STUDENT EXTERNSHP PROGRAM

Spring Break (March 16 – 20, 2020)

Purpose

Career Services is excited to offer a unique career development opportunity to our students. The Student Externship Program (SEP) is a career-exploration opportunity that allows student to be matched with professional companies and organizations during Spring Break. This learning experience will allow students to get an insider's view of their chosen career field and a better understanding of what skills, knowledge, and capabilities they will need to acquire in order to be successful in a particular industry.

What is an Externship? 

An externship is a short-term informational interview that provides an opportunity to learn more about a career field. It is a voluntary experience in which you spend time observing and working with a professional in an occupational area within your field of interest. More lengthy than a job shadow but less intensive than an internship, externships allow you to observe a professionals regular daily activities, experience a typical week on the job, conduct informational interviews, tour the facility, and potentially participate in office projects. Externships offer an excellent avenue for sampling a field of interest and understanding the work environment. This can aid you in refining career goals, gaining marketable experience, and developing professional connection. 

Our Program Goal

Unlike competitive application programs such as On-Campus Recruiting, we do not try to find the "best candidate" for an externship. Rather, the overall goal of the UWG Student Externship Program is to extend the opportunity for at least one externship to as many students as possible. Students are selected for an externship by the SEP application committee. Decisions are made on the basis of the quality of the student’s application, resume, interest letters and interview. Students need not show expertise or experience in the field of the externship for which they apply, but must demonstrate compelling interest and curiosity in their application letters about their host’s field as a possible career option. Interviews will be held on campus before final selection is made.

Host Information 

Please upload a detailed externship description that details the range of experience to which the student might be exposed within your organization. Items may include completing a small project, shadowing various departments, conducting research, attending department meetings or company events, etc.

Please use following resources to host a student extern:

Sample Job Description

How to Post a Student Externship 

Criteria For Students

  • Which students are eligible to apply and participate in the program?
    • Fully matriculated undergraduate students with at least 24+ credit hours
    • December graduates/seniors who have not accepted a job and meet requirements by the deadline
    • Students away/abroad for a semester and will be available for the externship program dates and locations
    • Students that have an overall GPA of at least 2.5 or above
  • Student requirements for participating in the program
    • Complete application (interest letter, resume, references) and interview process
    • Attend the SEP preparation orientations presented by Career Services
    • Contacting externship sponsor prior to the start of the externship to introduce yourself and finalize schedule
    • Complete the post-externship evaluation by published deadline

 

FAQs

  • What is an externship?

    An externship is a short-term informational interview that provides an opportunity to learn more about a career field. It is a voluntary experience in which you spend time observing and working with a professional in an occupational area within your field of interest. More lengthy than a job shadow but less intensive than an internship, externships allow you to observe a professionals regular daily activities, experience a typical week on the job, conduct informational interviews, tour the facility, and potentially participate in office projects. Externships offer an excellent avenue for sampling a field of interest and understanding the work environment. This can aid you in refining career goals, gaining marketable experience, and developing professional connections.

  • Why do professionals volunteer?

    Professionals receive satisfaction by sharing their knowledge and expertise to assist current UWG students in their career decision process and enjoy introducing well-qualified, motivated, and up-and-coming professionals to their career field. By sponsoring an extern, you not only show your support for UWG, but also have the opportunity to "interview" a student for a week. Our students will come to you well equipped with professional guidance from our Career Services department and all we ask for your participation is your time - the monetary cost of the program falls to the student. However, some organization do choose to support the extern with meals or parking fee assistance, if needed. You can sponsor more than one student and can choose from any of our various majors.

  • What are the benefits of hosting an extern?

    Employers who participate in the Student Externship Program are offered a unique opportunity to market their company or organization. All employers who submit their externship opportunities by the deadline will be included in marketing materials seen by students, parents, faculty, and the campus community.

  • How will I be matched with a student?

    We ask that you provide as much information as possible on the Externship Sponsor Application Form, so that we have the best understanding as to what type of student (year, major, experience, etc.) you are interested in hosting. We will use this information to match students as closely as we can, based on interests and availability.

  • What is the process once a student has been matched for an Externship?

    Career Services will ensure that both the student and externship host will receive all information necessary to move forward in the process. The student will be responsible for contacting the host directly to schedule the externship. Students will NOT be given contact information until match has been finalized and host has been notified of match. 

  • Will I be guaranteed that a student will be matched with every host?

    Because the program is voluntary and depends on student participation, we cannot guarantee that every sponsor who volunteers to be a host will be matched with a student. However, your opportunity will be made available every semester the program is in place, as long as you wish to remain a potential host. Your company will still be included in marketing materials listed as a potential host. UWG representatives will speak with and make every attempt to visit the host site so that we can ensure that the externship is a safe environment for our students. 

  • How structured of an experience do I need to provide?

    It is up to the host and the student(s) to determine the details for the experience. Students are responsible for communicating their interests and expectations to the host. All hosts should have a planned itinerary in place two weeks prior to the externship and provide the schedule to the students.

  • Are there any costs associated with volunteering as a host for the Student Externship Program?

    There is not cost associated with being a host. Students are aware and understand that they are responsible for meals, parking, travel, and any other incurred costs associated with the externship.

  • How do I become a Host?

    To become a Sponsor, please visit the Host Application page on the website.

 

Reminders:
Externships are unpaid. Travel and/or housing expenses (if necessary) are neither reimbursed not subsidized and are at the expense of the student. Externships are not for academic credit and are for the sole purpose of exploring a chosen career and networking with professionals.
Representatives from University of West Georgia will schedule a time to speak with or visit your place of business to ensure that host site is appropriate and safe for our participating students. The workplace cannot be located in a private home.