Intern For a Day
What is Intern for a Day?
The University Career Center's popular Intern for a Day program connects undergraduate UMD students with professionals (including alumni, parents/family members, and other off-campus partners) for in-person job shadowing or virtual informational interviewing experiences to explore potential career fields of interest. After participating in a mandatory orientation and completing an application, University Career Center staff match you with an professional of interest for a half- or full-day job shadowing experience or a virtual informational interview.
Please note: Intern for a Day is currently only available to UMD undergraduate students.
Intern for a Day Fall 2025
Fall 2025 Host List
The Fall 2025 Intern for a Day Host List will be available in October 2025.
Mandatory Orientation
Participating in an orientation for Intern for a Day is mandatory in order to participate in Intern for a Day. There are two ways for you to participate in orientation: attend an in-person session or enroll in the asynchronous orientation module (please note: you only have to complete one of the two orientation options listed below and not both). More details below and most questions about the program will be addressed in the mandatory orientation. Other questions can be directed to ifad@umd.edu.
In-Person Mandatory Orientation Options for Fall 2025 will be announced soon.
Questions can be directed to ifad@umd.edu
Intern for a Day Fall 2025 Timeline for Students
RSVP for an In-Person Orientation OR a Virtual Orientation.
In-Person Orientations:
All in-person orientations are held in the University Career Center, 3100 Hornbake Library, South Wing. If you want to complete your mandatory orientation in person, you only have to register for one of the two in-person orientation sessions in Handshake/listed below.
Fall 2025 orientations will be announced soon.
Virtual Orientation and Add to Your ELMS Page:
The asynchronous, virtual orientation will open on Monday, September 22, 2025. A link to the virtual orientation will be posted here on that date.
Please be sure to complete the mandatory orientation by Friday, October 10, 2025. Students can choose to attend either the in-person orientation OR complete the virtual orientation.
Intern for a Day applications will be sent to you on Thursday, October 16 if you complete the mandatory orientation requirement by 11:59pm on Friday, October 10.
- If you completed the orientation and do not have the application sent to you by Thursday, October 16, please check your spam folder. If you've checked your spam folder and still do not have the application, please reach out to us at ifad@umd.edu and we can help you.
- If you have a special circumstance that caused you to miss the deadline to complete orientation, please email us at ifad@umd.edu as soon as possible.
- Intern for a Day applications are due by Thursday, October 23 @ 11:59pm. We will not be able to accept late applications because we will begin matching applicants with a host on Monday, October 27.
- On your application, please only preference hosts that you have an intention of meeting with.
University Career Center staff will begin the process of matching applicants with hosts on Monday, October 27.
- We will do our best to match as many of you with your top preferred hosts as possible.
- Due to the reality that many hosts are only able to connect with a small amount of you (1-3 people), we will unfortunately not be able to match everyone with their top preferences. This is why we ask you to provide your top 8 host preferences.
You will be contacted by email, connecting you with your host or notifying you that we were unable to match you this semester in early November.
- We will connect you directly to the host you were matched with over email. It is up to you to connect with your host directly to schedule your in-person shadowing or virtual informational interviewing experience.
- If we are unable to match you with a host (due to the # of student applicants exceeding the amount of host spaces available), we will make sure to follow up with you.
We encourage students to try to complete their in-person shadowing or virtual informational interview during winter break, if schedules allow. Please complete your experience before returning to campus for spring 2026 in late January.
- We will also send you a feedback form for you to tell us about your experience with Intern for a Day.
For Professionals Interested in Hosting Intern for a Day Students
Host registration for Intern for a Day in Fall 2025 will open in August 2025 through September 29, 2025. Check back for registration information soon.
To express interest in hosting one or more UMD undergraduate students through the Intern for a Day program, please complete this form and the Intern for a Day team will be in touch when registration opens for the next semester.
Click here for the Intern for a Day Host Guide, which is regularly updated and features information about the purpose of the program as well as information that can support you as you plan to host UMD students for job shadowing and informational interviewing opportunities!
Questions? Reach out to ifad@umd.edu.
Intern for a Day General Timelines
Here’s what the typical timeline looks like for Intern for a Day in the Fall and Spring semesters in case you'd like to plan for future semesters. We will always list the current semester's IFAD dates for students and hosts in the sections above.
Fall Intern for a Day General Timeline
July-Sept: Host registration is open
Early/Mid-Oct: Students complete a mandatory orientation on workplace etiquette, program logistics, and more
Mid/Late Oct: Students apply and rank order their top hosts of interest
Late Oct/Early Nov: University Career Center staff match students with hosts & notify both parties
Nov-Jan: Intern for a Day experience takes place! Students and hosts determine the day that works best with their schedules for the shadowing or virtual informational interviewing experience.
Spring Intern for a Day General Timeline
Dec/Jan-Feb: Host registration is open
Mid/Late Feb: Students complete a mandatory orientation on workplace etiquette, program logistics, and more
Early Mar: Students apply and rank order their top hosts of interest
Early/Mid-Mar: University Career Center staff match students with hosts & notify both parties
Mar-May: Intern for a Day experience takes place! Students and hosts determine the day that works best with their schedules for the shadowing or virtual informational interviewing experience.