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Externship

The WiSTEM Externship is a virtual learning experience for current and future STEM undergraduate students to gain career skills and earn digital badges or microcredentials during the winter or summer break. The WiSTEM Externship is designed to give you credentialed accomplishments for your resume, talking points for interviews, confidence in your professional skills, and training/knowledge/learning to advance your STEM skillset. 

Externship Learning Plan Options:

WiSTEM offers two Externship learning plan options:

Eligibility

Currently Enrolled Undergraduate Students

Currently enrolled UT Austin undergraduate students may enroll in and complete one or both Externships at the same time.

Admitted, Enrollment Deposit Paid Undergraduate Students

Incoming undergraduate students admitted to UT Austin with their enrollment deposit paid for the upcoming fall semester may enroll in the Externship: STEM Career Success Skills the summer before full-time enrollment.

Digital Badges

Digital badges or microcredentials highlight the knowledge, skills, and expertise you have gained. They can be showcased on resumes, LinkedIn profiles, portfolios, and other places to showcase your achievements. Externship participants earn digital badges via Credly upon completion of each learning module. Externship participants earn a WiSTEM Externship Completion Badge upon completing the entire selected earning plan.

What to Expect:

IBM SkillsBuild Platform: The entire experience is facilitated through the IBM SkillsBuild platform. You will receive a digital badge (microcredential) via Credly upon completing each learning module within the selected WiSTEM Externship learning plan.

Time Commitment: To earn the digital badges, you’ll need to dedicate approximately 18-25 hours to complete all the learning modules.

Email Newsletters Prompts and STEM Career Path Connections: Participants will receive emails throughout the experience that prompt completion of the next learning module and provide STEM role model highlights and career pathway connections to the content in the learning plan.

Completion Badge: By completing all learning modules within the selected Externship learning plan, you’ll earn a WiSTEM Externship completion badge. This badge will enhance your resume and help you advance your career.

Benefits:

  • Participate for free in a program valued at $500.
  • Complete virtual, asynchronous lessons at your own pace.
  • Build your resume and earn digital microcredentials.
  • Advance your STEM and career skillset.
  • Participate in role model webinars, virtual and in-person corporate-led workshops, and company site visits.
  • Gain access to participant-only opportunities.
  • Gain priority access to WiSTEM career & externship events for students who complete the experience.

How to List the WiSTEM Externship on Your Resume:

Depending on your layout, the WiSTEM Externship can be listed in multiple places within your resume. Choose the option that best works for you! Below are some suggestions for resume sections and bullet points. Customize based on the WiSTEM Externship you completed and how you want to showcase your participation and learnings.

Skills Section:

  • List skills or knowledge gained in the Externship such as “Creative & Critical Thinking,” “Design Thinking,” etc.
  • “STEM Career Success Skills”

Education Section:

  • If you completed the whole Externship and earned the completion badge, list “Women in STEM Externship: STEM Career Success Skills Digital Badge” or “Women in STEM Externship: Artificial Intelligence and Semiconductors”, The University of Texas at Austin, Completed Month/Year.
  • List the separate digital badges earned throughout the Externship such as “Data Science 101 Digital Badge” or “Semiconductor 101 Digital Badge”, The University of Texas at Austin, Completed Month/Year.

Special Training, Professional Development, Certifications, or Accomplishments Section:

  • Women in STEM Externship: STEM Career Success Skills, Explorations in Mindfulness – Learning Badge. Thinking Practitioner – Knowledge Badge. Data Science Foundation Level 1 – Knowledge Badge. Working in a Digital World: Professional Skills – Learning Badge, Job Application Essentials – Learning Badge.The University of Texas at Austin, Completed Month/Year.

Resume Pro-Tips:

  • Avoid including unnecessary skills or badges, especially if it becomes a long list. Focus on the skills most valuable to the company for the role you are interested in.
  • Consider breaking up the skills/badges into different parts of your resume as it makes sense. For example, you can include some within the Skills Section and others within the Accomplishments Section.

The WiSTEM Externship can also be listed on your LinkedIn profile!

LinkedIn Pro-Tip: Your LinkedIn profile is also a good place to put any “extra” or “unnecessary” badges to keep your resume relevant while showcasing you have more skills than those on your resume.

Questions?

Direct questions to wistemexternship@utexas.edu.

Register Online

Registration is OPEN for the WiSTEM Externship: STEM Career Success Skills

Registration is OPEN for the WiSTEM Externship: Artificial Intelligence and Semiconductors

Winter Timeline

(for completion during winter break):

  • Registration opens November 5
  • Registration closes December 10
  • Completion is encouraged by January 15

Summer Timeline

(for completion during summer break):

  • Registration opens March 15
  • Registration closes May 15
  • Completion is encouraged by August 10

Corporate Partnerships Available

Corporate partnerships are available. Corporate recruiters and representatives will be invited to participate in webinars and STEM role model spotlights to connect with student participants.

Contact wistem@utexas.edu for more details.

Impact Report

What’s the impact of the WiSTEM Externship? Check out the 2023 Externship Programs Impact Report for participant demographics and evaluation results.