Illinois Institute of Technology · Career Services

Job Shadowing

Experience a day in the life of your future career — at no cost, on your own schedule, or alongside an Illinois Tech corporate visit.

Job shadowing lets you see what a career is actually like — beyond job titles, salary ranges, and online descriptions. You spend a few hours or a full day observing a professional at work, asking the questions you cannot answer from a search engine, and discovering whether a field genuinely fits who you are becoming.

At Illinois Tech, job shadowing is free, flexible, and entirely supported by Career Services. Arrange one yourself, partner with a coach to identify the right host, or join one of our annual Spring Break Corporate Visits to experience top employers as a group.

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Three Pathways

How to Find a Shadow

Arrange Your Own

Reach out directly through your existing network — family, friends of family, neighbors, Illinois Tech alumni on LinkedIn, professors, or contacts from career events. You have more reachable connections than you think.

II.

Partner with a Career Coach

Book a Career Services appointment to identify the right host, draft your outreach message, and prepare for the experience. Free, year-round, no Elevate enrollment required.

III.

Join a Spring Break Corporate Visit

Each spring, Career Services organizes group visits to top employers — consulting firms, engineering practices, healthcare systems, financial institutions, and technology companies. Watch the Elevate events calendar for application windows.

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Where Students Have Gone

Illinois Tech’s Industry Partners

Past shadowing and corporate visit hosts span every major sector — engineering, technology, consulting, finance, healthcare, government, architecture, and infrastructure:

Epic Systems
Mitsubishi Electric Automation
Grainger
APL Logistics
Sargent & Lundy
Chicago Transit Authority
Illinois Department of Transportation
Colliers Engineering & Design
ARCO Construction
City of Chicago
Corgan Architects
Brindley Engineering

Current Illinois Tech Featured Employers are maintained on the Elevate platform.

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The Next Step

Beyond Shadowing: Micro-Internships

Career Services also connects students to micro-internships — short, paid, deliverable-driven projects typically lasting one to four weeks. Shadow first to confirm fit, then take on a short project with the same employer to demonstrate capability. Ask a Career Services coach about current opportunities.

“You learn more about a career from an afternoon in the room than from a year of reading about it.”

Practical Guidance

Making the Most of It

Before: research the host and their organization, prepare eight to ten thoughtful questions, confirm logistics, and bring a notebook and a resume.

During: arrive early, dress appropriately, stay curious, take notes, and respect your host’s time and confidential information.

After: send a personalized thank-you email within twenty-four hours, connect on LinkedIn, reflect honestly on what you learned, and document the experience in your Elevate portfolio.

Sample Outreach

Subject: Illinois Tech Student — Job Shadow Request
Dear [Name], I am a [year] student at Illinois Institute of Technology studying [major], exploring careers in [field]. Your work at [Company] caught my attention because [specific reason]. Would you be open to letting me shadow you for a few hours or a day? I am flexible on timing. Thank you for considering. — [Your Name, Phone, Email, LinkedIn]

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Curated Resources