Externships & Shadowing

The Externship Experience
Grinnell students connect to, learn from, and enjoy their time with alumni hosts through the Externship Experience. First through third years spend time during spring break 2026 shadowing alumni virtually or in person. Students witness first-hand how alumni navigate work-life alignment, often attending meetings, trying sample projects, engaging in informational interviews, and exploring a new community (for in-person externships) while enjoying a homestay. Questions? Email: The Externship Experience.
At a recent leadership conference, CLS Senior Director Dani Perkins heard from multiple employers that while cover letters are often ignored in the hiring process, post-interview thank you notes may be added in the plus column to a candidate’s hiring …
Choosing a career path can be difficult and even nerve-racking when you’re applying to jobs but don’t even know what a day in the role would look like. Externships, typically short programs where you shadow a professional, can help give …
The job search is exciting because there are so many options for what you can do — but for the same reason, it can also be overwhelming. How can you figure out what you want to do if you don’t know …







