Career Center

Students who participate in the Externship/Job Shadowing Program are able to receive a firsthand look at the workplace in a career of their choice, make valuable networking contacts and have the opportunity to see how classroom learning can be applied to real world situations. The primary goal of this program is to provide students with a structured, hands-on opportunity to experience the “world of work,” without the longer term commitment of an internship or job.

Through exposure to a work setting, students can learn more about job requirements, employer expectations, and professionalism. Students also benefit by finding out more about current and future internship and job openings.

Possible externship/job shadowing activities:

• Tour the facility
• Sit in on staff meetings
• Observe customer/client interactions, if applicable
• Conduct informational interviews with colleagues and/or key staff members
• Assist with projects or general office tasks
• Overview of company mission and procedures
• Visit with the Human Resources Department and/or meet with recruiters
• Introduce extern to a new employee to give him/her a “fresh perspective”
• Meet with UT Dallas Alumni who work at the organization
• Provide marketing materials about company/organization for student
• Demonstrate industry-specific software or tools

The Externship/Job Shadowing program formally takes place during the Spring Break week in March. Sponsoring organizations may host externs for 1-5 days during the break. Students may also choose to arrange an externship experience on their own at a different time of the year.