The Mentor Externship Program
Carleton’s newest major program connects students with alumni for one-to-four-week “short internships,” most with a “focus project,” 80% including home-stays with their alumni hosts.
In December 2008, the first 6 mentor externships were conducted in New York, Chicago, and London.
Background/General Information
Background/General Information
- Main difference between externship and internship is in its shorter length – externships are from one-four weeks in length; most internships are from 10-16 weeks.
- Many students, in the exploratory mode, don’t need more than one-four weeks to test themselves in a particular kind of work/career.
- Our director initiated this program at his previous liberal arts college, and that college achieved national recognition with that model – (point here is – we have tested this model and we have experience managing it) – this is as far as we want to go in talking about “that other college” – just to make the point about it being a tested and proven success.
- A premium is placed on conversations to and from work, after work, over meals, or at your local coffee shop. It’s about work as a part of life, a common bond (that Carleton thing), and a relationship-centered experience.
- Many alumni hosts have wanted to host longer internships but for multiple reasons never could (e.g., not enough substantive work, can’t dedicate ample time to make it good, organization puts up too many logistical/policy barriers) – this length experience is much more possible and manageable for some.
- We anticipate that twelve days will become a popular option – this carries a family commitment of only one weekend, with typical timing for a twelve day experience allowing student(s) arrive on a Sunday, depart(s) on the second Friday from their starting date.
- There are five time periods during a year we will build towards offering externships – beginning of summer, end of summer, winter break (first half of December), Spring break, and – smaller – students in a “required winter term off” due to study abroad.
- Hosts will be presented candidates and hosts interview (telephone usually) candidates and select extern(s) from the applicant pool.
- Most externships are unpaid.
- Our goal is that 80% of all Carleton externships will include a home stay.
- There are many variants possible in designing externships – (a) rotational design, (b) short-term project driven, (c) involving other alumni (either for home stay part if the host’s home can’t accommodate a student – often in small urban center apartments – or two alumni in same field host one half each of a two-four week experience) – and other variations.
- Some hosts offer two externships at the same time – this is attractive so the externs can “entertain themselves” at times, taking pressure off the hosts.
- The work segment can be all or mostly observational in design, or project-oriented. We have examples of very substantive project outcomes over a two-week or longer externship.
- Most externs go on to become hosts themselves after graduation.
- Most externs stay in touch with hosts, some with very strong relationships that endure and transcend any involvement by the career center or College.
- Among those hosts for whom this is a difficult decision (doing one or not), most continue to host in subsequent years, pleased with their experiences.
