Creating a DIY Externship

Glossary of Terms:

Workplace host: Alum who hosts an opportunity at their worksite.

Homestay host: Alum who hosts a student in their home for a homestay.

Porch time: The out of work hours time used for host and extern reflection and mentorship.

Porch Time:

Porch time is an essential component of the Discovery Externship Program and often where the “real connection” happens between extern and host. The work site may be what you list on your next resume, but you may find that it is porch time through which you learn the most. Porch time provides the student and the alum with time to connect outside of the normal work environment. You can take advantage of this one-on-one time by asking your Discovery Externship host questions about career-related issues or perhaps about how they balance their professional and personal lives.

In legacy externships porch time happens naturally during the course of the homestay, but when the student is not doing a homestay with the externship host, as with the local and diyexternships, both the student and the alum have to be intentional about creating opportunities for porch time. For local and diy externships the CCPD offers the following guidelines.

• It is suggested that the student and the alum meet 2-3 times per week or meet for 3-5 hours per week, whichever is easier for the student and the alum to schedule.
• The meetings should be outside of regular working hours whenever possible. Having dinner together either at a restaurant or at the home of the alum is an easy way to find time to meet and talk.
• While unpacking, discussing and giving feedback about things that happen at the worksite is important, equally as important is using the time to build your relationship. Porch time should feel less like a performance review and more like and enjoyable conversation, so be intentional about talking about non-work topics.
• As much it is possible the student should be included in the alum’s fun family events and weekend plans, as this is also a great time for bonding.
• For diy externships, you should discuss and agree on what porch time will look like before submitting your application.