Career and Professional Development

At Kalamazoo College, we have created a modern-day apprenticeship. In our own unique version, students stay with K-College alumni as a part of the Discovery Externship Program. Externships are opportunities to explore a career interest area in a hands-on setting, while building relationships that have the potential to be meaningful and lasting. They offer many of the benefits of an internship, but they are shorter in duration. Some of the benefits include:

• Access to professionals in your field of interest
• First-hand experience in your field of interest
• Enhancing your professional and personal skills
• Meeting your individual learning goals
• Reflecting on outcomes and future options
• Networking with alumni and their colleagues
• Mentoring and informal discussion during a homestay

Short but Intense

Kalamazoo College has a strong, historical commitment to experiential learning. Experiential education involves "learning-by-doing." The Center for Career and Professional Development's Discovery Externship program will provide you with an opportunity to gain essential exposure in a field of interest. This program is a career development alternative to a traditional internship.  Each externship, while still inlcluding planning (before) and reflecting (after), occurs over a shorter amount of time (1-4 weeks) than what is typically spent in an internship. 

Connect and Explore

Another special element of this program is that "K" alumni sponsor externships. With sponsors from multiple generations of "K" graduates steering the program, the primary emphasis of the experience shifts from skills training to focusing on a mentoring relationship. This shift facilitates an understanding of how elements of your specific experience at "K" will translate to a prospective career field. The design of "K" externships also encourages a look at work within the context of a bigger life. This dynamic provides you with an extraordinary opportunity to connect with people who also experienced the "K Plan," many of them approaching the pinnacle of their own careers.

The Discovery Externship is normally a two-week endeavor, yet could range from one to four weeks depending on your host. During your externship, you may have opportunities for observation and access to other professionals in the field (comparative shadow experiences). It has not been uncommon for students to fit an externship and a separate paid job into their summers. Additionally, the CCPD views applying to the Discovery Externship Program as a very serious commitment. You should not treat this option as a "back up plan" to other programs or opportunities. You may apply for up to three externships and if selected, you are eligible to participate in one externship during the Summer 2009. You should also concurrently apply for other field-based opportunities.

The benefits of participating in the Discovery Externship program are multifaceted. You will be able to get a "taste of the industry" before you feel pressures to choose a certain career path. You will have the opportunity to observe the day-to-day lifestyle of someone in your field, both on the job and outside of work. Furthermore, as an extern, you will acquire what could prove to be a valuable connection and reference for the future, as well a source of advice - all by working and living with an alum during a homestay.

Please visit the following pages for more information related to:
Discovery Externship Homestays
Discovery Externship Financial Considerations
Discovery Externship Application Process 
Discovery Externship Selection Process
Discovery Externship Closing Process