Cal Job Shadow Program

Externship programs are excellent for anyone looking to explore and connect. It can be particularly beneficial for students who: 

• are deciding on a college major, career path, or industry to pursue 
• wish to connect with professionals in their field of interest 
• wish to connect with others in the Cal community 
• are wanting to learn about an employer's culture 
• are wanting to gain firsthand insight into the day-to-day of a particular career, industry, or employer 
• are looking to explore career 

1. Sign up to be an extern and gain a mentor. Complete a short form to indicate "favorites" (preferences) and availability. 
2. BCE matches students and alumni/employers. Matches made based on your preferences and available hosts. 
3. BCE help coordinate and confirm logistics. BCE will host onboarding and preparation calls as well as office hours. Participants have access to online resources to learn how to make the most of their experience.
4. Complete your externship! BCE will be available to support if you need anything. 
5. Wrap up your experience and complete a feedback survey. 

Please note, during the winter session, juniors and seniors will be prioritized for pairings with additional special consideration in the matching process for Education Opportunity Program (EOP), Student Support Services (SSS), Transfer students, and Pell Grant recipients. 

• During the student favoriting period, students who are signed up for the program will receive a google form to complete where they can view and select their top 3 choices for their job shadow experience.
• Matching will be based on a combination of factors including preferences selected by students and overlap in interests, location and background identified in program registration questions.
• You will receive an email notification once you are matched to your Alumni Host.

Not all students who register will be matched with a mentor. The number of available externships are based on total number of  available mentors per session.

A Job shadow experience is an opportunity that can last from one day to two weeks. It can be virtual or in-person. Opportunities are available in a wide variety of career fields in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, and other domestic and international locations. Through this experience, you can:

• Observe the workday and workplace of your Alumni host; attend meetings alongside them, observe work-related activities, and participate in other learning opportunities
• Talk to the Alumni host about their career journey and the fiel
• Provide limited assistance with projects or tasks to help you get acquainted with the organization and the profession

Students are responsible for all expenses related to the externship including travel, local transportation, accommodations (if any), meals, etc.

Geographic preferences can be shared in the application process.

Once a student is matched, they must follow through with the externship. Students must also be able to commit to the length and dates indicated or agreed upon with the extern host. Students who decline or cancel an externship offer that they applied for will not be rematched  during that year's program.

If an emergency arises and a student absolutely cannot participate in the externship, please email the Cal Externship Program Office.

Yes! We've heard that students want more opportunities for the summer. We ran a very successful session during the Summer of 2025 and plan to offer summer sessions in the future! 

Students can only do one externship. This is to ensure that more students have access to this experience.

Yes, it is possible for a student to not be matched with an Extern Host.

If you are not matched, please make an appointment with a Career Counselor on Handshake to discuss how you can connect with alumni for an informational interview or job shadowing opportunity.