Job Shadowing»Academics

Student FAQ

Helps 1st and 2nd year students integrate curriculum development with career development information
Links and customizes the Washington College 1st year career awareness program to experiential learning opportunities
Creates first step in a 4 year plan for outside the classroom learning to include internships, international experiences, undergraduate research, and/or fellowships.

Students can see a career opportunity “up close and personally”
Students have the chance to observe in industries, government agencies, and non profits before selecting their college majors and minors
Students are introduced to practical strategies for linking ideas and concepts from inside and outside the classroom
Students explore applications of career and professional skills in a workplace
Students begin the life long process of employment networking and career mentoring
Students use the externship opportunity as a building block for identifying other formalized, outside the classroom experiences that they choose to pursue in subsequent years.

All externships for the academic year 2012-2013 will be scheduled during Spring Break 2013 ( Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15)

Each externship will include at least one full business day on site at the host organization and perhaps another one to two days depending on the host site’s preference and availability

While externships are not academic credit bearing activities and therefore do not appear on academic transcripts, all completed externships are recorded by the registrar’s office and become part of the student’s 4 year experiential learning plan.
Students are also encouraged to include externships on their personal resumes

Internships tend to be longer (usually weeks and months) than externships and require the student to work full-time or part-time on specific projects and/or tasks within the organization, sometimes for academic credit.

In service learning, students volunteer their time usually over a long duration to accomplish a mission or task of the organization whereas an externship involves shadowing persons associated with the organization to gain a general perspective on the career field.

Externships are unpaid. Students are responsible for transportation, housing, and meals.
In some instances, the host organization may provide a transportation subsidy or meal assistance during the day the student is at that site.

Externship hosts are either Washington College alumni, parents, or associates/affiliates.
All potential hosts enter into an agreement with the college to offer 1,2 or 3 day externship experiences.

Possible activities include: attending business meetings, observing organizational tasks; meeting officials and staff members; touring facilities; getting acquainted with the organization’s missions and goals; learning how professional or technical skills are applied in that specific workplace; meeting other industry or government partners; rotating through special units/divisions within the organization: seeing how research is conducted; observing client interactions or being assigned a small project to learn about the work environment and its culture.

Yes, interested students may participate both freshman and sophomore years at different host sites, but only one externship per spring break will be scheduled for each student.

Applicants must have freshman or sophmore academic credit status.
Applicants must have mid term and final first semester GPA’s of B or above.
Applicants must be in good academic and social standing with the college without probation restrictions.
Applicants must be registered for Spring 2013 classes.

Applicants will apply using the form available from the externship website.
Applicants will also submit in hard copy a current resume and a short 300 word or less statement explaining their interest in the externship career field.
All interested applicants will be interviewed briefly by a Washington College panel of faculty and staff.

When students submit their applications, they will be asked to prioritize their site preferences.
Depending upon the number of available host sites and the number and quality of applications, it is expected that twenty externs will be accepted.

All accepted candidates will receive written notice from the Assistant Dean four weeks before the start of Spring Break.
A copy of that notice will also be sent to the parent or custodial parent’s home address.

Formally agree to accept the match/placement that is provided.
Sign the Waiver of Liability Form.
Attend and participate in a Career Center orientation workshop to be held several weeks before the student goes on site.
Contact the host organization to confirm the final details for their externship (i.e. start times and dates; directions to the host location; transportation options; security requirements to enter the facility; contact information for the host, and other pertinent information).
Notify the Assistant Dean of Academic Initiatives via email that this contact with the host has been made.

Be prompt arriving at the host site.
Be prepared to sign confidentiality and or privacy documents if the organization requires these.
Participate in all the activities that are planned for that day.
If there are breaks in the planned schedule, use the Sample Questions to Use on Your Externship Site Visit to obtain more information about the organization.
Be professional, courteous, and enthusiastic about this opportunity.

Write a thank you note to the host(s)
Complete the Student/Externship Evaluation Form on the externship experience
Submit a 300 word reflection essay on the externship to the office of the Assistant Dean for Academic Initiatives