The Job Shadowing Program provides you an opportunity to go to an employer site and shadow a professional in a career field of interest. This opportunity will allow you to experience a “day in the life” of a professional as well as a glimpse of daily operations within their organization.
Benefits
- Explore a career field and an organization
- Learn how to apply your academic major to the world of work
- Assess your "fit" for a specific position, industry and/or organization
- Make career connections and begin establishing your professional network
- Learn what skills and qualifications are required for a specific position
- Learn facts about a company that could be useful in future interviews
Quick Overview
- Job shadowing experiences take place between January 2nd – 20th, 2024
- Job shadowing experiences are a one day (minimum of 6 hours), or virtual informational interview
- Exact date and time of the job shadowing experience is scheduled at the discretion of the matched student and host employer
- Students visit the job site to observe day-to-day activities of a professional in a career field of interest.
- Employers share knowledge about their professional position, answer questions about their career field and company/organization
- Students do not receive academic credit or payment for this experience
- Students are 100% responsible for their own travel arrangements, lodging and any other expenses
No, this is a shadowing experience and is designed to explore a career field. It is not a job. Students do not receive academic credit or payment for this experience.
Job shadowing takes place during Winter Break. Employers will host a student at their site for one day (minimum 6 hours), or host a virtual informational interview. Each matched host employer & student will arrange the exact date and time of their shadowing experience (Experiences can be extended if both parties agree to additional dates.)
If applying for a virtual experience, employers will "host" a student for an approximately one-hour virtual conversation. Each matched host employer and student will arrange the exact date and time of the virtual conversation.
Host employers are UW-Stout employers who currently engage with UW-Stout Career Services. All hosting employer completed a job shadowing application process and were selected to participate in this program.
A majority are located in the Chippewa Valley area, Twin Cities Metro and Wausau Metro Area. You will be able to view exact sites when applying in October. A number of virtual opportunities may also be available.
Students are 100% responsible for all expenses related to this job shadowing experience including travel, lodging (if needed), meals etc.
All currently enrolled degree seeking undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply for the job shadowing program. If you are graduating in December, you will not eligible for the program since you will have graduated.
Students will fill out an application. Students will then be matched based on the information on the application.
Students are welcome to participate in the Job Shadowing Program multiple years but you will only be matched with one job shadowing host per year (one opportunity per year).
Students will be asked to submit an application. Not all students will be selected. Strength of application will be considered in determining who is selected. Career Services staff will match selected students based on career interests and location preferences. Once matched, Career Services staff will send an e-mail confirmation to the student and host. This e-mail will connect the student and employer virtually so together you can begin to arrange details for your job shadowing experience.
Typically, students are notified of a match in early November. If no match is available, students are also notified in early November.
Once a student is selected, he/she must follow through with their commitment to the job shadowing experience. Students who decline or cancel a matched offer will not be allowed to reapply and will not be rematched to another opportunity during that year's program. Students are expected to abide by UW-Stout's Career Services No Show Guidelines
If an emergency arises and you absolutely cannot participate in the shadowing experience, please email Kristen Goldsmith, goldsmithk@uwstout.edu or call 715-232-1190. Be sure to contact your hosting employer contact too.
Before your Job Shadowing Day
- Confirm scheduled date/time with host employer a few days prior to the experience.
- Understand parking and any directions regarding arrival
- Understand workplace dress expectations
- Research company
During your Job Shadowing Day
- Arrive on time
- Be professional – work hard to make a good first impression. You will be representing yourself as a professional, your academic program and UW-Stout.
- Sign any waivers or paperwork that needs to be filled out prior to participating in the job shadowing
- Be prepared to answer some questions about your own goals and career path.
- Be actively engaged and ask questions
- Take notes
- Ask for contact information from your hosting employer when you finish your job shadowing experience.
After your Job Shadowing Day
- Send a thank you note
- Complete the Job Shadowing Program survey sent via e-mail by Career Services
- Add host employer as a contact on LinkedIn
- Follow up on occasion - remember that they are now a contact in your professional network!
Review information on informational interviewing.