Job Shadowing
The job search is exciting because there are so many options for what you can do — but for the same reason, it can also be overwhelming. How can you figure out what you want to do if you don’t know what the job will be like? That’s where job shadowing comes in.
Job shadowing is when you follow someone at work to understand a typical day in their role. It’s a generally quick way to learn more about a career, build your network, and get something extra to add to your resume.
Yet you likely won’t be able to find a “job shadowing” jobs board — instead, you’ll have to be a bit more strategic to land these opportunities. Here’s your ultimate guide.
Definition
What is job shadowing? Job shadowing is observing a day in the life of someone else’s role. You may watch them complete their day-to-day tasks, attend meetings with them, and follow other vital parts of their work routine. During a typical day of job shadowing, you might:
- Observe how the person uses particular software or technology
- Sit in on client meetings
- Attend team meetings
- Assist with minor, sometimes administrative tasks
- Tour an office
- Review project or other work materials
Besides observing the tasks and routine of the person you’re shadowing, you may also:
- Ask the person questions about their career
- Network with other colleagues
- Take notes about questions or ideas you have
Job Shadowing vs. Internships
Internships are work-based learning experiences where you perform entry-level tasks for a company. These programs typically last multiple months and give you some work experience in the field. Many companies hold internship programs as a way to recruit entry-level employees; for example, over 90% of PwC’s interns get full-time offers after they complete their internship, according to the company’s internship page.
While each experience can help you understand the role better and learn about different work environments, each opportunity varies in the degree of involvement and role you play within the company.
Job Shadow | Internship | |
What is it | Observing a day in the life of someone’s job | Work-based learning experience where you do entry-level tasks |
Duration | One day to a few weeks | 3-4 months |
Pay | No | Mostly yes |
Work Environment | In-person | In-person, hyrbid or remote |
Meant to add to resume | Yes | Yes |
Is Job Shadowing Worth It?
Job shadowing may not be as involved as other experiential learning opportunities, but there are still many benefits — including the fact that it’s not as involved as other opportunities!
Shadowing someone can be a quick, lower-effort way to understand a role. Other benefits include:
- Learning the day-to-day responsibilities of a job
- Understanding specific software or technical tools someone needs to do their role
- Gaining insight into what meetings are like in the role
- Discovering a company’s culture
- Identifying skills you need to learn or training you need
- Networking with a professional and other people in the company
- Gaining experience to discuss in interviews or put on your resume
Jade Barricelli, senior vice president of community and partner programs at Rewriting the Code, shared how job shadowing benefitted her early on in her career:
“While working toward my graduate degree, I was convinced that I was on the right career path,” she says. “However, a mentor suggested that I do a job shadow to truly understand the realities of the profession I was eyeing. And what a revelation it was — the career was not at all what I had envisioned! This invaluable experience steered me away from a degree that would have been less than ideal for me and guided me toward a more suitable career path. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain from acquiring additional knowledge and experience when facing life’s significant choices.”
Making a good impression during your job shadow may also open the door for future internship or job opportunities with that company or field. You may also gain insight into the best ways to apply to a particular company.
When Should You Job Shadow?
There’s no right or wrong time to job shadow! Some people use this experience much later in their career if they’re considering a career transition or are interested in changing roles within their current company.
However, one of the primary purposes (and benefits!) of job shadowing is getting a better understanding of a role — often in a quick, low-stress environment. So, the best time to job shadow is early in your career search before applying for entry-level roles. Partaking in this opportunity during in your freshman and sophomore years can give you insight into what types of internships you want to apply to and provide you with something to add to your application as you apply to those internships.
Where Should You Job Shadow?
Two main factors to consider when figuring out where to job shadow are the types of roles and types of companies you’re interested in.
For example, you might be interested in learning more about being a data analyst. That’s great! However, a data analyst at a small marketing firm will have a very different day-to-day role than a data analyst at a large tech company. Factoring in both the type of role and the type of company you’re interested in can help you find professionals to shadow who better fit what you’re looking to explore.
Not sure where to start? Try a Forage job simulation if you want to try the role out first before you do any job shadowing. If you’re completely unsure where to start or have many fields you’re interested in, you can use the inventories on Focus 2 Career to generate ideas and narrow down possibilities.
Adding Job Shadowing to Your Resume
Yes, you can add job shadowing to your resume, and you should! Job shadowing signals to employers that you are interested in the field and willing to learn — which can make you stand out, especially as an entry-level candidate.
You can put your job shadowing experience in a specific “job shadowing” or “volunteer experience” on your resume. If you did administrative work during the experience or had any specific achievements, you can include it under “work experience.”
To list your job shadowing experience on your resume, you’ll want to include:
- The company name
- The dates (typically the month and year)
- What you observed
- Any administrative tasks you helped out with
- Any achievements
Can You Get Hired From Job Shadowing?
Yes, you can get hired from job shadowing, but often not directly. Job shadowing differs from internships in that you’re not doing the entry-level work you would do in a role at the company. Instead, you’re mostly observing, so the company doesn’t know that you can do the work at the level they’re looking for. This means you’re much less likely to get an offer for a role just from a day or a couple weeks of job shadowing.
However, job shadowing can get you hired through networking and demonstrating your willingness to learn.
- Networking: Job shadowing connects you with people at a specific company, which can make you stand out in the application process if you apply to that company.
- Willingness to learn: If you don’t end up applying to the company you job shadow at, you’re still increasing your chances of getting hired by showing your dedication and curiosity! “By reaching out for informational interviews and job shadows, you are initiating contact with professionals in your field of interest,” Barricelli says. “These initial meetings can turn into lasting professional relationships and show that you are proactive about your career. People remember those who take charge of their learning and career path, which can ultimately lead to more opportunities!”
How to Get a Job Shadowing Opportunity
Convinced that job shadowing is right for you? Job shadowing opportunities typically aren’t offered online, so you have to be strategic about how you find and land them.
Tap Into Your Network
“See if anyone you know knows anyone,” Barricelli says. “Ask your friends and family or use LinkedIn as it’s a great tool to see who your connections are also connected to. If you find someone of interest who is a second or third connection to someone you know, you could either ask for an introduction or you could reach out to this person and let them know about your common connection. I recommend the former if you have the option!”
What kind of message or email should you send? You shouldn’t ask for a job shadowing opportunity upfront but rather express interest in learning more about their work first. For example:
Hello Charles, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Eleanor, a student at Yale University studying anthropology. My aunt, Amy Williams, recommended I contact you to learn more about your role at Company X. I see you were an anthropology major, too, and I’d love to hear more about how you apply that major to your nonprofit work! Are you available to connect any weekday next week? I’ve attached my resume for reference. Thank you!
Here are additional examples, one for a contact that you know:
Subject line: Follow-up and Job Shadow Request
Dear Ms. Johnson,
Thank you again for sharing information with me about your professional journey. I loved learning about your current role and the unexpected doors that opened at key moments in your life. After hearing your story, I am even more interested in a career in non-profit management and would love to learn more about your work at the Hennepin County Chamber of Commerce. I could gain helpful insight into what a typical day of work at a chamber of commerce looks like. Would you be open to letting me shadow you for a few hours in the next month? If you are open to having me shadow you, what type of schedule would be most convenient? I am grateful for the investment you have already made in my professional growth, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Best,
Auggie Eagle
And an example for a cold contact (someone you don’t know):
Subject line: Job Shadow Inquiry
Dear Ms. Johnson,
I found your contact information on the Hennepin County Chamber of Commerce website. I am a sophomore at Augsburg University College in Minneapolis. I am pursuing a business degree, and I have a strong interest in nonprofit management. After considering a variety of careers within non-profit management, I am most interested in the work that chambers of commerce do to promote the businesses within their communities. My grandfather worked for Hennepin County for many years, and I would love to job shadow you or someone in your office for a few hours this coming summer to learn firsthand about your day-to-day work. If you are open to this possibility, please
feel free to suggest a day or week that could work best for you.
Thank you for reading this email and considering my request. I will follow up with a telephone call if I have not heard back from you by May 1.
With appreciation,
Auggie Eagle
After you’ve connected, you can discuss job shadowing. Some people might not even be familiar with the term — that’s OK! Politely ask if you could observe a day in their work life.
Check out our resource on informational interviewing. Informational interviewing is a 30 minute meeting where you get to ask the a professional questions about their work. It may be easier for a busy professional to say ‘yes” to an informational interviewing, which can lay down the ground to foster a professional relationship, potentially leading to a positive response for a job shadwoing opportunity.
Don’t Take Rejection Personally
Try not to be overbearing but polite, patient, flexible, and clear. Be sure to thank the person — even if they say no. Not every professional will say yes to your request, but that’s not a sign that you should stop trying.
The Bottom Line
Job shadowing is an experiential learning experience in which you go to someone’s workplace and observe a day in the life of their role. This opportunity can be a quick way to learn more about a specific job, career path, and company while helping you build your network.
If you’re looking for a job shadowing opportunity, tap into your network or contact professionals you admire. It can’t hurt to ask — and the opportunity is worth it, not just for something to add to your resume, but to get firsthand insights into careers that you can’t get anywhere else.