For decades, Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEPs) have provided income, career exposure, and real-life work experience for thousands of young people across the United States. Yet year after year, youth and community leaders report that there are not enough summer jobs to go around. Some cities pressure underfunded SYEPs to serve all youth who apply, while others hold lotteries to dole out limited slots. Ultimately, hundreds of thousands of youth find themselves unemployed every summer. Recent interviews with SYEP funders, providers, advocates, and participants in 6 U.S. cities explored what it would take to guarantee a high-quality summer job to all youth. Among the insights that emerged, one theme became clear: Young people want more than a summer job; they want career-focused work experience that is worth their time and responsive to their day-to-day realities. This document outlines strategies suggested during stakeholder interviews. Far from a framework or checklist, these considerations should serve as conversation starters to help communities think beyond SYEP as we know it and propose SYEP as it could be.