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Stuckert Career Center

UK Job Shadow Program

Job Shadow Graphic

 

The University of Kentucky (UK) has created the UK Job Shadow Program to give students an opportunity to “shadow,” observe, and follow someone in their potential career field. All job shadow placements are coordinated by UK’s Stuckert Career Center. This program is intended to support students exploring their academic major and to provide early exposure to professional career pathways.  

 

The UK Job Shadow Program will be offered for both fall and spring terms. These opportunities are set for a short period of time, anywhere from 2-15 hours with one host site over 8 weeks.  

 

Program Contact Information: 

expblue@uky.edu  

go.uky.edu/careerjobshadow 

Program Benefits for Students

By participating in this program students will benefit from: 

  • Shadowing professionals in a field of interest. 
  • Networking with industry professionals. 
  • Receiving personalized coaching and mentorship. 
  • Learning about industry training and development. 
  • Observing real projects and initiatives. 
  • Learning more about industry and the host site. 

Student Learning Outcomes

By participating in the UK Job Shadow Program students will be able to reflect critically and articulate their growth in the following:  

  • Career Exploration & Clarity: Understanding career paths, workplace realities, and confirming long-term professional interests. 
  • Professional Skill Development: Understanding of communication, professionalism, confidence, and technology in the workplace. 
  • Clinical & Hands-On Exposure: Gaining direct exposure to healthcare or real-world professional environments 
  • Networking & Future Opportunities: Understanding of workplace relationship-building, mentorship, and future career opportunities. 

Host Site Registration Information

Host Sites will have the opportunity to register to be a UK Job Shadow host between July 1 and August 15. Applications are submitted through a UK Qualtrics Form. Items that are requested in the application include: 

  • There is no fee to be a host site. 

 

Details on Registration Form: 

  • Employer Description (One Sentence) 
  • Employer Website Link 
  • Host Site Contact 1 Information 
  • Host Site Contact 2 Information 
    • Please inform Host Site Contact 2 that they will be listed as an alternate contact. 
    • If no second contact, please list NA.
  • Physical Address of the job shadow experience. 
    • The address should be within 2-hour drive from the Lexington campus. 
    • The experience should be in-person. 
    • You should include student travel time with your experience.
  • Select the type of job shadowing opportunities you are willing to provide from a curated list. 
  • How many students are willing to host?  
    • You can provide individual or group experiences.
  • Describe the job shadow experience. (2-3 sentences)  
    • If offering different experiences at multiple locations, please list location 1, location 2, and so on.
    • This description will be provided on the student application.
  • Optional Information
    • Required forms or procedures that we should advise students to anticipate.
    • Additional space for you to provide anything else you would like us to know about. 

Host Site Program Details

  • Should be within a two hour drive from the Lexington campus.  
  • Can either be one student or a group of students.  
  • Can be on one day or over multiple days within the 8 weeks period.  
  • Should be on-site only.  
  • Can be between 2 and 15 hours.  
  • Two pathways to provide an experience; healthcare and non-healthcare. 
  • Can choose to provide a meal for student participants.
    • NOT a requirement.
  • Are asked to complete a program orientation.  
  • Are asked to submit the UK Job Shadow Program- Experience Agreement Form (Details agreed upon by host site and student.  
  • Are asked to provide feedback in The UK Job Shadow Program- Host Site After Experience Survey. 

Potential Host Site Activities

  • Providing a tour of facility/office space. 
  • Providing an overview of the organization’s mission, vision, operations, staff divisions, and organizational charts. 
  • Sharing information on career history, industry trends, and professional associations. 
  • Discussing the student’s career interests and questions. 
  • Inviting the student to observe meetings, conference calls, or other events. 
  • Reviewing the student’s resume, LinkedIn profile, and other professional documents. 
  • Arranging informational interviews for the student. 
  • Exploring potential career paths within the organization and the profession. 
  • Discussing certifications, trainings, or experiences that create strong candidates for internships/co-ops or full-time positions. 

Estimated Program Timeline

July 01 to August 15- Host Site Registration  

August 24 to September 18- Student Application Submission  

 

Fall  

  • September 21 to September 25- UK Job Shadow Confirmation  
  • September 21 to September 29- Voluntary student opt out period/Student Orientation/OLE Requirements Due 
  • September 30 to October 02- Student(s) will send introduction email to Host Site Coordinators  
  • September 30 to December 02- Job Shadow Experience  
  • December 07- Student Program Activities Due 
  • December 10- Student Wrap -Up Meeting 

 

 

Spring  

  • February 01 to February 05- UK Job Shadow Confirmation  
  • February 01 to February 12- Voluntary student opt out period/Student Orientation/OLE Requirements Due  
  • February 15 to February 19- Student(s) will send introduction email to Host Site Coordinators  
  • February 15 to April 16- Job Shadow Experience  
  • April 19- Student Program Activities Due 
  • April 22- Student Wrap-Up Meeting 

Student Application Information

Students will have the opportunity to apply to be a UK Job Shadow participant between August 24 and September 18.  Applications can be accessed by clicking the links below:

When you click on the event you will then see a "Register" button. Click on the "Register" button and it will open the application. 

 

Items that are requested in the application include: 

  • Student Information 
    • Contact Information 
    • Updated Resume 
    • Confirm good academic and conduct standing with the University of Kentucky 
    • Confirm that you are 18 years or older 
    • Confirm that the University of Kentucky will not provide financial and transportation services for this experience
  • Job Shadow Interest 
    • Choose Career Communities 
    • Choose Career Area of Focus 
  • Review Host Site List 
    • There will be 25+ Host Sites listed 
      • Have a way to write down your host sites of interest and their locations. You will include the information in the next section.
  • Choose Three Host Sites of Interest 
  • Short Essay: Why are you interested in participating in the UK Job Shadow Program? 
  • Student Code of Conduct Review 
  • Signature for Confirmation of Submission 

Student Information Sessions and Program Orientation

Students will be provided with the opportunity to attend an information session to learn more about the program before applying. 

  • Students will go to Handshake Events and Register for one of the UK Job Shadow Program Drop-In Hours. 

 

Students that will be participating in the UK Job Shadow program will be required to complete an asynchronous orientation through Canvas. Canvas Course- UK Job Shadow- Module One- orientation video content that will be reviewed will include: 

  • What is job shadowing? 
  • How is the UK job Shadow Program structured? 
  • UK Job Shadow timeline. 
  • Review of steps for students who wish to opt-out or decline the experience.
  • What are the student participation expectations? 
    • Complete Orientation Quiz 
    • Send Introduction Email to Host Site 
    • Healthcare Pathway students confirm OLE Requirements 
    • Complete UK Job Shadow Program Agreement with the Host Site  
      • Host Site will submit 
    • Complete experience 
    • Post experience on LinkedIn 
    • Send a Thank You to the Host Site 
    • UK Job Shadow Reflection 
    • UK Job Shadow Wrap-Up Meeting 
  • What are the Host Site Expectations? 
  • What to do if there is an issue? 
  • Job Shadow tips and recommendations. 

Students will be provided with an opportunity to meet in-person if they have any program questions. 

  • Registration for the in-person opportunities will be through Handshake Events between September 30 and December 02 for fall term and February 15 and April 16 for spring term. 

Matching Process

The UK Job Shadow coordinating committee will review all student applications between based on a set of criteria (listed below). Students and host sites are matched based on the responses they share in the student application and host site registration. If a successful match is found, students and host sites will be connected to their pairing via email. 

 

 Matching data points would include: 

  • Student Major/Minor 
  • Career communities 
  • Career area of focus 
  • Student’s three host sites of interest 

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