Host an Externship
Externships are helpful experiences to students as they explore and plan for their future. As an extern host, you can support a Carleton student in a direct way. Alumni, parent, and employer-partner volunteers are vital to providing more than 250 externships to students.
Site Host Registration
If you are interested in joining as a site host for the 2024 program, please complete the interest form below. Externships will take place December 2-20, 2024.
Externship Options
- Job-shadow: 1-2 week experience (20-80 hours total)
- Opportunities to develop skills and explore career paths
- Participate in meetings, functions of role, duties, etc.
- Schedule at least 3 informational interviews with colleagues/industry professionals
- Project-based: 1-3 week experience (60-120 hours total)
- Professional project with clear goals
- Deliverable for the end of the experience (oral presentation, written report, slidedeck, completed code, etc.)
- Opportunities to develop skills
- Participate in meetings, functions of role, duties, etc.
- Can include meetings with colleagues/industry professionals
Site Host Preparation
- Attend an information session for site hosts (see below) to ask questions and learn more about hosting.
- Review the expectations for site hosts and consider whether you are able to meet the expectations.
- If any of the expectations feel unrealistic, please take advantage of the host information sessions so we can work with you to find a solution.
- Plan a successful externship.
- Tips for hosting
- Suggested externship activities (with sample itineraries)
- Creating effective externship postings (with sample externship position descriptions)
- Register your experience (link above).
Information Sessions for Site Hosts
We are excited to offer live information sessions about the program. These are optional to attend and can be especially helpful for new hosts.
Each session will include a brief presentation about the program, how to structure an experience, how to register, tips for hosting, and plenty of time for Q&A. To register and receive the Zoom link, click the “REGISTER” link above next to the day and time that works best for you (and/or your team).
Selection and Offer Process
- Hosts review application materials (cover letter and résumé) from all candidates. Hosts can choose to conduct interviews or have less formal conversations with the candidates to gain additional insights about the candidates interests and qualifications.
- After the review, hosts will submit rankings for all candidates who applied. (Candidates who would not be a satisfactory choice will receive a null ranking.)
- The Career Center will take the rankings and use an automated system to make offers to the candidates on behalf of the hosts.
- Candidates may receive multiple offers at once and can only accept one externship. First offers will be released simultaneously to all of the top-ranked candidates.
- Candidates and hosts will be connected via email after a candidate officially accepts an offer.
For more information or assistance, contact the Career Center at externships@carleton.edu.