Hosts

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 for Site Hosts

Are you curious to know more about hosting an externship? Take a look at our Hosting an Externship virtual presentation.

Externship Host Information by Carleton College Career

Selection and Offer Process

1. 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.
2. 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.)
3. The Career Center will take the rankings and use an automated system to make offers to the candidates on behalf of the hosts.
4. 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.
5. Candidates and hosts will be connected via email after a candidate officially accepts an offer.

Housing Host Expectations

• Offer a safe, comfortable, free living space for an extern for 1-3 weeks. At a minimum, this should include a sleeping area, access to a full bathroom, and access to an equipped kitchen.
• Provide an accurate description of housing space, amenities, and expectations of guests.
• Respond to outreach from students (potential guests).
• Invite students to stay only upon mutual agreement of expectations and other arrangements.
• Communicate any changes in desired involvement with the Carleton Career Center.

Housing Process

1. Housing hosts register their homes to be included in the Externship Housing Directory. Housing hosts will share details of accommodations they are able to provide to students (dates available, amenities, access to public transportation, etc.).
2. The Career Center will share the Externship Housing Directory with students in need of housing. 
3. Students will reach out directly to housing hosts if accommodations appear to meet their needs. 
4. Housing hosts should set expectations and arrangements with each student individually.
5. Housing hosts are not required to offer to house a student who reaches out and should inform a student of their decision.
6. Once confirmed, students will inform the Career Center of places filled and update the Externship Housing Directory.