CLS Externship Program
Location: Various, United States Experience Type: Job Shadowing
If you are a Grinnell College alum or other potential externship host looking for information, please check out the Externship Host Information page managed by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
What is the CLS Externship Program?
The Externship Program creates short-term job shadow opportunities for Grinnell College students, taking place during spring break. Each extern is paired with an industry professional with a Grinnell College connection – either an alum or parent, with a wide range of career fields, organization types and work environments available to explore.
An externship experience is designed to help students:
- Explore possibilities for post-graduate life;
- Clarify interests, strengths, and values;
- Create connections and develop a professional network;
- Gain insight into professional work environments and work/life balance;
- Reflect critically on the experience and develop action steps to achieve goals.
Externships can take place virtually or in-person, and generally involve shadowing a professional through a normal day’s activities. It can also include informational interviews, introductions to other professionals, tours of work sites, inclusion in group meetings, sample projects or research, and a homestay experience in the case of in-person externships.
The Externship Program is exploratory in nature and open to 1st through 3rd year students. For in-person experiences, funding is available to students with demonstrated financial need to support travel and other required expenses.
Externship Spring 2023 Host List (Grinnell login required when spreadsheet is posted.)
* Please note that host list spreadsheet is protected from changes, but to see all information within a cell you can review it in the preview box at the top of the spreadsheet or you can adjust the height of the rows.
Externship Program Spring 2023 Timeline
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022: Externship Program Information Session, 6:00pm – 7:00pm, HSSC S3325
Friday, Nov. 4, 2022: Externship Program Information Session, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, HSSC S3325
Friday, Nov. 4, 2022: Student Externship Application Opens on Qualtrics at 9:00am
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022: Iron Out Your Résumé Workshop, 6:00pm – 7:00pm, JCC 010 (Lower Level, John Chrystal Center)
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022: Iron Out Your Résumé Open Review Session, 6:30pm – 8:00pm, JCC 2nd floor common area (John Chrystal Center)
Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022: Pop-Up: Iron Out Your Résumé Open Review Session, 12:00pm – 1:30pm, HSSC Atrium
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022: Student Externship Application Closes on Qualtrics at 3:00pm
Tuesday, Jan. 10 – 20, 2023: Externship placement offers sent to students via email
Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023: Externship Student Orientation #1, 6:00pm – 7:00pm, HSSC S3325
Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023: Externship Student Orientation #1, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, HSSC A2231
(Students can choose which Orientation #1 session they attend; you do not need to attend both sessions of Orientation #1)
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023: Program requirement deadline for externs to have emailed hosts
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023: Deadline for externs to submit Externship Program Funding Requests (in-person externships only), 3:00pm
Monday, Feb. 13, 2023: Funding offers sent to externs via email
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023: Funding acceptance signed documents due, 4:00pm
Friday, Feb. 17, 2023: Program requirement deadline for externs to have video/phone met with hosts
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023: Externship Student Orientation #2, 6:00pm – 7:00pm, HSSC A2231
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023: Externship Student Orientation #2, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, Changed to virtual via Webex due to weather related college delay in opening
(Students can choose which Orientation #2 session they attend; you do not need to attend both sessions of Orientation #2)
Thursday, Mar. 2, 2023: Program requirement deadline for CLS Travel Details Form and Campus Travel Registration Form & Information to be submitted (in-person externships only), 3:00pm
Thursday, Mar. 2, 2023: Deadline for externs to request CLS sponsored transportation (in-person externships only), 3:00pm
Saturday, Mar. 18 – Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023: Spring Break Externship Program takes place
- Friday, March 17 & Saturday, March 18: College Spring Break Airport Shuttle to Des Moines, more info here
- CLS sponsored van to & from Des Moines airport: Thursday, March 23 (times TBD – request form will be available)
- CLS sponsored van to & from Des Moines airport: Tuesday, March 28 (times TBD – request form will be available)
- Saturday, April 1 & Sunday, April 2: College Spring Break Airport Shuttle return to Grinnell from Des Moines, more info here
Monday, Apr. 10, 2023: Program requirement deadline to submit post-externship reflection paper and post-program evaluation survey via Qualtrics, 3:00pm
Abby, Spring 2022 Extern
Elina, Spring 2022 Extern
Ellie and Austin, Spring 2022 Externs
Jada, Spring 2022 Extern
Zo, Spring 2022 Extern