For a growing number of young people, landing a dream internship no longer means waiting for a university career office to open a few doors. Instead, ambitious students are taking the search into their own hands—sending hundreds of emails, attending networking events and contacting companies directly in the hope of securing opportunities that fit their ambitions. One striking example is Jayce Lye, a 25-year-old Singaporean student who sent roughly 300 emails to more than 100 U.S. companies before finally landing an internship at Maihem, a Y Combinator-backed software company in San Francisco, in August 2024. His target was highly specific: artificial intelligence security and safety, an emerging field where he believed the United States offered some of the strongest opportunities. Lye spent six months working remotely from Singapore, often taking calls as late as 11 p.m. because of the time difference. Yet despite the demanding schedule, the experience convinced him that international exposure could provide something traditional internships could not. He wanted to be surrounded by people working at the cutting edge—and he was willing to chase that opportunity himself.
Lye refused to stop after his first breakthrough. After another round of networking and more than 100 additional emails, he secured a second internship at American software startup Mintara Labs from October 2025 through January 2026 while studying on an exchange program at the University of California, Berkeley. The position was unpaid, but for Lye, the chance to learn from talented people in the technology industry was worth more than the paycheck. His experience reflects a wider shift among Gen Z students, who are increasingly treating internships as something they can actively create rather than simply receive. At Singapore Management University, officials have observed a significant rise in students asking about self-sourced internships. Huo Yasi, deputy director of SMU’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, estimated that the number of students who successfully found their own internships doubled between May 2023 and August 2026. Students, she said, increasingly want the autonomy to choose experiences that match their goals. Other universities have noticed a similar mindset. Students are seeking global exposure, emerging industries, interdisciplinary work and organizations whose values align with their own—not simply an internship title to add to a résumé.
But chasing an American internship can come with obstacles that ambitious students cannot simply overcome with determination. Universities have limited placements available in the United States, while changing entry and visa requirements can make international opportunities even more uncertain. SMU, for example, has seen an average of only around four U.S. internship placements each year, with availability changing depending on prevailing entry requirements. At the same time, international students have faced increasing uncertainty surrounding U.S. visa rules. A policy change announced in July 2026 was expected to introduce stricter rules for foreign students entering the country, including replacing open-ended periods of stay with fixed admission periods of up to four years. For Gen Z students determined to build careers in fields such as AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation, those challenges are forcing a new level of resourcefulness. The message from students like Lye is clear: waiting for the perfect opportunity to appear may no longer be enough. They are searching farther, emailing more companies and building their own professional networks. In an increasingly competitive job market, the next generation may be redefining what it means to get an internship—not by waiting to be chosen, but by choosing where they want to go and relentlessly knocking on the door.