Externship Program FAQs
Get Answers to Alumni Questions about Externships
General questions
What is an externship?
An externship gives students the opportunity to explore a specific career path, gain marketable job experience, and make professional connections, by working with alumni during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP), January 4-29, 2010. The program gives alumni a chance to connect with current MIT students, gain access to summer interns and future employees for their companies, and increase student awareness of their company.
How long is an externship?
Students join alumni in their workplace for a week or the entire length of IAP, depending on sponsor needs.
Where are externships offered?
Externship opportunities are offered by alumni in a wide range of professions primarily in the Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC areas. The Alumni Association seeks to expand the number of international opportunities offered this year as well. If you would like to volunteer, but don't live in a primary area, please call 617-452-3372.
Potential international sponsors, please note the Institute restricts official MIT travel including student externships to certain countries based on the U.S. State Department's assessment of safety conditions. Alumni in countries listed on the State Department travel warning lists or travel embargo list are not eligible to offer externships, see http://informit.mit.edu/epr/3.1travel_risk.html for information.
What are some examples of externships?
In the past, externships included observing cardiac surgery in the operating room at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA; working on fixed-income trading at Lehman Brothers in New York; collaborating on software development at Palm, Inc. in California; and studying media analysis at International Broadcasting Bureau in Washington DC.
What type of work experience and job skills do students bring to the externship?
Student applicants range from freshmen with little to no work experience who are eager to explore the working world for the first time, to undergraduates with some work experience, to graduate students with past work experience who want to explore new career opportunities.
What type of work will students do?
In the past, students have assisted with research, laboratory work, data analysis, software development, and participated in planning and brainstorming sessions with their sponsor and other staff members. Some students may spend their externship visiting different departments at a large company and interacting with staff on different levels, while others may be assigned individual projects to complete.
How many externs can I host?
You may host more than one extern. In recent years, it has become increasingly common for alumni to sponsor more than one student at a time. Sponsors interested in hosting multiple students should indicate this on the application.
Student shares externship via blog
During IAP 2008, Katharine Chu '09 blogged about her experience externing with Rotten, Inc. in Los Angeles. Check out her blog to learn more about what the externship experience can be like. Photo: Katharine Chu.
Application & matching process
How do I apply?
Applications for Externship Program sponsors are available online. If you are a non-alumnus/a staff member assisting an MIT alumnus/a with the externship process and paperwork, contact Katie Maloney at 617-452-3372, to make arrangements for online access to the externship program application and subsequent online actions.)
How does the selection process work?
Sponsors will receive an email from the Alumni Association with a link to login and review the student applications online on the externship Web site by October 15, 2009. Between October 15 and November 5, 2009, alumni may contact students directly for interviews, if they desire, before indicating online their qualified and preferred student candidates. Alumni may not offer an externship to a student directly at this time. Students may apply for up to three opportunities and may be interviewed by more than one sponsor during this period. Alumni must post their selections online by November 5, 2009, by 9 a.m. The Alumni Association will try to match you with one of the applicants who interest you. The Alumni Association runs an algorithm to match qualified students with alumni sponsors to maximize the number of externship matches. In some cases, a match cannot be made, but every attempt will be made to do so. You will find out by November 30, 2009, if you have been matched with a student extern.
Compensation
Am I obligated to pay a student for his/her externship?
Generally, an externship is an unpaid position, and the student is expected to pay all of his/her expenses associated with participating in the program. In some cases, sponsors may choose to pay a student extern, offer housing, and/or provide transportation assistance. In recent years, approximately half of the sponsors offered some assistance. Sponsors should indicate their willingness to do so on the application. For a sample of compensation offered this past year, please refer to this region/industry chart (PDF).
Here are two additional stipend resources: MIT Student Financial Services Wage Guide and stipend advice from previous sponsors.
If you have questions about the Externship Program, please call Katie Casey Maloney at 617-452-3372 or email externship@mit.edu.
