TribeShadow Externships

What is an Externship?

An externship is a brief (typically one day) job shadowing opportunity. During these experiences, students develop a deeper understanding of the field that they are considering, learn about an organization’s culture and build a strong professional network.

TribeShadow Program

The Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement facilitates the TribeShadow externship program over the fall and winter breaks. Opportunities are typically posted in TribeCareers in August for fall break experiences and in October for winter break experiences. Students from any class year and any industry interest can benefit from participating in TribeShadow externships! The Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement can also help students set up their own externship experiences.

How to Apply to Tribe Shadow
How to Apply Within TribeCareers, change the “Position Type” search filter to “Externship/Shadowing” to see available TribeShadow experiences. Applications are due by Sept. 12, 2025, for fall TribeShadow experiences and Oct. 22, 2025, for winter TribeShadow experiences.

How to Apply to Tribe Shadow
Required Information Session All students who wish to participate in a TribeShadow experience MUST attend a virtual information session to be considered as an applicant. In the information session, students will learn how to apply for opportunities, show up to the externship and make the most of the experience. If you attended an information session as part of the fall TribeShadow program, you do not need to attend again for the winter break program. If you've attended an information session in previous years, please the TribeShadow Student Agreement form.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tribe Shadow
Frequently Asked Questions Q: Can I apply for multiple experiences? A: Yes, you can apply for as many opportunities as are of interest to you. Q: How will I cover expenses of getting to an experience? A: It is your responsibility to be able to get yourself to the experience. Please only apply to experiences that you will be able to get transportation to unless you qualify for need-based travel funding. Q: What do I do if I have to cancel after I’ve already accepted? A: Please contact the host as soon as possible to let them know and notify the Office of Career Development & Professional Development at internships@wm.edu. Q: What will I do in the experience? A: We offer hosts sample activities, but each host is free to set up their experiences however they would like, and no two externships are the same.

TribeShadow Timeline & Deadlines

Frequently asked questions about tribeshadow
	Fall TribeShadow Dates	Winter TribeShadow Dates
All TribeShadow positions posted to TribeCareers	8/29/2025	10/1/2025
Deadline for students to apply	9/12/2025	10/22/2025
Virtual TribeShadow orientation	TBD	TBD
Participation period	10/9 - 10/10/2025	12/15/2025 - 1/19/2026
Evaluations due	10/24/2025	Jan/Feb 2026

TribeShadow Participant Testimonials

Alisa Yang ’25

“Highly recommend! It’s a rare opportunity to learn from accomplished leaders, gain a deeper understanding of how a global company operates and experience unmatched hospitality. This externship wasn’t just educational—it was inspiring, motivating me to grow both personally and professionally. It’s truly an unforgettable experience that I believe every student would benefit from.”

Eric Aviles ’27

“I had a lot of valuable experience and observations, the hosts were very generous and included me very well in their day to day lives. I loved this experience and I will probably be participating again next year!”

Marisa Woodcock ’27

"It gave me a great glimpse about what I want to do as well as what I don't want to do. Helped me narrow down what career path I want to take and how I see my skills applying there.”

Nya Tefferi ’27

"I would recommend this experience to other W&M students because it is something to introduce students to professional development while allowing for increased networking opportunities.”

Know Someone Interested in Hosting a TribeShadow Experience?

Do you have a family member, friend, or professional contact who might be interested in hosting a student for an externship? We’d love to connect with them!

Hosting an Externship

Questions?

Contact the Internships & Applied Learning team at internships@wm.edu.