work-life balance.

On-Campus Opportunities

  • Student employment: On-campus jobs are a convenient way to earn income while gaining insights into career paths and developing time management and communication skills. Plus, they often offer flexible schedules that support your academic success
  • Leadership roles
    • Join a Registered Student Organization (RSO): Joining an RSO helps students to build community, develop leadership and teamwork skills, and apply classroom learning in real-world settings. These experiences enrich personal growth and can significantly enhance resumes and future career opportunities. Plus, it’s a great way to have fun and make lasting connections (including networking for future opportunities)!
    • Become a Resident Advisor (RA): Working as an RA is a unique leadership opportunity that allows students to foster inclusive communities, support their peers, and gain valuable conflict resolution and communication skills.
    • Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship: Develop leadership abilities through practical experience, personal reflection and in community with mentors and peers while earning $2,500 per quarter (for up to $5,000 total). Note that you must have secured a mentor and an experience that will support your leadership development before applying for the scholarship.
    • Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center: Curious about community-engaged learning, leadership and working with a variety of community partners? The CELE Center offers paid & unpaid roles, including internships, where students can develop a leadership philosophy and get involved with communities outside of the university to spearhead social change.
  • Campus Events
    • Hackathons: Mostly geared to students interested in programming, hackathons/hackfests are dynamic, hands-on events where students collaborate to solve problems, build innovative projects, and sharpen technical and creative skills. They offer a fast-paced environment for learning, networking, and showcasing talent—often with mentorship, prizes, and career opportunities.
    • Case competitions: Mostly geared towards business students, case & pitch competitions give students the chance to tackle real-world challenges, think strategically, and present solutions in a high-impact setting. These events build critical skills in analysis, communication, and teamwork—while offering networking opportunities and exposure to industry professionals.
  • Undergraduate Research
    • Undergraduate research positions are a productive way to gain relevant experience and transferable skills such as quantitative and qualitative methods, academic writing, and data analysis techniques. Plus, many UW-affiliated research positions offer opportunities to build professional connections with faculty, graduate students, and departmental programs. 
      • Students may choose to volunteer, earn academic credit, or earn income.
    • The Office of Undergraduate Research supports students in accessing meaningful research experiences throughout their undergraduate career.

Off-Campus Employment

  • Even if your part-time job is off campus, it can still help you build career-ready skills that employers look for—like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and professionalism.
    • Examples of transferable skills gained in common off-campus roles:
      • Caregiving: Empathy & emotional intelligence, responsibility, communication skills, problem-solving.
      • Food service: Customer service, teamwork, multi-tasking & efficiency, conflict resolution.
      • Retail work: Sales & persuasion, attention to detail, tech literacy, adaptability.
  • If you’re applying for roles that are more related to your future career goals, it’s important to clearly articulate to employers, hiring managers and recruiters how your experience has set you up for success in the role you are interested in.
    • Caregiving example:
      • As a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), I managed tasks and care for a vulnerable older adult with ease, including coordinating medical appointments and navigating unexpected health concerns with compassion, by developing strong time management skills and having clear communication with the client’s family and medical team.
    • Food service example:
      • I work in a fast-paced cafe during peak hours, taking orders, preparing food and maintaining customer satisfaction under pressure. I’ve learned to multitask efficiently, communicate with my other team members and resolve customer concerns calmly. This experience led to positive customer feedback and I was recently promoted to shift lead, demonstrating growth in leadership, teamwork and problem-solving.
    • Retail work example:
      • I worked at a local boutique clothing store during the winter holiday season. During my time there, I was responsible for assisting customers, managing product inventory and handling high transaction volumes. I used active listening to understand customer needs, maintained organized displays and adapted quickly to a change in store policies. Although it was a seasonal position, my manager recognized me for excellent customer service and attention to detail, highlighting my strengths in adaptability, professionalism and technology.

Micro-Internships & Self-Paced Learning

What is a micro-internship?

A micro-internship is a shorter version of a traditional internship. Instead of lasting for months, it usually lasts a few days to a few weeks (roughly 25-50 hours total) and focuses on a specific project. These are often remote, paid and flexible but are usually too short to be taken for academic credit. However, micro-internships are still a great way to get real experience at a company, add to your resume and connect with professionals in your field.

Where can you find micro-internships?

What is self-paced learning?

Self-paced learning works around your schedule, from wherever you work best! No deadlines, no pressure – you decide the pace. Platforms like LinkedIn Learning offer thousands of short, skill-focused courses taught by industry experts, and many offer badges or certificates you can highlight on your LinkedIn or Handshake profile.

Currently enrolled UW students have free access to LinkedIn Learning. Other platforms, like Coursera and Grow with Google, also offer courses and career-boosting certificates to support your development for in-demand skills.

Civic Engagement & Volunteering

Civic engagement and volunteering are powerful ways to build career readiness by developing key skills like communication, leadership, and teamwork in real-world settings. These experiences help students explore career paths, gain hands-on experience, and grow their professional networks—all while enhancing their resumes and demonstrating initiative, adaptability, and a commitment to community. Engaging in meaningful service also fosters personal growth and confidence, making students more prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the workforce.

Reflecting & Showcasing Your Skills

  • Resumes market how your specific experiences, skills and training fit the hiring needs of an organization. Explore our resources on how to craft an effective resume, including how to use generative AI effectively.
  • Creating a professional summary for Handshake & LinkedIn can help you signal to recruiters what kinds of positions you are interested in. Stop by our Iris Booth for free, professional headshots!
  • With the vast majority of HR professionals (79%) ranking performance in interviews as the top factor in hiring decisions for entry-level roles, practice talking about your experiences in interviews.
    • Yoodli will provide personalized feedback based on your interview performance.
    • Review the job description and create short STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or CAR (Context, Action, Result) method stories linking your previous experience to the current role.
  • Need additional support? The Career & Internship Center offers career coaching appointments, workshops and employer events to support you at all stages of your career journey.