How do you ask an institution or professional for shadowing opportunities?
I am currently a college psychology student. There is a particular clinical institution that I would be interested in doing some shadowing at.
My problem is that I'm not sure how to ask if shadowing opportunities are available when I have no prior relationship with the institution.
My target institution does not list contact information for specific staff members. The only way I can contact them is by showing up at their location (which I am able to do), or by phone, which are typically for referrals (this institution mostly provides counseling services.)
The reason I wish to shadow is to build a relationship with the institution to allow for a possible future internship. I also would like to experience what some of these professionals do on a day-to-day basis because I might end up liking this area of my major.
How do I present myself as a desirable shadowing candidate when I'm going in cold? And how exactly do I ask for this type of opportunity? Thanks!
#psychology #clinical-psychology #therapy #job-shadowing #networking #professional-development #career-planning #career-exploration #communication-skills
6 answers
John’s Answer
I wonder if these professionals have LinkedIn profiles? If so, you could reach out to them via LinkedIn. I would also encourage you to utilize your network. In talking to your current or former teachers and classmates, you have no idea who might know someone at your target institute. You can also look at your school on LN and see what alumni might be working there, and reach out to them.
Leah’s Answer
I love that you are looking to do this; it shows great initiative!
My recommendation is to first realize that many people want to share their career information, paths, and insights with others, so once you find the right starting point I think you will discover that people will be receptive to your request.
Some ways to get in touch with people are:
- Ask your professors, friends, parents of friends, and anyone you know if they have any contacts in the area(s) you are interested in.
- Take a look on Linked In for potential people to reach out to
- Go to your Career Center at school (if you are a student) and ask them for contacts and references
Please keep in mind that you should always have your goals and some questions prepared, so that you put yourself in a position to learn and get the most out of the experience.
Best of luck!
Angela’s Answer
Sharon’s Answer
You can try researching about this institution and reflecting on why you'd like to shadow and eventually work for that particular institution. See if you can describe that in a few words, and see if there's anyone at all listed online or through word of mouth that you could reach out to there to ask about potential opportunities. If these people are on LinkedIn, read a little bit about them.
Then, you mentioned that sometimes, the best way is to show up and meet staff to ask about opportunities. Try to be as personal as possible - describe what you're interested in (shadowing), why you're interested (what you like about the institution), and see if they have any open positions or any criteria for students to shadow. If not, ask if you can give them your email / resume / some sort of way to contact you so that if they do eventually have those opportunities in the future, they'd be able to reach you.
Sharon recommends the following next steps:
Christine Warden
Christine’s Answer
See if you can identify the right people to talk with before you visit or call. Does the institution list its divisions? Are you able to locate an organizational group that deals with hiring, Human Resources, or outreach ? Those might be the people to speak with first.
In addition, I definitely agree with some of the comments above, that LinkedIn could be a valuable resource and that showing up before most staff get into the full swing of their day is a good idea. Best of luck!
