Should You Take That Externship?

If you’re still in college and want to “test the waters” before making a specific career commitment, you may have considered interning with a company. Trouble is, many call for a long haul (six months to a year), no pay and often a lot of busy work.

There is an alternative—the externship. These are usually shorter than internships and typically last for a few weeks—something you can cram into a spring break, or even a January inter-session.

As an Extern, you’ll “job shadow” a pro who will closely supervise you as they walk you through their day-to-day job functions. You’ll see how all those college courses can be put to work in a real work setting. More importantly, a good externship can help you try out a company—without wasting time making coffee, answering phones and running mundane errands. As an extern, you’ll shadow/follow your mentor around, observe the goings-on, and be given more job specific tasks, since your time is very limited.

An externship can also improve your chances of landing a full time job. Both you and the employer get to try each other out and, having tested the waters, can agree on a mutually beneficial employee-employer relationship when a job opening presents itself. An externship vastly simplifies recruiting for new talent for the employer, and it takes the guesswork out of working in specific career segments for those still in college.

Stephanie Levy, Recruiter at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, noted the value of one externship program. “The extern program offers a tremendous opportunity for both the students and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The externs are exposed to various aspects of our firm through direct contact with our clients and professional staff. We benefit from the externship by working with talented and motivated U.Va. students,” said Levy.

Externships vary from school to school and from employer to employer, but in a typical externship you may:

• Shadow one or more professionals
• Attend meetings and presentations
• Tour the work site
• Conduct interviews with pros in departments at various levels
• Participate in daily “hands on” operations to get a feel for the industry
• Complete a relevant project if time permits 

The benefits of a typical externship include:

• Learning more about a job or occupation
• Understanding what a job entails on a daily basis
• Expanding your network of professional contacts
• Experiencing the culture of an organization
• Having your questions about a job answered by pros in the field

MIT’s Externship Program connects alumni, undergraduate and graduate students during their Independent Activities Period—January 9 to February 3. Externships last one to four weeks, depending on sponsor needs, and are offered worldwide in an array of fields. As MIT extern Stephen Chang put it, "Take advantage of all the opportunities to talk to people who have worked in that industry for years. Getting an "A" in a classroom, even at MIT, doesn't compare to the value and insight that people gain from years of experience," Said Chang, class of '12, sponsored by Katherine Redfield, class of '10.

If you want to try a “day in the life of” in a specific career field, sign up for an externship at your school.

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