BISON CONNECT: Career Exploration Through Externships

Host an Externship

The Center for Career and Professional Success is excited to announce Bison Connect, a job-shadowing, Externship Program. ‘

The 2022 sessions will be offered in both in-person or virtual environments (hosts self selection preferred option upon registration). During the university's Summer semester, students will be matched to a host (you!) to learn more about a career path. We invite you to help Howard students gain a professional advantage by serving as a career mentor. This can be done through a 1:1 conversation, multiple conversations with various team members or even a small group sessions. We know that the key element of student exploration is the ability to connect with a host to help students explore career options and gain a realistic perspective of your job function, organization and industry - all of that can be effectively communicated in an in person or online environment. Registration information below!

How it Works

1. Using the information provided below, work with your company to design a learning experience appropriate for college-aged students.
2. Complete the Externship Inquiry Form to provide details of the opportunity.
3. Participate in a 30 minute employer training overview to learn more about the externship experience and procedures for working with Howard students.
4. You will be paired with a Howard University student based on our matching system. Upon receiving your contact information, the student will reach out to you to coordinate a date and time (within the week your company selects in application poll) to participate in the internship.
5. Complete externship experience evaluation.

Dates and Deadline

• Summer 1 Session: May 16-27, 2022 (Deadline to Apply March 1, 2022)
• Summer 2 Session: June 6-17, 2022 (Deadline to Apply: April 1, 2022)
• PLEASE NOTE EACH STUDENT YOUR COMPANY HOST WILL ONLY PARTICIPATE IN THE EXTERNSHIP ONE DAY WITHIN THE DATE RANGE

Structuring your Externship

Externship activities and schedules are completely at your discretion. Anything that gives students a tangible, realistic idea of a day in the life in your career field is helpful. Please note, students should not be given work-related tasks to complete. They should be using this time to learn, observe, and ask questions.

Suggested Activities

• Tour of company facilities
• Sharing your career path
• Informational interviews with your colleagues to provide a broader perspective
• Attend staff meetings or other company events
• Observe client/customer interactions
• Assist with a small project or general office tasks
• Visit with HR Department and/or recruiters
• Review marketing materials about the organization
• Meet with Howard alumni who work at the organization
• Meet with colleagues in various departments of interest to the student

FAQs

By sharing your industry knowledge and career trajectory, you enable students to explore career options prior to graduation - ideally, early in their undergraduate experience. Hosts benefit by remaining engaged in the Howard community and by serving as a mentor and/or resource for students.

1. Why should I host? At times, externships have served as a platform for early talent identification. Your experience/perspective might open doors to careers students have always dreamed of, or have never previously considered. We understand you might work with proprietary information. There is an option to have students sign a non-disclosure agreement.
2. What are the requirements to host an extern? Provide a substantive 1 day experience at your place of business (some externships are half day). Help students learn about your particular industry, organization and/or job function(s). Complete the follow-up survey.
3. Do I need to pay the extern? No. Externships are unpaid and students do not earn academic credit.
4. Do I need to provide housing/transportation to students? At this time, we prefer virtual experiences. However, should you decide to host in person, providing travel and/or transportation to externs is optional. It is not expected but is appreciated. Externships can take place anywhere in the world!
5. Am I guaranteed a student? We cannot guarantee to pair with a student due to various factors that impact selection and matching. Even if you are not matched with a student extern, there are many other ways to offer career guidance and help Howard students.
6. When will I find out more about my externs? Hosts for the May sessions will be notified in late April. Hosts for the June sessions will be notified in early May. Externs are instructed to communicate with you (the host) after we provide initial contact information, to coordinate logistics and an e-introduction.
7. How are students selected for my externship? Students will submit a resume and application and be matched by CCPS staff to opportunities based on their application materials
8. What are the benefits of being a Bison Connect Extern Host? You will have the opportunity to showcase the daily activities, challenges, and requirements of your profession; gain exposure for your organization by introducing students to company culture; build a potential talent pipeline for future hiring needs; and you can participate in a unique program that gives HU students a competitive advantage

Apply Now

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline.

Still Have Questions? Contact the Experiential Learning Coordinator:

Nicole Johnson: nicole.johnson1@howard.edu

“Excellence in Truth and Service”

careerservices@howard.edu | howard.joinhandshake.com | careerservices.howard.edu

About Us

Melissa Knight, M.Ed., Interim Director

The Center for Career and Professional Success promotes the integration of career services within the institution’s overall student success strategy. We consist of three components:

• The Howard Career Community powered by Handshake
• Employer Engagement & Recruitment
• Experiential Learning, Federal Work-Study, and Campus Employment

We strive to embody the core principles of "Excellence in Truth and Service" through our service delivery, knowledge, and efficiency. We are committed to being at the forefront of developing a sustainable service model for the virtual delivery of career services.

We look forward to serving the Howard University community!

Employer Relations Team

Carol Dudley, Employer Relations Manager

Justice Brown-Duso, Employer Engagement Specialist

Career Coaching Team

Evelyn Bynum, Career Coach

Experiential Learning, Federal Work-Study & Campus Placement Team

Nicole Johnson, Experiential Learning Coordinator

Priscilla Hudson, Career Placement Specialist

Artemis Koger, Operations Manager

Covid-19 Impact on Recruitment

Recruiting is continuing in a virtual format. For more information about virtual opportunities, visit howard.joinhandshake.com.

Bison SAFE: The University's Pandemic Response

Howard University’s pandemic response is built with the goals of Bison SAFE at heart: Supporting our community; Advocating for high-risk populations; Facilitating ethical, culturally sensitive, and inclusive research; and Educating the public on best practices for safety.