The Benefits of Job-Shadowing & Tips for Shadow Day

Are you interested in shadowing a professional in the job you would like to obtain after college? If so, you should consider job-shadowing. Job-shadowing is the best way to learn what the average day is like in the shoes of the professional you soon will be.

If you already have a job shadowing opportunity lined up, here are a few tips from the article, “Getting the Most Out of the Job-Shadowing Experience,” to help you on your shadow day:

• Dress as you would for a job interview for the certain company you are shadowing or the  level of dress that employees of the company wear on a daily basis
• Arrive on time and be polite, courteous, and enthusiastic
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions and bring a notepad or tape-recorder to record the answers
• If the professional you are shadowing attends a meeting, ask them if you can sit in
• Be open to meeting as many people as possible
• Be observant to everything!
• Ask the professional you are shadowing for a business card, remember this person is now a valuable member of your network

These tips are great and you can learn more if you stop by Georgia Southern’s Office of Career Services. At the office, you can also learn how to sign up for a job-shadow experience.

Job-shadowing is a great way to find out if the career you have chosen is right for you so take advantage of the opportunity and get out there and observe!

Sharol Miller

Career Educator