The programme
Immersive Engineering Externship #
The Merit Externship helps people get real-world experience before they get hired. Teams work on realistic projects in software, AI, and data, building a track record employers can use.
Participants work inside a realistic software engineering environment. They join an existing codebase, work through tickets and changing requirements, collaborate through professional tooling, submit and review pull requests, debug issues, respond to feedback, and ship working software.
You work in a team of three or four, for four weeks.
Tracks
- SoftwareOct–Nov 2026
- DataEarly application
- Machine LearningEarly application
- Project ManagerEarly application
- Marketing & SalesApplications open
Software runs October–November 2026. Marketing & Sales applications are open. Data, Machine Learning, and Project Manager are early applications for January 2027.
A monthly run
Week 1
Apply and match
Week 2
Introduction and assignment
Week 3
Work emulation
Week 4
Submissions and review
Upcoming programmes
Software this autumn. The rest in January.
Read more on the Externship Software
October–November 2026
Data
January 2027
Machine Learning
January 2027
Project Manager
January 2027
Marketing & Sales
Applications open
The Problem
Jobs and teams still hire on presentation. #
Resumes and interviews barely show how someone will perform once they join a team and do the work.
The work that matters — how you execute, communicate, and collaborate — stays invisible until you're already in the role.
Get hired by working in teams, on demonstrated work.
Apply to the Externship The Solution
Practice the job. Join the team. #
Merit is where people get hired by working with others, in real environments, on monthly sprints — then planning the next step from that record.
Teams see how you work. The next assignment, team, or hire happens from that record — on Merit.
Work with others
Join a team of three or four. Channels, reviews, and the same coordination pressure as shipping with people.
Real work environments
Inherited products, changing requirements, and professional tooling. People sit inside the work as it already runs.
Monthly sprints
Four weeks: apply and match, take the assignment, do the work, submit. Then the next cohort starts.
The work stays on Merit
The next role, team, or sprint comes from work already done on Merit.
Open sprints
Software, marketing, sales, and ML — together. #
A sprint can be a product, a dataset, a model, a go-to-market motion, or the work of running the project itself.
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Software
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Data
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Marketing
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Sales
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Machine Learning
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Project
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Work with others in a live environment
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Monthly sprints with an AI project manager keeping the work moving
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The work stays visible — how you collaborate and deliver
Software
Live product sprint
4-person team
Evidence in progress
FAQ
Questions before you apply. #
The short answers. Tracks, weeks, and partners are on the Externship page.
What is the Externship? #
A four-week immersive engineering externship. People join a team of three or four and work inside a realistic environment. Hiring sees how they executed, reasoned, collaborated, and shipped.
Which tracks are open? #
Software runs October–November 2026. Marketing & Sales applications are open now. Data, Machine Learning, and Project Manager are early applications for January 2027.
Is it only for software engineers? #
Software is the first live engineering track. Marketing & Sales can apply now. Data, machine learning, and project work follow in January. Inside a sprint the work can be design, analysis, go-to-market, or models.
How do teams work? #
People work in a team of three or four. An AI project manager assigns work. Teams use the same kind of channels, tickets, and reviews as a workplace.
What does hiring see? #
How people executed, reasoned, collaborated, and shipped. We write that down from the work. The next assignment, team, or hire happens from that record.
How much does it cost? #
Free for individuals and nonprofits.
Do I need a job or a degree? #
No. Students, early-career people, people switching lanes, and people looking for work all apply. We match you from what you write.
How do I apply? #
Open the form, write a short note and two answers, then — if you want — pick a task for one question. We read that and match you to a cohort. Apply now.
Partners
Partner with us. #
Help build a realistic month of work — with industry, not at a distance. Briefs, mentors, infrastructure, or hiring.
- Briefs and realistic problems
- Mentors and reviewers
- Infrastructure
- Hiring
Apply this month. #
Do the work.
Software in October–November 2026. Marketing and Sales applications are open. Data, Machine Learning, and Project Manager in January 2027. Four weeks. Hiring sees the work.
Free for individuals & nonprofits. Read the Externship · Partner with us · join@applymerit.com.