The Job Shadow Program at the University of Windsor provides a unique opportunity for you to share your expertise and knowledge with students who are eager to explore different career paths. By allowing students to shadow you in the workplace, you will give them an inside look into your profession and the skills, competencies, and educational requirements to do the job.
Becoming a job shadow host is an excellent mentorship opportunity, enabling you to guide and inspire the next generation of professionals. Your participation demonstrates a commitment to nurturing future talent while showcasing your organization as one that values community involvement, supporting workforce readiness and career exploration in a meaningful way.
Whether it’s a couple of hours or a full day, you get to decide how long the experience lasts. While most experiences are around 2 to 3 hours, some hosts offer shorter or all-day options—it’s entirely up to you.
Key Dates
Important dates for the Winter 2025 Job Shadow Program:
| Applications Open - Dec. 3, 2025 | Application Deadline - Jan. 13, 2025 | Job Shadow Experience - Feb 18, 19, or 20 |
How does Job Shadow work?
- Register as a host: complete and submit the Host Registration Form. The details are added to our website for students to review when selecting an organization to visit.
- Get matched: students apply to host opportunities and applications are matched based on quality and fit.
- Connect with your student: if you are matched with a student, you will receive an introductory email where you and the student will confirm a date, time, and length of the job shadow experience. You will meet with the student either in-person at your workplace, or online.
What can I provide to a student during a job shadow visit?
Career conversations
Engage in meaningful career conversations with students, sharing insights about your industry, career journey, and advice for navigating their own professional paths. We suggest discussing:
- An overview of your organization, company culture, and values.
- Different career paths and roles available within your organization.
- Tips and guidance on how to succeed in your industry and at your organization.
Job Shadow activities
During a job shadow visit you may provide some of the following activities:
- An opportunity to observe your day-to-day tasks to understand the work environment firsthand.
- A guided tour of your workplace to familiarize students with the physical layout, departments, and different job functions.
- The chance to observe a team meeting, project briefing, or strategic planning session.
- The opportunity to interview you or an employee in a position similar to the student's area of interest.
- Or feel free to be creative and craft a one-of-a-kind experience, whether it’s a hands-on activity, a behind-the-scenes look, or a fun challenge that highlights what makes your work exciting!
By becoming a Job Shadow Host, you can make a lasting impact on the lives and careers of University of Windsor students. Register to be part of shaping the next generations of professionals in your industry.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact careerservices@uwindsor.ca.
FAQ
No. If you choose the virtual option, the Job Shadow Experience can be done at any work location. We have had students travel to other cities for their Job Shadow Experience in the past.
All students participating in the Job Shadow Experience will complete an orientation workshop with Career Development & Experiential Learning. The session will cover topics such as expectations, confidentiality, professionalism, and appropriate questions to ask an employer in an informational interview.
Our orientation workshop reinforces the importance of respecting confidentiality during the job shadow experience, but you are welcome to have the student sign a confidentiality agreement for your organization as well, should that be part of your policy.
If you are hosting your experience online, you can use whichever online meeting platform you are most comfortable with (MS Teams, Zoom, etc.). We also can provide a Teams link for you and the student(s).
If you would like to use your own platform, keep in mind the following:
- Can the student access the online meeting easily through a link, or will they need to download anything?
- Will the student require a certain email to log into the meeting?
- Will the student need specific instructions for accessing the online meeting?
If you have a position that would be interesting for a business student to observe, please contact the Odette Career Services team through odettecareers@uwindsor.ca. Odette Career Services offers the Odette Executive for a Day (EFAD) program where business students shadow an executive, at the director level or higher, for a full or half day.
If you have a position that would be interesting for a law student to observe, please follow this link: http://www.uwindsor.ca/law/careers/14/resources-employers