skip to content

Personal and Professional Development

 

Undertaking a  job shadowing placement  can be a  very rewarding experience and can provide the shadowee  with a unique development opportunity (see Why Job Shadowing?). However, there are several things that need to be considered throughout the job shadowing placement to ensure it is a success.

When preparing for a placement it is important to:

•  Provide the host with an outline of what you are expecting from the shadowing.
•  Check if there are any special requirements for the placement, such as dress code.
•  Make sure you discuss any disability requirements with your host in advance of the placement, so that the host has enough time to put adjustments in place.
•  Consider what questions you may want to ask during the job shadowing placement. (See the useful questions to ask on a  placement document for some suggestions).

 

During a placement you should:

•  Take notes, you may come away with some useful thoughts and observations.
•  Show tact, discretion and maintain confidentiality at all times.
•  Ensure that you show good time keeping and inform your host if you are not available for any reason.

 

Once the job shadowing placement is complete  it  is important to :

•  Evaluate and reflect on the placement (see Reflection).
•  Provide your host with feedback on what you have observed.
•  Consider what you will do as a result of the shadowing experience, including how you will feed your learning back to your team.