It’s a terrifying feeling to graduate from college with a diploma in hand, only to realize you have no idea what to do with your completed degree.

Many students come to college not quite sure what career they are going to pursue after graduation. Others may have an idea of what they want to do, but are uncertain of what exactly that job will require them to do. 

However, some students may reach this point and discover that what they’ve been studying is not the right fit for them. They may be left in the unenviable position of trying to switch majors, a process that could cost them even more if it requires another year of schooling.

The University Career Center has made it their goal to help stop this outcome, and has been offering students the Spring Externship Program for the past three years to help.

Carol Schroeder, the director of the University Career Center, said the term externship was chosen to easily convey the goal of the program.

“In an internship,” Schroeder said, “a student goes into a company and works as if they were an employee. We used the term externship to convey being outside the company and coming in as a guest.”

Aimed at freshmen and sophomores, the externship program allows students to spend one or two days at a local company that will give them an idea of what their major will allow them to do.

Leslie Bowman, coordinator of the externship program, said the goal is to give students a sense they’ve made the right choice early on.

“When students come to the University students have to choose their major. To help them be sure they have chosen the right major, it is helpful for them to go out and see the job in action,” Bowman said.

Though spending only one or two days with a company may not sound as if it would provide much information, the program has provided a great deal of help and information to the students who have taken part.

“The program does seem to make a difference,” Bowman said. “About 20 to 30 percent of the students who have taken part have changed their major, and about half have decided to add a minor or double major.”

The students who have taken part in the program all agreed that seeing a company from the inside has allowed them to get a better idea of what skills they will need to succeed.

Steven Andrews, a freshman in mechanical engineering, visited Caterpillar, Inc. Andrews said he saw how hard work pays off.

“Everyone there loved their job. A lot of their stories were a lot like mine, and it showed me that I had definitely picked the right major,” Andrews said.

Jonathan Wall, a freshman in construction engineering, said that one of the benefits of the externship program was it gave him a head start on things that students won’t be able to get in the classroom.

“The program gives students a chance to get started on networking,” Wall said, “and it will help students narrow their interest, especially in such a large major.”

The importance of networking has been one of the big factors taken away by all students in the program, and has already had benefits for some.

Mark Wooten, a freshman in mechanical engineering, was able to earn a summer internship with Archen Western as a result of his externship.

“The internship is a direct result of the externship,” Wooten said. “I had given them a resume at the career fair, but I think that going to the externship solidified my chances, and showed them I was serious about my commitment.”

Though the externship has offered many benefits to students, it has yet to be able reach a wide number of students.

“With our current manpower,” Bowman said, “we don’t have the staff to reach out as much as we‘d like. The plan is to grow to all students, but right now, we are focused on the College of Engineering.”

Though the program is limited at the moment, there has still seen a solid amount of growth. In its first year, six employers and nine students took part. Now, in its third year, the program has extended to include 17 employers and 58 students.

Overall, the externship program is a way for students to get a better understanding of the career they hope to pursue, as well as learn what to focus on during their four short years of college.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Wooten said. “I don’t see why a student wouldn’t take part and see what can happen in the future.”