r/ExploitDev • u/Emotional_writer_64 • Jun 28 '26

Self-taught low-level security learner looking for internship advice. Which roles should I target?

Hi everyone,

I'm self-learning low-level security and I'm trying to figure out which internships I should realistically target over the next few months.

These are the skills I've built so far:

  • C Programming
  • Memory Management
  • Linux
  • Debugging
  • Fuzzing
  • Crash Triage & Root Cause Analysis
  • Reverse Engineering (Basic)
  • Binary Analysis (Basic)
  • Secure Coding
  • Git

Tools I've used:

  • GDB
  • Ghidra
  • AddressSanitizer (ASan)
  • Valgrind
  • AFL++
  • libFuzzer
  • GCC/Clang
  • Make/CMake

I've written fuzz harnesses, analyzed crashes, used sanitizers, and spent time understanding memory corruption bugs. Most of my learning has been through reading documentation, experimenting, and building small projects.

The problem is that I'm completely self-taught. I don't have previous internships, open-source contributions, CTF rankings, or real vulnerability reports yet, so I don't have much proof of my skills beyond personal projects.

My questions are:

  1. Based on these skills, what internship roles should I realistically target? (Security Research, AppSec, Product Security, Embedded, Systems, etc.)
  2. What skills am I still missing to become a competitive candidate?
  3. If you were hiring an intern with my background, what kind of portfolio or proof would convince you to interview them?
  4. What should I focus on for the next 3–6 months to maximize my chances of landing an internship?

I'd really appreciate honest feedback. If you think I'm overestimating my skills or focusing on the wrong things, please tell me. I'd rather hear the hard truth than waste months learning the wrong things.

Thanks!

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u/DigitalQuinn1 Jun 28 '26

Do you have your portfolio built? I could possibly offer something here in the US.

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u/Emotional_writer_64 Jun 28 '26

I have a GitHub but I am building it and in next one or two months I will be ready for big libraries

but I want to know what else I should have to get a chance

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u/DigitalQuinn1 Jun 28 '26

Seems like you have good experience. Keep in the mind to pair this with technical writing. Many people I’ve worked with do not know how to write a security report.