Cal Externship Program
The Career Center’s Externship Program allows new and underrepresented students at Cal explore their career direction by shadowing you at your workplace during Winter Break. This long standing program is offered in partnership with the Cal Alumni Association.
An Externship is an educational opportunity for students, during which they gain insightful experience in a professional environment, have the chance to explore a career area to which they might otherwise not have exposure, and build their professional network.
The Externship Program is currently paused for the 2022-2023 academic year. Please check back in Summer 2023!
By hosting an Extern, you can
- Assist a Cal student (we target freshmen and sophomores) with their career development
- Share your expertise and knowledge about work and careers
- Build Cal Community through relationships with Berkeley students who may someday be employees or colleagues
- Increase brand recognition and a possible pipeline for future opportunities at your organization
Who Should Participate?
- Cal Alumni
How Do I Get Started?
- Watch this video to learn how you can get started to host an Extern.
What is an Externship?
- Externships are short work experiences that place during Winter Break
- They can last from one day to two weeks and be virtual or in-person
- Students observe the day-to-day activities of the Extern Host and follow them on meetings, business activities, and other learning opportunities
- Students may provide very limited assistance with projects or tasks to help acquaint them with the organization
- Students do not receive academic credit or pay but are encouraged to network and build connections for future internships or jobs.
Externships By the Numbers
Over 4,250 …students have externed since 1999
94% …students who found the externship experience to have a dynamic impact on their future career plans
69% …externs who received leads for internships or employment
94% …sponsors who said they would be willing to host an extern again
2700 …participating sponsors who have made the Externship Program what it is today
24 …years the Externship Program has been connecting Cal students and alumni
Job Shadow Externship Timeline
| TIMELINE | PERIOD OPENS | PERIOD CLOSES |
|---|---|---|
| Externship Opens to Students | October/November | October/November |
| Student Favoriting Period | November | November |
| Matching | November/December | November/December |
| Externship Period | ~January 3rd | ~January 14th |