Extern Host Guidelines & FAQs

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors of all majors participate in externships. This is a career exploration activity, so many externs do not have solidly formed ideas about careers. Students are matched with hosts based on the criteria you set when registering, the quality of their application materials, and their involvement with the Career Center.

• Hosts are asked to commit to providing an externship experience that is two-to-five days in length (please see below for suggested externship activities). Consecutive days may be helpful for students who must travel to your location for the experience.
• When registering as an Extern Host, you will specify your week(s) of availability during the program window (the first three full weeks of January), as well as any student requirements (i.e. class year, interest area, background). You will also select whether you will host the extern(s) on-site or virtually.
• You will also be asked to provide a description of what your externship will entail for students to review to determine the match of your experience to their interests/qualifications at the time they apply.
• Hosts are asked to compile industry, organization, and/or role-specific materials for the student to review in advance of the externship to provide context that enables them to make the most of the experience.
• Hosts are also asked to develop an itinerary for the externship, and to share this with the assigned student(s) prior to or at the start of the externship (see below for more details).
• As an Extern Host, you are committing to being a supportive source of career information and advice throughout the externship experience.

We offer Extern Hosts the option of hosting their students in-person OR virtually. Please select the externship format that is most feasible for you when completing the Extern Host registration.

We recognize that it might not be feasible nor productive to host virtual externships according to a full work day schedule. If electing to participate virtually, please plan to host your assigned student(s) the equivalent of two work days (or more), according to a structure and schedule that makes sense for the nature of your work and the opportunities, connections, and experiences available to virtually showcase to your students throughout the externship. This may mean coordinating an itinerary for your student comprised of half-days over the course of four days, two hours at a time, or something else altogether. This itinerary may include time spent directly with your student, as well as conversations between your student and other member’s of your organization, having the student attend meetings or presentations, having the student work on an independent project, or other opportunities for the student to explore your career field. Please see “Tips for Hosting an Externship” below for sample externship activities.

For in-person externships, we ask that Hosts coordinate an experience that is two-to-five days in length. We encourage hosts to coordinate an in-person externship experience that spans consecutive days, when possible, to reduce costs and logistical planning for students who may need to coordinate and fund travel and lodging for their experience.

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are provided with an e-booklet describing all of the available externships. They submit an application listing (up to) their top six externship choices, along with a resume and an essay. The Career Center then performs the matching process using the information provided by students as well as any criteria outlined by each externship host.

It is the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with you after the host-student matches have been made, so that you can work together to decide on the specific dates and times you will spend together. You should provide directions and guidelines for appropriate dress, as well as discuss housing arrangements (if applicable). Student contact information will be on the resume that is emailed to you by the Career Center. This initial contact is also a time for the student to give you an indication of what he or she is interested in observing and gaining from the experience.

This depends on the host and the student. Because the students are also responsible for making this externship successful, they should clearly communicate their interests and expectations to you. If students don’t proactively share their interests and goals, we encourage hosts to guide students through this conversation. All hosts should have a planned itinerary in place approximately one month prior to the externship and provide the student with a copy in advance of or at the start of the experience.

Many students choose externships close to home, so housing is not an issue. Other students, however, are more than willing to travel for an externship in their career area of interest. In these situations, some hosts provide housing. If that is not possible, students typically obtain lodging at a nearby hotel. Any housing and transportation costs are covered by the student; however, the Alumni Association does provide funds to help offset such costs. Students are encouraged to inquire with their assigned hosts regarding any hotel, transportation, or parking options/recommendations that might work best for the experience but it is the student’s responsibility to coordinate these details.

You have the right not to answer any questions or requests you feel are inappropriate or confidential. You also have the right to address with the student any behavior that is unacceptable in your workplace.

You have the responsibility to spend time with the student, or arrange for the student to meet with someone else or work on a project throughout most of the day. We ask that you minimize idle time as best you can. It is not your responsibility to guess what will be most interesting to the student. The student should share with you his/her specific areas of interest to help in your planning. The student has also been instructed on appropriate workplace etiquette and has been advised to perform research on your organization and industry prior to the externship.

If some unforeseen event occurs that requires you to cancel your externship, notify your student immediately. Please also contact the Career Center as soon as possible. Whenever possible, we encourage hosts and students to work together to reschedule the externship for a mutually convenient time.

You can contact Alexis Leon (leonal@lafayette.edu or 610-330-5115) at any time with comments or questions. A formal evaluation will be emailed in late January to solicit your feedback on the experience. These evaluations are used in the overall program assessment. We strive to make this program a positive experience for all students and hosts involved.

It is our sincere hope that the externship experience is a positive one for you. Some hosts and students stay connected for months or even years after the externship. Whether or not this connection continues is up to each student-volunteer pair.

If the experience is a positive one, your student may inquire about the potential for internships or full-time jobs in your organization or industry. We have seen many externships blossom into long-term connections and opportunities, although that is not an expectation or requirement of the program.

Contact Alexis Leon in the Career Center at leonal@lafayette.edu or 610-330-5115 with any questions about the program.