Extern Program | Career Development Center | SIU

Build your experience. Build your brand. Become an extern.

Extern applications for Spring Break 2020 are not being accepted until September 9, 2019.

Eligibility in the Extern Program requires students must:

• Be in at least the third semester of undergraduate studies at SIU or a transfer student (Master’s and JD students may also apply)
• Be enrolled full-time at SIU during the application process and during the externship
• Complete an online application (link will be made available on September 9, 2019)
• Submit a Career Development Center approved resume
• Complete a screening interview
• Contact the sponsor prior to the externship
• Initiate and continue contact with sponsor prior to the externship
• Attend the Send-off Ceremony prior to the externship (Date TBD)
• Attend the Extern Recognition Ceremony upon returning to campus (Date TBD)

Recommended:

• Have a 2.75 GPA (if you do not meet this, it must be addressed in your application)

Share your experience. Build your brand on campus. Host an extern.

For more than 30 years, SIU has provided the Extern Program as a unique professional development experience for our students.  To date, more than 4,000 Salukis have worked with companies and organizations around the nation to gain first-hand experience in their chosen career fields/professions.

This year’s Extern Program takes place between May 10 – June 5, 2021. Sponsors will collaborate with extern students to determine the exact days and times of their externship, which can take place at any point during the four-week period.  Typically, externships are one-week in length, but we are offering flexibility due to the pandemic.

COVID has had us all consider how we work and navigate the world, and that extends to the Extern Program. With the virtual nature of this year’s program, it may look more like a mentorship depending on what you can offer a student from a distance, and that’s okay! This is a great opportunity for you to connect with a student, share your life and career experiences, and help them expand their network and world as they move forth on their professional journeys.

The SIU Career Development Center handles the majority of the administrative work. We need basic information about you, your company, and what the student will participate in during their externship. Students go through an application process including a resume, cover letter, and virtual interview. The Career Development Center will assign students to sponsors, but sponsors have the final say in accepting a student.

If you are interested in being an Extern Program sponsor for 2021, please complete an application. If you have enrolled as a sponsor before, please contact Vanessa Renshaw at vanessa.renshaw@siu.edu. 

2021 Extern Program Invitation for Sponsors