how to write a cover letter for shadowing

How to Ask to Shadow a Doctor With an Email (Templates Included)

Setting up your first shadowing gig can be a difficult task. Especially when you don’t actually know anybody in medicine. In this day and age, physicians are most of the time too busy to answer a phone call. Sometimes in order to reach a doctor you want to shadow, it is necessary to send an email. But how exactly do you write an email asking to shadow a doctor?

Why it is Important to Shadow a Physician

First, let’s go over why shadowing a doctor is important. If you are already researching how to reach out to doctors you want to shadow, chances are you got an idea of the importance of shadowing.

Not all Medical Schools will put requirements for shadowing on their application, but all medical schools expect you to have some sort of shadowing experience .

The reasoning is simple, Medical Schools don’t want you to go to Medical School without knowing what to expect from a career in medicine.

Shadowing gives important insight into what a physician does on an ordinary day. Yes, there are a lot of pros of becoming a doctor, but it is important to understand the cons as well. This is why we wrote a complete guide on everything a premed student needs to know about shadowing .

With realistic expectations of a career as a doctor, your decision about going to medical school can be further solidified.

Get an Idea of What Field of Medicine You Want to go Into

You don’t need to know exactly what field you want to practice in Medicine before getting into medical school. But it is helpful to get an idea, especially before you start shadowing.

Before you start emailing physicians you want to shadow, think about who might be the most beneficial to shadow based on your interests. If you think that you would enjoy becoming an Emergency Room doctor, surgeon, or OB/Gyn, reach out to physicians in those fields in particular.

There are so many different fields of medicine out there.  You won’t have the chance to shadow all of them. Therefore, having that idea of where you want to be can help limit your options. Gain that clinical experience in the fields you are most interested in first in order to confirm or deny that you would enjoy moving in that direction.

It is true that in medical school you will have rotations that tend to guide future doctors into their respective fields. A lot of people will tell you not to even worry about what you want to do until you are in medical school. I disagree. Knowing which fields of medicine you are more drawn to can give you an idea of what medical school you want to go to, how much work you will need to do, and what clubs you might join and network in.

Apart from the benefits of discernment, you will find that it is easier to write an email to a physician if you can include that you are interested in their particular field! Like most human beings, physicians like to talk about themselves. They are more inclined to respond to you if you show interest in what they practice.

Finding Doctors to Shadow ( And Their Emails )

Now that you have thought about what kinds of doctors you want to reach out to, it is time to find some physicians to shadow and their emails. ( I wrote a post on tips for finding a doctor to shadow with more strategies )

The number one strategy I recommend is going with someone you know. This could be a relative, family friend, teacher, or family doctor. You are always more likely to get a positive response from someone you know.

If you need to branch out outside of people you know, then you can’t go wrong with a cold email. I’ve done it before and it works.

First, find a physician online. The simplest way is to google the medical specialty you are interested in shadowing followed by “near me.”

Plenty of emails can be found online. Whether that is a physician directory of a hospital or a doctor’s personal website. If you contact them through a generic contact page, make sure you put ATTN: “Doctor’s Name.”

How to Ask to Shadow a Doctor With an Email

When writing an email to a doctor that you want to shadow, make sure you consider the following:

Make Every Email Personal. Do not put together a large list and send them all the same email. You want to make sure they know you aren’t spamming a bunch of people. I recommend sending one email at a time starting with your top choices. Wait for a response, if they don’t respond in a few days, move on to the next one.  

Work Around Their Schedule. This is very important. I know as a pre-med student this can be very difficult. Your schedule is very busy and you want to fit everything in perfectly. Just know that a doctor’s schedule is always going to be much busier. Be courteous and make sure whomever you are reaching out to understands that you are flexible and can go in whenever it is convenient for them.

Include your goals. Earlier in this post, I mentioned that it was helpful to have an idea of which field of medicine you want to go into. Include that you want to shadow this particular physician because you are interested in his/her field. Doctors are usually happy to discuss their specific specialty with other people, so including your interest in their field will make them more inclined to let you shadow.

Include all the information you need but keep it brief. Doctors are busy people who get lots of emails a day. You want to include all the important information but you also want to keep it as brief as possible. Don’t add any fluff like stories, superfluous information, or information you researched about his/her practice.  

Basic Outline for Your Email to Shadow a Physician

Here is the basic outline you can use when sending an email to a doctor:

Subject Line : ( If sending to a generic email ) ATTN: Dr. _______ RE: Shadowing Opportunity – Premedical Student.

Or, if it’s not a generic email, simply put: Shadowing Opportunity – Premedical Student.

• Name, school, and major.
• Online, from a friend, from school, etc.
• Include how many hours/days you would like to shadow. After you start shadowing and things go well, you can always request more days!
• Your interest in their field of medicine.
• If they can accommodate you, when would it be convenient for them?

Email Template For Shadowing a Physician You Know

Now that you got the structure of how your email should look like, here is a sample of what I would write to a physician I know. For the sake of the sample, I will pretend I’m searching for an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Dear Doctor X, This is John Doe, I am currently a junior at the University of Y majoring in Biology. Would it be possible to shadow you at your practice sometime in the next few months? If possible, I would like to shadow for a total of 40 hours. I am very interested in Orthopedic Surgery as a career and I would like the opportunity to learn more about it. If you are willing, please let me know when is a convenient date and time for you. Thank you, John Doe

I skipped the part of including where I got the email from. I was assuming this is someone I know and wouldn’t be surprised that I have there email. If it was a fringe relative or distant family friend, I would probably include who gave me their email.

Sample Email to Shadow a Physician You Don’t Know (Cold Email)

Dear Doctor X, My name is John Doe and I am currently a premedical student at the University of Y majoring in Biology. I found your email online while researching Orthopedic Surgeons in the area. Would it be possible to shadow you at your practice sometime in the next few months? If possible, I would like to shadow for a total of 40 hours. I am very interested in Orthopedic Surgery and I would like the opportunity to learn more about it. If you are willing, please let me know when is a convenient date and time for you. Thank you, John Doe

If the Answer is Yes

If the doctor you emailed replies saying yes, make sure you respond promptly. They will most likely let you know what days work out for them. Commit to a couple of days and ask what time you should meet him/her.

Don’t inundate them with questions. I know you want to ask things like where you should meet, what the parking situation is, and if you should wear scrubs or not. But don’t forget, doctors are busy people. These are answers you can get from someone else. I recommend calling the doctor’s office the next day and asking the front desk these questions.

If the Answer is No

To be honest, I never received a “No.”

Usually, doctors are very helpful and enjoy mentoring students. Either that, or they don’t reply to the email because they are too busy.

But nonetheless, there could be legit reasons for a physician to say no! For instance, maybe the hospital has a rule against allowing undergrad students to shadow.

If the physician you sent the cold email too replies “No”, be professional and understanding. Actually reply to the email saying that you appreciate the reply back and understand. I have said it before but I’ll say it again: Any interaction you have with medical personnel should be professional. You never know who is friends with the admissions team at a medical school you applied to.

If You Don’t Get a Response

Don’t take it personally. As I said, physicians are busy people. Chances are they didn’t see it. If you are adamant about shadowing this particular doctor, you should call them. You could send another email in a week but chances are the same thing will happen.

What if a Doctor Responds Yes but After You Have Accepted Another Shadowing Opportunity

One of the reasons why I recommend sending one personalized email at a time is in order to avoid this situation. But you still might end up getting a reply later down the road.

First, try to do both shadowing gigs. The more shadowing the better.

But if that is not possible, you should still write back. Explain that you appreciate that they were willing to let you shadow them but you were able to find another physician to shadow and you don’t have the time to do anymore. Don’t worry, they won’t take it personally. They probably feel bad for getting back to you so late.

I hope this guide to emailing a physician you want to shadow helps. It’s totally normal to have to send out cold emails like this. Lots of premeds don’t have any doctors they know and have to resort to methods like this.

Just remember, shadowing is incredibly important. Putting yourself out there and reaching out to other physicians will not only give you this invaluable and fun experience, but it will also force you to network.

Like any career, people that network in medicine receive more job offers in the future. You are never too young to start. Building those relationships in college will only help you in the long run.

Have any questions? Please respond in the comments! I try to reply to every single comment.

Related Posts

What Are Good Questions to Ask When Shadowing a Doctor?

What to Expect When Shadowing a Doctor

My Experience Shadowing An OB/Gyn

11 Essential Tips for Shadowing a Surgeon

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How to Write Letters to Apply for Job Shadowing

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How to Introduce Yourself in an Email for a Job Opening

How to recommend a professional boss, how to make a phone call to tell a prospective employer you are interested in the job.

• How to Ask for an Internship by Email
• How to Address a Cover Letter to Human Resources

Job shadowing is an effective way to learn if a specific position or career is right for you, according to ResumeCoach . The key to writing a letter asking for a job-shadowing opportunity is to avoid talking only about what you want, and to make sure you emphasize what you might be able to contribute.

Reviewing how to ask to shadow someone and a few tips for writing a job-shadow proposal letter will help you increase your chances of getting this type of helpful work experience.

Update Your Online Presence

Whoever considers offering you a job-shadowing opportunity will probably do a Google search of you. Do the same and remove any negative or unprofessional information you find (such as social media posts you made when you were younger or crazy pictures of you posted by friends). If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, create one if you have any work experience. If you have a LinkedIn profile, update it.

What Can You Offer?

Before you begin writing your letter, think about what you might be able to offer a company that lets you job shadow. Be realistic and don’t oversell yourself.

If you are asking to job shadow a nonprofit fundraiser, offer to help make phone calls, edit letters or stuff envelopes. If you are writing a job-shadowing letter to an IT director, list the hardware and software you’ve used and what computer skills you have. Let the person you contact know you’re willing to work, not just sit and stare at whoever you job shadow.

What Do You Want?

Tell the person you’re contacting why you’re requesting the job shadow opportunity. Don’t just tell her that you want a job in the human resources profession – let her know that you have always enjoyed helping people, that you have an interest in wellness programs or that you like interviewing people and finding out about their interests and goals.

If possible, give examples of any work (professional or volunteer) you’ve done in the specific area where you’re asking to job shadow. If you don’t have industry experience, list any experiences you’ve had that might relate, such as your work as a camp counselor, sports team captain or intern at another business.

Who Should Get the Letter?

Make sure you get your letter to the correct person, advises Indeed . One place to start is with a human resources department. They know their company’s employees and who might be willing to take on a shadow.

If you know the exact position you want to shadow, find out who holds that job and contact him directly. If you’re more interested in shadowing a particular person, rather than a position, reach out to him.

Make Your Pitch

Send your letter using a professional business format. Introduce yourself and begin your letter by letting the recipient know that you’re interested in a job-shadowing opportunity. Name the job (or person) you want to shadow.

In your next paragraph, explain why you want to shadow this job, and what your end goals are. Keep this paragraph short (one or two sentences). In the next paragraph, list the benefits you can offer the business. If you have more than two, keep things simple by using a bullet point list.

Close your letter by telling the recipient you will be calling to see if the company has any opportunities. If you say you’ll wait to hear from the person, or end with, “You can contact me at…” you might not hear from the person, or might have to wait weeks for an answer.

Include a copy of your resume and the URL of your LinkedIn profile. Consider adding a P.S., which stands out graphically and draws the reader’s eye to it. This might be where you state that you will be calling this week.

• Indeed.com: How to Job Shadow (With Tips for a Positive Experience)
• ResumeCoach: How Job Shadowing Can Help You Grow

Steve Milano is a journalist and business executive/consultant. He has helped dozens of for-profit companies and nonprofits with their marketing and operations. Steve has written more than 8,000 articles during his career, focusing on small business, careers, personal finance and health and fitness. Steve also turned his tennis hobby into a career, coaching, writing, running nonprofits and conducting workshops around the globe.

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• Medical School

How to Ask to Shadow a Doctor

Tips, considerations, and a sample shadowing request.

In this article, we'll show you how to ask to shadow a doctor, provide tips for choosing the best shadowing experience(s) for you, guidance in finding doctors to shadow, and a sample letter asking to shadow a doctor. If you’re a pre-med student hoping to attend medical school, you’ve likely heard about the benefits of shadowing a doctor. Indeed, shadowing allows aspiring med students a unique window into the day-to-day realities of working as a practicing physician. As well, shadowing is a great addition to your resume or CV and application, and you'll likely walk away with experiences you can discuss in a medical school interview. Even if you understand why shadowing a doctor is a beneficial experience, the process of asking to shadow a doctor may not be clear. Not to worry! Once you understand the basic reasons behind shadowing, why the medical community welcomes requests for shadowing, and see a sample request for shadowing opportunities, you’ll see that the process is relatively painless.

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Article Contents 12 min read

Why you should shadow a doctor.

Shadowing a doctor generally consists of following a physician through an entire day (or sometimes several days), from the moment they step into their hospital or practice, until they prepare to leave at the end of their shift. It is a novel experience that allows you to see all the details and minutiae of the work of a doctor – from the spectacular to the mundane. It’s one thing to read or hear about the routine and workload of a practicing physician, but quite another to witness it from start to finish. When shadowing, you’re essentially a “fly on the wall”, silently observing the doctor as they run their practice, see patients, review notes, conduct procedures, complete paperwork, connect with colleagues, and even eat lunch. It is a largely passive experience, where you are able to soak in the day-to-day, moment-to-moment realities of the career you’re pursuing. During breaks or at the end of the shift, you'll likely be able to ask the doctor questions, as well, where you can gain valuable insights from their own live experiences as a medical practitioner. The path to becoming a doctor is a long and difficult one, so you need to ensure that this truly is what you want to do and be, day-in and day-out. Shadowing is the perfect opportunity to do just that. 

Shadowing can also give you the opportunity to meaningfully interact with the medical community. The experiences you have while shadowing are great for personal and professional development, and they can be very useful in completing your activities sketch or the AMCAS Work and Activities Section and AACOMAS activities section .

Before you start compiling a list and gathering contact information for doctors whom you may want to shadow, you first need to think about what kinds of medicine you may be interested in pursuing, as this will help you begin narrowing your scope. Note that in making such a list, you’re not making any commitments in terms of what you’ll actually go on to study, and the shadowing you do may or may not align with the specialty you end up pursuing in your education and career. At this point, you probably don’t have enough information to make such decisions – another reason shadowing is so beneficial! You may not yet know what the different specializations actually look like “on the ground”, so shadowing is an effective way to explore different possible avenues and to see if the lifestyle of such specialists matches your own interests, strengths, and goals. The daily routines of a family doctor, a neurosurgeon, and a pediatrician working in a neonatal intensive care unit are all very, very different. So, if there are several areas that catch your eye and stir your interest, add them to your list. If you’re completely unsure of what you may find engaging, that’s okay, too. Consider reaching out to a wide variety of doctors and see who is open and available for shadowing; having several different kinds of shadowing experiences may give you some new ideas and insights you hadn’t considered before!

Once you’ve got a manageable short-list of 5-10 possible specializations, it’s time to start finding doctors alongside whom you may be able to work on a shadowing shift. Start with what’s familiar – do you know any doctors already? Are there any doctors in your family or circle of acquaintances? Do you have a good relationship with your own doctor(s)? Might any of these be open to a day (or more) of shadowing? Even if they aren’t, they may be able to give you names of other doctors who likely have such availability, or open other doors or avenues of connection you may not have considered.

If you don’t have any such contacts, not to worry! If there’s a medical school or hospital on your campus, this is a great potential resource – connecting with the med school directly and/or the volunteer office of a local or school-affiliated hospital are both perfectly logical and effective ways of gathering contact information for a shadowing opportunity. You can ask your professors if they have any recommendations for doctors open to shadowing pre-med students. As well, you can reach out to the pre-med advisors at your school – it’s very likely that they are either in contact with, or directly associated with, local hospitals, clinics, and practitioners who are willing to accommodate shadowing requests from students. Even if they don’t have specific contact information, they will usually be able to provide you with information to help you find such resources. Remember, although this may be the first time you are doing this, you’re hardly the first pre-med to seek out shadowing opportunities! Make use of all the resources available to you on campus, so that you’re able to take full advantage of all the advising and connections made accessible to you through your medical school tuition fees. They know that pre-med students will likely want to shadow a doctor, and their purpose is to help students access precisely these kinds of experiences. 

Once you’ve established your list of possible specializations and gathered contact information for various physicians in such fields, it’s time to start planning and actually reaching out. You’re going to want to contact these doctors several weeks in advance of your ideal shadowing dates, giving each physician time to prepare and ensure their schedule aligns with your own. To make contact, you can simply send an email or letter, or call and leave a message for the doctor, depending on the contact information you get.

Now, at this point, you might be feeling a little nervous, thinking that making such a call or sending such an email or letter out of the blue will be awkward, or you may fear rejection or some other negative response to your request. These are understandable fears, but we need to work past them! While this may be your first time asking a doctor about a shadowing opportunity, you’re hardly the first aspiring med student to make such a request. It’s not at all unexpected for potential medical students to reach out like this, and such students shadow doctors all the time . While it may feel awkward to make such a request if it’s your first time, the established generations of physicians have a vested interest in supporting the next generation of medical professionals, and generally welcome such opportunities. Of course, you are making a request of a very busy working professional, so you want to be respectful in doing so, but your request won’t be met with hostility, shock, or annoyance. Many doctors are happy to help! That doesn’t mean that every doctor you contact will have the availability or flexibility needed to accommodate your request, but that doesn’t reflect negatively (or at all) on you. So, remember, while all of this may be new to you, it’s not at all new to those you’ll reach out to with your request. Once upon a time, they were aspiring medical students, too, and it's entirely likely that they went through this very experience themselves!

“Okay, got it! So... what should I actually say ?”

Whether you decide to reach out by phone or by email (and let’s face it, if email is an option, you’ll probably send an email, right?), the content of your message should be pretty much the same. Do note that if you choose to call, you’ll likely have to leave a message for the doctor, so be prepared with a short version of your request in this case.

Begin by providing your name, major, and the school you’re currently attending. Acknowledge your interest in the doctor’s particular field, mention how you received their contact information, and let them know in a few short sentences why you’re writing/calling. Don’t write a long tome or recite a long script begging and pleading for the opportunity, or laying on accolades about their prestige and reputation. Doctors are busy, they get loads of emails and calls every day, so be respectful of their time by being concise. Let them know why you’re reaching out and what you’re hoping to achieve. You can also note whether you’ve done any specialized training or have any certification relevant to their specialization or the work you'd be observing, if applicable. Politely ask if they are able to accommodate your shadowing request, how long they might be able to let you shadow (e.g., one day, three days in one week, one day per week for 4 weeks, etc., based on your own needs and goals), and if so, when it would be most convenient for them.

Dear Dr. X,

My name is Sophia Student, and I’m a 3rd year Neuroscience major/Biotechnology minor at XYZ University. I’m contacting you because of my interest in your work in neurosurgery, and I am grateful that your colleague, Professor Edwina Chow, was able to provide me with your contact information.

In particular, I wanted to ask if you would be open to allowing me to shadow you for at least one full working day, sometime over the next 3 months (April-June). If you are able, I’d be especially interested in shadowing you a minimum of 3 days in that span of time, so that I might see you both in your own practice and in your work at ABC Hospital – though I’d be thankful for any opportunity to see your work in action, even if only for one day.

Please note that I will be away at a conference from May 27th to June 1st, but other than that, my schedule can be rather flexible. If you are able to accommodate this request, I'd welcome you to suggest some dates and times that work well for you, I will gladly work with that to find times that fit both our schedules and send back a proposed plan of action.

If there is any other information you need from me in consideration of this request, please do not hesitate to let me know. Thank you for your time in reviewing this message.

Sophia Student

That’s it – short, sweet, and to-the-point! It really is that easy.

Check out our video for more information:

Due to the busy schedule all doctors must maintain, it may take some time for them to return your call or email (another reason to reach out well in advance of your desired time frame!). Though many of us are used to 24-hour turnarounds on emails and calls, don’t be concerned if it takes a week or so for them to get back to you. If 7-10 days go by with no response, it’s okay to write or call again. In this case, you can simply re-send the original email or call and give the same message. Avoid emails that begin with something like, “As noted in my previous email...” – the general conventions around email etiquette suggest that this can come off as passive aggressive or annoyed, without the cues present in face-to-face communication (tone of voice, posture, smile, etc.), and that’s definitely not the impression you want to give! It would be better to say something like this: “Apologies for the repeat email, but I wanted to follow up to see if you’d had the chance to review my previous request, the original text of which you can find below, for your convenience.” This sounds much better than, “As noted in my previous email”.

Wait, that's not all! Expressing gratitude after a shadowing experience

In the event that you do get the shadowing opportunity, be sure to use the same contact information to send a brief thank you message to the doctor(s) you shadowed. This should be simple and thoughtful, again being respectful of their time. Express your gratitude for the experience and the time they spent with you, and wish them all the best in the future.

If you absolutely can’t find a physician to shadow, don’t panic. Shadowing is great, but it’s not always possible and not always required. You’ll need to look at the specific medical school requirements of each institution to which you are applying, to see if shadowing is required, and if so, how many shadowing hours you need to get into med school . If a doctor responds to your initial request but has to decline, you can reply thanking them for the response, and asking if they have any colleagues who may be available for shadowing. If you genuinely need shadowing hours and haven’t been able to find a match with independently-practicing physicians, you can reach out to medical residents, too – they may have a more flexible schedule or be more open to such opportunities, and they are doctors in their own right. 

If shadowing hours are not specifically required, you can look into other ways of interacting with and learning from medical professionals. For example, you could explore volunteering opportunities at clinics, in hospice care, in various hospital departments, etc. Any of these will look great on your resume or CV, in your application, and you'll likely be able to reflect on such experiences in your interviews (follow this link to learn more about average volunteer hours for medical school ). Reaching out to such institutions directly will help you get the information you need to sign up as a volunteer; many hospitals have a specific volunteer office, and they'll be able to give you everything you need to get started. 

Dr. Sarah Lynn Kleeb is an admissions expert at BeMo. Dr. Kleeb holds a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) from the University of Toronto where she examined the connections between Critical Theory and Liberation Theology. She brings 10 years of experience teaching, advising, and mentoring undergraduate students to her role as an admissions expert, having taught extensively at UofT. 

Image credit: Axelle Geelen, via the Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode  

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Can highschool students shadow doctors as well?

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hi Dex! Yes, it is possible. It will of course depend on the physician. When you reach out to a physician you want to shadow, explain that you are interested in a career in medicine and that you want to be on a premed track. If the physician agrees, you can shadow them. If you cannot find a physician to shadow independently, you can always search for summer programs for high school students that provide shadowing opportunities. Check out our blog on summer programs here https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/blog/summer-programs-for-high-school-students

Hi Dex, you are the winner of our weekly draw. Please email us by the end of the day tomorrow (May 1st) at content[at]bemoacademicconsulting.com from the same email address you used to leave your comment to claim your prize!

Vasthy Hernandez

I wrote my email with the example that was listed on this website, what can I write for the Subject of the email so that it summarizes the job shadowing but is also is concise?

Hello Vasthy! Thanks for your question! You can title the email "Shadowing Opportunity for a Premed", for example. Hopefully, this helps!

Vasthy, you are the winner of our weekly draw. Please email us by the end of the day tomorrow (August 14) at content[at]bemoacademicconsulting.com from the same email address you used to leave your comment to claim your prize!

Can you also tell something on how to communicate with a doctor one on one when he calls you to discuss your further plans as a response to your email.

Hello BestFati! Thanks for your question. If the doctor asks about your plans and why you are looking to shadow, you can openly discuss your plans to apply to medical school and explain that you are a premed looking to learn more about the everyday work of practicing physicians. Shadowing is a very common practice in the United States, so most physicians will be happy to help you.

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9 Shadowing examples on resumes

Adding shadowing to your resume can be a great way to get noticed by recruiters.

Especially if you have little or no work experience to write about.

It’s a great way to prove that you have exposure within your industry, which employers will love.

But how exactly do you add shadowing to your resume?

This guide (containing 9 resume examples) will show you.

Resume templates 

Shadowing resume examples

Check out these examples of shadowing taken from job descriptions on real-life resumes.

Customer service

Example bullet points

• Shadowing telephone contacts in a high call volume environment to service existing insurance accounts
• Observing telephone manner required to establish and maintain effective relationships with customers
• Developing problem solving techniques and monitoring how to use time effectively to multitask and prioritize work

• Shadowing the marketing teams daily activities including planning events, creating social media content, and drafting advertisements
• Recognizing opportunities to up-sell the customer and sell enhancements to create a better experience or event
• Observing techniques that encourage guests to purchase packages and maximize on upselling opportunities

• Shadowing classes to observe best ways to conduct quality learning experiences and working with students to reinforce learning materials initially introduced by the teacher
• Observing daily lesson planning and assisting the classroom teacher in the preparation of learning materials
• Shadowing in parent-teacher conferences and home visits as requested by classroom teacher to develop communication skills

Project management

• Shadowing all aspects of the assigned project including pre-show planning, budget estimation, inventory evaluation and equipment rentals
• Observing initial production meetings to learn the overall project scope
• Attending project production scheduling sessions to plan working hours and labor requirements per budget/scope

• Shadowing day to day duties of IT support; analysis, diagnosis, resolving complex desktop problems, installations, configurations, and testing
• Observing and assisting performance upgrades to PC boxes, including the installation of CPUs, I/O and NIC cards, hard disks, hard drives, RAM
• Shadowing incoming calls to IT Support regarding desktop problems and troubleshooting incidents requiring an intervention

• Shadowing day-to-day administrative duties of the Clerical Assistant; preparing staff schedules, scheduling appointments, and monitoring then recording data
• Assisting with tracking of license and certification expirations to ensure timely renewals and credentialing compliance
• Observing how to prioritize calls through screening process, transfers calls, records messages, and delivers to appropriate personnel

• Shadowing the Program Analyst; observing best techniques for recommending investment, credit, and wealth management solutions to clients
• Helping to devise customized financial strategies for existing and prospective clients
• Studying a range of proprietary models to provide recommendations on tailored solutions

• Researching potential legal claims, drafting complaints, evaluating evidence, oral advocacy, moot court, depositions, and hearings
• Shadowing in high level meetings to discuss litigation finance deals and related opportunities
• Observing studies on legal claims, defenses, and jurisdictional issues; reviewing and analysis of evidence

Hospitality

• Observing how the team mixes, garnishes and presents drinks using standard ingredient recipes, whilst adhering to portion control guidelines
• Supporting with the set-up of assigned bars; stocking beer, wine, spirits, paper products, straws, condiments, glassware, ice and produce
• Studying state, federal, and corporate liquor regulations pertaining to serving alcoholic beverages to minors and intoxicated guests

What is shadowing?

Job shadowing is a form of on-the-job training that involves observing a professional while they carry out their daily responsibilities. It allows the observer to learn more about the role, gain some experience, and get a real understanding of what the job involves.

Shadowing is usually done by entry-level staff, and allows them to learn the job before they start doing hands-on work.

Shadowing experiences vary and can be for just a few days, weeks, or months depending on the arrangement.

Should you include shadowing in your resume?

Shadowing experience can help to boost your resume massively.

It shows potential employers that you are dedicated, willing to learn, and passionate about your industry.

It can also help to increase your skills and knowledge, so you have more to write about on your resume.

This experience can be just as relevant as a part-time role or internship, so yes, there are several reasons why you should include this on your resume.

Shadowing experience that is relevant to the position you’re applying for (e.g. shadowing an accountant when applying for accounting jobs) is a great way to learn about the skills and knowledge needed for the job.

So, when it comes to writing your resume you can show recruiters all the relevant things you’ve learnt from shadowing the job – making you a much better fit for the role.

Where to include shadowing in your resume

In order to get the most from your shadowing experience, you need to know where to include this on your resume, and there are 2 areas it will make the most impact.

Resume summary

If you don’t have a lot of experience behind you or your shadowing experience is particularly relevant, then you should include this in your resume summary .

Your resume summary is the introductory paragraph at the top, so it’s the first thing recruiters will see.

Take this opportunity to highlight any skills you gained or any key achievements from the experience, to hook recruiters attention and get them interested in you.

You could also include the titles of any big players you shadowed, for example, if you shadowed the CEO of a large organization . Aim to keep this to just one or two short highlight sentences, and save the detail for the rest of your resume.

Work experience

The most logical way to showcase your shadowing experience is in your experience section, including the shadowing experience as a job.

Provide a few bullet points giving details of the tasks you observed, the people you shadowed, and any achievements from the experience.

How to include shadowing in your resume

Now you know where to include your shadowing on your resume, here’s how to effectively showcase this experience.

Highlight important skills

Throughout your resume, you need to include the important skills you gained from the shadowing experience.

Start by looking over the job descriptions of the roles you are applying to, so you can highlight the key skills requested by the employer.

Be sure to include both hard and soft skills you gained while watching the professional. For example, if you sat in on a meeting and learned how to take minutes.

Show tools and software used

When outlining your skills and experience, be sure to give the names of any tools or software you learned how to use, especially if these are listed in your target job descriptions.

Say, for example, the employee taught you how to use Google Analytics as you watched them carry out various aspects of the job with the tool.

Add achievements and numbers

To give employers a clear picture of the work you shadowed, include some numbers to gre describe size and scale of the operation. For example, “ Shadowing a team of 4 ” or “ Managing an area of 5 regions”

If you shared any ideas that were implemented, give details of the impact this had on the business and quantify this where possible. For example, “ Suggested an change to the booking system which helped reduce booking errors by 5%”

Be careful not to exaggerate

It can be tempting to embellish the truth to make your experience seem more impressive or to tick off some of the skills listed in the job description. But just remember, you should always be honest and never exaggerate what you did.

Otherwise, you might find yourself struggling if you are asked about your experience at interview stage, or caught out during referencing. This would look highly unprofessional and damage your chances of landing the role.

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What is Job Shadowing? Definition, Benefits, and How to Set It Up

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What is Job Shadowing? Definition, Benefits, and How to Set It Up was originally published on Forage .

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.

Job Shadowing 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 vs. Externships

Internships and externships are also valuable ways to get experiential learning experiences in a real work environment. However, there are some critical differences between these experiences and job shadowing in terms of responsibilities, length, benefits, and more.

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 . 

>>MORE: 20+ Internship Statistics Students Need to Know

Job Shadowing vs. Externships

Externships are experiential learning opportunities where you follow a professional to understand their daily work life. Similar to job shadowing, externships are more about observing a professional rather than performing entry-level tasks. However, depending on the externship, you may be expected to do some administrative work or help on some tasks or projects.

Let’s try an analogy:

• Internships are like being a junior chef in a kitchen, helping out with the basics of the kitchen’s dishes.
• Externships are like following a chef in a kitchen and helping them prep for dinner.
• Job shadowing is like following a chef in a kitchen and watching what they do.

>>MORE: Externship vs Internship: What’s the Difference?

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 Externship What it is Observing a day in the life of someone’s jobWork-based learning experience where you do entry-level tasksExperiential learning experience where you observe someone’s job and help them with basic tasks Duration One day to a few weeks3-4 monthsOne day to a few weeks Pay NoMostly yes; 60% of internships are paid No, but sometimes you receive school credit Work environment In-personIn-person, hybrid, or remote In-person Meant to add to resume Yes!Yes!Yes!

Is Job Shadowing Worth It? Benefits

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.”

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? Here are some common interests, skills, fields, and a Forage job simulation if you want to try the role out first — before you do any job shadowing.

Interest(s) or Skills(s) Job Shadowing Field Job Simulation Strategic and analytical thinkingMarketing lululemon Omnichannel Marketing Creative thinkingConsulting BCG Introduction to Strategy Consulting ProgrammingSoftware Engineering JP Morgan Software Engineering DesignUX Design bp Digital Design & UX Communication and strategySales Red Bull On-Premise Sales Financial analysisInvestment banking JP Morgan Investment Banking Data analysisData Accenture Data Analytics & Visualization Active listening and researchCustomer service Fidelity Customer Service Analysis and communicationAccounting PwC Audit Organization and prioritizationProject Management Accenture Project Management

>>MORE: Use free Forage job simulations to help you understand what careers you love — and which ones you don’t.

Can You Add 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

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Job Shadow on Resume Examples

There are two main sections you can include job shadowing on your resume: in a designated job shadowing section or a work experience section. If you did a shorter experience where you mostly observed people, a job shadowing section is better. If you did a longer experience where you completed some tasks, it can go under work experience.

Here’s an example of how to include job shadowing on a resume in a job shadowing section, for someone who observed a marketing manager: 

ABC Marketing Agency May 2024

• Observed daily tasks of a marketing manager, including social media strategy development, content creation, and campaign analysis
• Attended multiple client meetings and took notes for the marketing team
• Learned the agency’s approach to customer communication

Here’s an example of how to include job shadowing in a work experience section, for someone who job-shadowed a registered nurse and helped complete some basic tasks:

Job shadowing, Registered Nurse 123 General Hospital July 2024

• Assisted with patient care tasks like taking vital signs and recording medical history
• Observed nurses interacting with patients and families
• Gained first-hand experience with hospital procedures in a fast-paced environment

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!”

>>MORE: What Is a Growth Mindset?

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!

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. 

Reach Out to Professionals You Admire

What if you don’t have any connections (not even your sister’s boyfriend’s hairdresser’s cousin)? 

Barricelli says that not knowing a professional you want to shadow isn’t a setback — you should approach the situation with curiosity, not demands.

“I recommend you propose an informational interview first,” she says. “Requesting just 30 minutes to hear about their career journey is an easier ‘yes’ for a busy professional, and it’s a great way to engage new people and build your network. Plus, hearing more about what they do and how they got there can help you determine if you are interested in spending more time on a job shadow experience. This approach can lay the groundwork to foster a professional relationship, potentially leading to a positive response for a job shadowing opportunity.”

Barricelli emphasizes that you shouldn’t be overbearing but polite, patient, flexible, and clear. Be sure to thank the person — even if they say no. 

Don’t Take Rejection Personally

Speaking of “saying no,” not every professional will say yes to your request, but that’s not a sign that you should stop trying. 

“Persevere instead!” Barricelli says. “Individuals often have hectic schedules, and their inability to respond isn’t a reflection of your worth. Many external factors come into play, none of which are about you!”

Job Shadowing: 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. 

Image credit: Canva

The post What is Job Shadowing? Definition, Benefits, and How to Set It Up appeared first on Forage .

How to Ask to Job Shadow a Veterinarian: Email Templates

For many aspiring veterinarians, the first behind the scenes experience they will get at a veterinary clinic will be job shadowing. Job shadowing introduces students to the day to day details of veterinary medicine. And it is an important step in discovering if veterinary medicine is the right career to pursue.

But the first step in job shadowing is to ask a local veterinarian if you can shadow them. 

How do you ask a veterinarian to job shadow them? Email is a common way to ask to shadow a veterinarian. If you don’t already know a veterinarian that you can ask in person, a professionally worded email can set the tone for a great job shadowing experience. 

A job shadow request email, doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be professional. Below you will find some tips for writing an email requesting to job shadow a veterinarian, including some examples you can modify for your own use. 

How to write a great email asking to shadow a veterinarian

Make sure to address the email properly. If there is a specific veterinarian you are sending the email to, then address it to that veterinarian. Make sure to use proper titles (i.e. Dr. ______________). If you are addressing the email to a veterinary clinic in general, it is okay to address it to the clinic name. 

The first paragraph should be used for you to introduce yourself.  State your name and let the veterinarian know where you are at in your schooling. Then let them know why you are interested in job shadowing them. 

You can use the second paragraph to let the veterinary clinic know how you heard about them and/or why you are interested in shadowing that veterinarian or at that lcoation. Show them that you know who you are emailing and have done a little research about the veterinary practice. 

The third paragraph is for you to give the clinic your contact information and thank them for their time in reading the email. 

Finally, politely sign the email with a polite signature.

Sample Email for a High School Student

Dear Dr. _______________ (or Dear ____________ Veterinary Clinic),

First Paragraph: My name is  ____________ and I am currently a (freshman/ sophmore/ junior/ senior) in high-school. I am interested in veterinary medicine as a possible career choice and would love to have the opportunity to shadow a veterinarian. 

Second Paragraph (choose one): I found your email on your clinic’s website. Your clinic is located near my home, so I wanted to reach out to you and see if you were open to having a high school student come and shadow at your veterinary clinic. 

My family has brought our dog to your clinic for years, so I wanted to reach out to you as I begin further exploring veterinary medicine. Do you have any opportunities for students to job shadow at your veterinary clinic?

Third Paragraph : I appreciate you taking the time to read this email. If you have any opportunities for me to job shadow, you can reach me at (insert email address) or at (insert phone number here). 

Thank you, 

(Your Name Here)

Sample Email for an Undergraduate Student

Dear Dr. ___________,

First Paragraph: I am a pre-veterinary student in my (1st/2nd/3rd/4th) year at (insert university name here). I am currently looking for a local job shadowing opportunity in order to gain more experience at a veterinary clinic prior to applying to veterinary school. 

Second Paragraph: Your clinic was recommended to me as a good location to job shadow at by a fellow pre-veterinary student. I was wondering if you currently have any job shadowing opportunities available for a pre-veterinary student. 

As I began looking for local veterinary clinics in the area, I found your website. I was wondering if you currently at an job shadowing opportunities avialable for pre-veterinary students. 

Third Paragraph: I know that your schedule can be busy, so I really appreciate you taking the time to read this email and respond. I can be reached at (insert email) or (insert phone number) at your convenience. 

(Your name here)

Other resources for sample job-shadowing reqeust emails

The University of Wisconsin has another great template for asking to job-shadow a health professional. You can find that template here .

Another good resource is the Student Doctor Network forums. Here is a link to an informative discussion on finding job shadowing opportunities .

Related Questions

How old do you have to be to job shadow a veterinarian? Most veterinary clinics require that you are 16 years of age or older before you can start job shadowing on a regular basis. However, it is always worth contacting your own vet earlier, as each veterinary clinic has different guidelines regarding job shadowing. 

The Best Age to Begin Job Shadowing a Veterinarian

What are good questions to ask while job shadowing a veterinarian? We have a whole blog post devoted to helping you come up with good intelligent questions to ask during a job shadow. But generally, asking a veterinarian about their favorite part of their career and what they did to prepare to be a veterinarian can start a good conversation. In between appointments, you can also ask about the disease processes and lab work that you are not familiar with. 

36 Questions to Ask While Job Shadowing a Veterinarian

The writer of this blog, Dr. Kate, has been practicing veterinary medicine since 2014. She works at a small animal practice, focusing on dogs and cats. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her two dogs. You can find out more about her adventures with her pups on PawsitivelyIntrepid.com

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Thank You Letter For Job Shadowing: How To, Templates & Examples

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Everybody has a dream job but is your dream job a good fit for you? Have you ever pondered over this question? Many high school and college students think they know what their ‘dream job’ is all about. When they land up with what they wished for, it may be a complete surprise!  

‘Job shadowing’ is a wonderful way to get first-hand experience and a hint of what the job entails. You must be wondering what’s job shadowing and how can it help you.

What is Job Shadowing?

Job shadowing is a concept where someone can observe someone do their professional work. An aspiring candidate ‘shadows’ a person of the potential career for few hours, some weeks, or months to get a better understanding of what the career demands.

To make it simpler, if you aim to do accounting work, job shadowing or observing someone do accounting work will allow you to understand what the job involves in the real working environment. 

It not only gives a person a chance to explore realistic situations but also helps in making an informed career decision.

 During this time, a person gets opportunities to observe closely, ask questions, clear doubts, and explore options. Job shadowing should not be misunderstood as an internship.

Job shadowing does not count as work experience and mostly does not mean hands-on experience in a specific job. It is not an opportunity to gain any career experience but a chance to see if a particular job is up to your liking or not. Job shadowing is exclusively for understanding what a person is expected to do in a day-to-day routine in that particular profession.

Benefits of Shadowing a Job

There are many benefits of job shadowing. The opportunity to watch someone work closely in the same profession which you want to pursue can’t be understated. This is a prospect that gives a clearer picture of what’s involved, and what’s expected in this career. 

It is a process of discovering, reflecting, understanding, and realizing if the career is truly ‘for you’. Job shadowing experiences can make people think about shifting their career plans before they land up in the wrong career. Once you complete a shadowing job don’t forget to write a thank you letter for shadowing a host. It may be a money, time, and stress savior for new career seekers.

1.   Clear doubts: It is indeed a difficult task to choose a career. Often people are misled by other’s opinions or glamour of a particular job. Job shadowing gives the chance to clear doubts and ask questions. It helps to explore more about a career, ask questions like the educational requirements for the job, related job possibilities, how difficult is it to change the field later, advice of experienced people.

2.   Personal experience: Job shadowing may be of different kinds. Some allow only observation and some permit a certain amount of hands-on job.

3.   Interaction with employer: Home, college, and workplace are very different. By shadowing an employer, you will get to know how people behave in the office. It is a wonderful way to learn work ethics, office culture, employer behavior, ways to reduce stress, etc. It leads to overall development and understanding of how you are expected to behave in the office.

4.   Thinking and problem solving: Every day is not the same in the office. Job shadowing an employer gives a chance to experience various problems that crop up in day-to-day work. You get to learn how to brainstorm, solve problems, implement new plans, and other things.

5.   Identifying the best practices: By job shadowing, you can see what’s right, wrong, how to be organized, and how to manage time, observing someone’s work. This helps in correcting and systematizing yourself when you actually enter your career.

6.   Networking: Job shadowing is an opportunity to build a strong network and make connections with people in the industry. It may help you seek recommendations from them in the future. They may even offer you a job if they find you suitable. Do not forget to write a thank you letter for shadowing them when you have finished job shadowing them.

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Cons of Job Shadowing:

Without a doubt, job shadowing is a wonderful way to fortify your classroom learning with a hands-on, personal experience in a working environment. However, job shadowing has some shortcomings.

1.   Difficulty in association: A professional is not a teacher who will go about explaining every step of his/her work. It’s up to you to observe, understand, and relate most of the job. This may lead to initial difficulties in understanding the work properly. 

2.   Clash in schedule: To be a good observer, you are required to follow the work schedule of a professional which may be completely different. There will be long hours, time clashes, and other difficulties.

3.   Language problem: Every profession has a set of technical terms. To be able to understand, communicate properly, and speed up the learning process you need the knowledge of professional terms.

4.   Lack of motivation: You can learn the best from a professional who is keen to do his/her job. People who are not motivated enough to give their best may not be the best people to observe and learn from. This could cause a delay in learning, missing out on important details, etc.

5.   Limited information sharing: Many professionals may not feel comfortable sharing a lot of information with an observer due to trust issues. That may cause limited learning.

Types of Shadowing

Job shadowing can be done in different ways depending on the preference and convenience of the employee and an observer. They can be

• Through Observation – Spending time watching, and taking notes, understanding the role. Works better for students, fresh graduates.
• Routine Briefings – Short briefings by a host before and after a specific activity. Or, shadowing a professional on specific jobs over a period of time. Works better for professionals seeking a job change or department switch.
• Hands-on – shadowing – This is a step ahead of the observation method. The host allows the observer to perform certain hands-on under supervision. This works best for learning but is time-consuming.

No matter what kind of an opportunity you get, it is always important to write a thank you letter for shadowing to your hosts to acknowledge their help.

Is Job Shadowing Possible for Every Job?

Once you have decided your career options and want to spend some time shadowing a professional, there are certain things to consider.

• Do you have enough time?
• Are you genuinely interested?
• Is the career ‘job shadow’ friendly?

Certain careers may not be suitable for shadowing for their nature of work. Construction works, certain medical professions, certain research work, pharmaceuticals, etc. may not be possible to shadow. It may be due to confidentiality, safety, policy issues, and other reasons why hosts may not be comfortable having an observer. It is worth trying to talk to organizations to see if they can offer any alternative learning opportunities.

Certain fields like financial corporation, manufacturing units, legal firms, technology companies, and some medical institutions allow shadowing more than the others.

How to Go About Starting a job Shadowing Process?

Securing a job shadowing position is not always easy. Hard work, effort, and the right approach are required. Job shadow opportunities are usually not advertised publicly and that makes it more difficult to get. Where to start, who can help, who to contact, are certain questions that every job shadow seeker has in mind. It is completely up to you to approach individuals and organizations to allow you to work with them. Some things that might help are –

• Networking is extremely important to develop contacts
• Contact the school career center for a list of organizations
• Take help of the alumni association
• Approach people in the particular profession you know
• Apply for a job shadowing position in the particular organization of your choice
• Communicate and convince employers to permit job shadowing
• Contact hiring departments for job shadowing permission
• Send your CV and a cover letter to the organization explain your intent
• Contact possible job shadow hosts via telephone or email
• Send a thank you letter for shadowing when the job shadowing activity is complete

How to Thank a Host

It is extremely important to send a thank you letter for shadowing a host. Some points to remember while writing –

• Keep it to the point
• Mind your language
• Use correct grammar
• Begin with a ‘Thank You’ opening line
• Mention something specific which you learned or liked while shadowing the host

Job Shadowing Thank You Letter Templates

Template #1.

July 25, 2019

(Host’s Title)

(Company name)

Subject line: Thank You for the Job Shadowing Opportunity

Dear Mr./Ms. (Host’s Name),

I want to extend my heartfelt thank you for providing me the opportunity to job shadow you for an entire week. It gave me a clearer understanding of what the (name of the trade) job demands.

The information that I received during the past week allowed me to clear my doubts and gain confidence. It will greatly help me in choosing my career.

Thank you once again for giving me time from your busy schedule and helping me take a closer look at the job. It was an invaluable experience for me.

Yours Sincerely,

X (Your name)

Template # 2

March 20, 2018 (Date)

Mr. Tom White (Name)

Personnel Manager (Host’s Designation)

AEC Accounting Firm

Dear Mr./Ms. X (Name),

Thank you for having me as a job shadow for a month. I know it was an additional responsibility and took time away from your regular work. I am extremely appreciative of you giving me the opportunity.

It was a wonderful hands-on experience and I gathered so much useful information that I could use in my future accounting career.

After getting work exposure in your company, I became more confident about my career choice. Thank you for your valuable suggestions and guidance regarding the subjects I should choose.

X (Student)

XYZ High School

Template # 3

May 20, 2021 (Date)

Ms. Barbara June (Name)

Manager (Host’s Designation)

Angel Consulting

I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to job shadow you for two consecutive days. It was a great learning experience and helped me decide what I want to do in the future.

It was extremely kind of you to give your time and explain things in detail. It gave me a better understanding of business goals and the problem-solving approach used in the industry. I truly appreciate the friendly behavior of your staff.

It was a pleasure to spend two working days with you. Thank you once again for providing me with the opportunity to work with your reputed firm.

Sincerely yours

XYZ (St. Marks College)

Template #4

August 14, 20xx (Date)

Mr. Sam Hill (Name)

Assistant Engineer (Host’s Designation)

ABC Engineering

Dear Mr. Hill,

Thank you for giving me your precious time on (Date) _______ for the job shadow activity. This opportunity helped me to understand what a civil engineering job is all about. I could get a closer look at the job and understand its intricacies.  

I learned about the different fields of engineering and how they are different from each other. It will help me choose the right subjects and pursue my dream career.

 It was extremely kind of you to offer me a part-time job during the summer break. I will be honored to join you on the special project. Thank you for giving me a chance to understand things better and make an informed decision.

Tomas Banks

Template # 5

February 18, 20xx (Date)

Ms. Leela Nair (Name)

General Dentist (Host’s Designation)

Spring Meadow Dental Clinic (Address)

Dear Ms. Nair,

My sincere thanks to you for allowing me to be your job shadow yesterday. It was a wonderful experience to see what a dentist’s job involves from a close quarter.

I was thrilled to get a hands-on experience while helping you as an assistant. It was extremely kind of you to give me your valuable time.

Yesterday’s experience will greatly help me in making my future decision about my career. I enjoyed learning about the job responsibilities, processes, and duties you perform.

Thank you once again for explaining to me the choice of work available for a dentist’s assistant. Being your job shadow gave me a better understanding of the role. I appreciate your guidance and support.

Neil Thomas

Thank You Letter for the Letter of Recommendation: How to, Templates & Examples

Create your Europass Cover Letter

Europass helps you to develop a structured, consistent and professional cover letter guiding you through each step. You can create new cover letters or edit existing ones using the Europass tool to create and edit cover letters.

How does Europass help?

Europass will guide you step by step through the process to help you create a good cover letter with all the essential information. You can create, store and share cover letters in 31 languages , choose from different templates to customise your application and share them easily from your Europass Library . 

Create your Europass

How to write a good cover letter

A cover letter should highlight your motivation to apply for a specific job or opportunity, and demonstrate why you consider yourself to be the best candidate. Your cover letter should refer to particular examples in your CV and describe why these are relevant for the job vacancy you are applying for.

Read carefully

Read the vacancy notice carefully and highlight the skills that relate to the requirements of the position in your cover letter.

Use keywords

Use the keywords when you list your soft skills as mentioned on the vacancy notice (punctual, organised, team-player and so on).

Have short and clear paragraphs that show different aspects clearly.

Get to know the employer

Take time to research the employer to gain valuable insights into the culture of their organisation and make references in your cover letter to one or two key points.

Keep it short

You cover letter should not be longer than one page.

• First paragraph - why you are motivated to apply for the position,
• Second paragraph - how you are the most suitable candidate for the position, and
• Third Paragraph - why the company is a good match for you.

Use formal tone

Use a formal, polite tone and make sure there are no spelling mistakes.

Use simple fonts

Use simple non-decorative font styles, normal font-sizes (11-12) and optimal spacing (1 or 1.5).

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How to Create a Compelling Cover Letter in Microsoft Word

E very time you apply for a job, it's a good idea to include a cover letter. Deciding how to write each one is hard, but at least you don’t have to start from scratch with their design.

Microsoft Word offers templates and welcomes third-party designs to help you create compelling cover letters. Here’s how to use such options in Word and make the best first impression possible to potential employers.

Use Microsoft Word’s Cover Letter Templates

Formal letters don’t have to be bland. Go to File > More templates on Word, and type “cover letter” in the search box. You’ll find several stylish designs that add structure and color to your document.

What reflects you better, a subtle or sharp color scheme? If you’re considering a bold header for your professional details, learn how to design letterheads on Word , too. You can even add your portrait to your cover letter.

Microsoft Word’s built-in templates also include fields for you to fill in with your information and that of your potential employer. They guide you in these small ways, some even providing a sample for your letter’s main body. It’s a good idea to rephrase that, though, to fit each job application.

If you don’t like any of the options on Word’s desktop app, explore more Microsoft cover letter templates online and download your favorites from there.

Use Third-Party Templates in Microsoft Word

You can create cover letters for your dream job on platforms besides Microsoft. If you’d rather stick with it, you’ll even come across third-party templates specifically designed for you to download and customize on Word. Here are some examples.

1. ResumeLab

Explore over 50 cover letter templates, ranging from minimalist to eye-catching designs. Keep in mind that a few of them are meant to be created on ResumeLab. The rest you can bring onto Word by clicking their Download it free here link.

You’ll be redirected to websites like Good Resume and Resume Genius , which help you quickly download your documents. Then, all you have to do is open them in Microsoft Word.

You’ll also notice that some cover letters on ResumeLab are edited versions of Word’s built-in templates, but this just adds to your selection and gives you more ideas.

2. Template.net

This is a popular site for templates of all kinds, including cover letters. For some designs, you pay a small fee, but Template.net has an impressive range of free options, too. What’s more, the download process is very easy.

Just browse its collection, click on a design you like, and select the Word button under Download Free Template . In the next window, hit Free Download . If you’re not signed in already, you’ll be asked to as the final step.

Follow Best Practices for Cover Letters

Familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts of writing a cover letter . Remember these guidelines when selecting and customizing a template or crafting a cover letter from scratch. They boil down to the following rules.

1. Research Potential Employers

Do your research before writing or designing your cover letter. Get to know each company and even the recruiter you’re addressing. It’s the same strategy as tailoring your resume for different job types .

2. Tailor Your Cover Letter

When showcasing your skills and interest in a position, use your research to tailor your letter so that it grabs the recruiter’s attention and impresses them. Be smart, enthusiastic, and concise with your words.

3. Use Your Blank Space Wisely

Aim to limit your cover letter to one page. Any more than that, and you risk losing the recruiter’s interest. Think about what you need to say, including important and relevant details not covered in your resume. Express these things as succinctly as possible.

4. Your Visuals Should Complement and Not Overwhelm the Letter

Add a bit of color and texture, going for a subtle effect. You could even use some small icons, as long as they’re tasteful and discreet. Whatever you choose, keep these visuals on the letter’s edges, and don’t let them dominate the text.

5. Master Word’s Features That Benefit Cover Letters

For example, you can create your cover letter more efficiently by setting the text’s boundaries from the get-go. To do this, go to Layout > Margins . From the same toolbar, you can adjust paragraph spacing and indentation.

Through Insert > Pictures , you can import an image of your signature and place it at the end of the letter. Your header and footer can be customized from here, too.

Even the Mailing toolbar might be of interest. It can help streamline the process of writing and sending letters, as well as keeping track of recipients.

Good Planning and Wording Make the Best Cover Letters

Between Microsoft and other providers, you have access to a wide selection of templates for simple but attractive cover letters that you can personalize on Word. The app itself is full of useful writing and editing tools.

With this leg up, designing a cover letter for every occasion is easier. Sound research and planning in terms of how to approach each application can help polish the letter even more.