Students are selected for Discovery Externships by the sponsor of the opportunity. In addition to reviewing your cover letter and résumé, sponsors usually conduct telephone interviews with applicants, although interviews are not required. Below are tips on telephone interviewing. Please be as accommodating as possible when a sponsor contacts you for this part of the process. In addition to representing yourself in the most accurate and best possible light, you are also representing Kalamazoo College and generations of students who will follow you. We only have one alumni body, and it is a most precious resource.

All applicants will be notified of their application selection status through electronic mail. Applicants selected to participate in a Discovery Externship will receive instructions for "next steps" in their notification letter. Please see Timeline/Deadlines for dates. 

PHONE INTERVIEW TIPS

1. Work with the sponsor to set up a specific time window for the call.
2. Determine who will be calling who and take into account different time zones—(Kalamazoo is in the Eastern Time Zone)
3. Dress professionally to remind yourself you are in a professional mode.
4. Make sure your answering machine/voicemail is courteous and professional.
5. Make sure your housemates know you are interviewing so they do not disrupt your call. Eliminate distractions around you, such as television, music, etc.
6. Do not interrupt your conversation to answer call waiting.
7. Speak up if there is a bad connection or you have difficulty hearing the other person.
8. Acknowledge that you are listening by saying things like “I understand” or “yes.”
9. Have your notes about the externship and yourself in front of you so that you come across as organized and articulate.
10. Have a glass of water next to you, in case your mouth becomes dry.