40 Job Shadowing Questions (With Sample Answers)

• Examples of Questions to Ask During a Job Shadow. Introduction.
• What is your occupation and job title? • …
• What kind of experience was required for this job? • …
• How many hours do you work in a typical week? • …
• What is the salary range for different levels in their field? …
• What do you like best about your job?

Must Ask Job Shadowing Questions To Maximize Any Opportunity | Career Exploration | Ryan Reflects

Questions about the company

These questions can help you learn more about the particular company you are job shadowing at:

• What is your favorite part of working here?

• What is your least favorite part of working here?

• What is the company culture like here?

• What makes this company unique?

• Who are your biggest clients?

• What is the hiring process like here?

• What is the onboarding process like here?

• How do employees bond with one another here?

• What are the main goals of this company?

• Is it easy to talk to high-level employees here?

Questions about their career

Ask these questions to learn more about your guide’s career and the steps they took to get where they are today:

• What did you major in?

• Where did you go to school?

• How did you pick your area of study?

• What interested you the most about this career?

• How has your career changed since you first started?

• What do I need to know to get into this career?

• What is your end goal for your career?

• What is the greatest achievement of your career?

• What kind of growth opportunities are available for this career?

• What tools and resources are new to this career?

Questions about their role

These job shadowing questions are geared toward helping you learn about your guide’s role in the company:

• What can prepare me for this particular role?

• What do you contribute to your team?

• How often do you work alone?

• How often do you collaborate with others?

• Do you ever lead presentations?

• How did you advance to this job title?

• How much of your day is spent at your desk?

• Do you ever travel for this role?

• What advice do you have for someone in this role?

• Do you expect this particular role to look different in a few years?

Job shadowing questions with sample answers

Read through these job shadowing questions with sample answers to know what to expect from your guide’s responses:

• What do you enjoy about your job?

• Can you explain your career path to me?

• If you could redo anything, what would it be?

• What is something about your job that surprises most people?

• What are some common challenges you experience in this role?

• What are the most important hard skills for this role?

• What are the most important soft skills for this role?

• Where did you receive most of your training for this career?

• What does an average day of work look like?

• How did you choose to go into this field?

What do you enjoy about your job?

Ask this question to see if you would enjoy this job. Your guide may answer this question by sharing something about their particular role or the company. Look for a response that focuses on the positive aspects of this job.

Example: “One thing I particularly enjoy about this job is the flexibility in my workday. I can show up to work and leave whenever I want as long as I get my work done. I enjoy working for a company that trusts me. When thinking about my actual role, the part I enjoy the most is how much writing I do every day. If you go into this profession, you need to be a strong writer and have a love for words.”

Can you explain your career path to me?

Use job shadowing as a chance to learn exactly what you need to do to qualify for a certain job. Asking this question helps you learn what background you need for a similar role. Seek an answer that mentions what kind of educational and professional background your guide has.

Example: “In high school, I knew I wanted to earn a four-year degree. I attended a state school that had many majors to choose from. I had always been strong in STEM subjects, so I decided to choose a career path in one of those fields. I narrowed down my major to computer science because I took an introduction to coding course and enjoyed it a lot. Throughout my undergraduate program, I had two different computer science internships. These gave me a good foundation and on-the-job training.

After college, I worked for a startup company in Silicon Valley for three years. Once I felt that I needed a bigger challenge, I applied for my current job. The hiring process took over a month and included a phone interview and an in-person interview. Once I got the job, I had to complete a one-month orientation program. I’ve been here for two years now, and I am going to apply for a promotion next month.”

If you could redo anything, what would it be?

Many people learn valuable life lessons from their mistakes. Asking this question can help you reflect on your current career path and decide if there is anything you would change. A good answer from your guide is honest and thoughtful.

Example: “One thing I would redo is not studying abroad. I always have had a passion for travel, but I never made it a priority during college. If you have the means the study abroad, I would highly recommend doing it. My roommate went to Spain for five months and learned how to be more independent and accepting of other cultures.”

What are the most important hard skills for this role?

Hard skills are the technical skills you need for a job. This question can help you learn which hard skills you should focus on developing. Your guide is likely to share the skills they use every day in their role.

Example: “If you want to also become a graphic designer, then its important to learn the Adobe Creative Suite. I use this software every single day of work. Another hard skill you need is HTML/CSS. Learning this code is helpful when designing websites.”

10 Questions to Ask When Job Shadowing

To get the most out of your experience, consider asking the person you are shadowing these questions:

• What types of skills do you need for this job?
• How has your training or education helped you with this career?
• What do you like most about the job?
• Has the position changed or evolved over time? If so, how?
• What presents the biggest challenges for you with this job?
• What is the career path? What are the advancement opportunities associated with this job?
• What are some of the most important things I need to know to succeed in this role?
• What helped you the most when you were starting out?
• Can you describe your typical day at work?
• Is there anything you can tell me that someone might not know about this job?

Doing a shadow interview instead of a conventional one can teach you things that are easier to learn by seeing and doing than by telling. You can only learn so much by watching training videos, reading training materials, and listening to lectures. If you need to learn how to operate a specific piece of machinery, for example, the best way is to watch someone else do it first. It can also be easier to remember how to do something if you actively do it yourself, with the help and guidance of someone with experience right there to assist you.

Repetition is the key to storing things in your memory bank, NBC News explains. There are several things you can do to help you better absorb the information that may be coming at you at a rapid pace during a job shadowing shift.

• Get a good nights sleep the night before, and eat a healthy breakfast that morning. These will keep your energy and stamina up and also make it easier to focus.
• Dress for success, but also be sure to wear comfortable shoes if you are likely to be on your feet most of the day. Arrive early and ready to work.
• Take the job seriously. Remember you are actually working and need to be present and engaged.
• Pay attention and really concentrate on what your mentor or interviewer is saying to you. It can be beneficial to bring a notebook and write down pertinent information.
• Dont be afraid to ask questions. Clarify things and work to relate them to things you understand to better store them in your memory bank.
• Learn the communication style in the office or field, and learn how things are done.
• Read all pertinent documents carefully.
• Ask for feedback at the end of the day.

Review your experience at the end of the day or shift with the person you were shadowing to better solidify the experience in your brain. This also allows you to hear their perspective on how things went and what the expectations are.

What are some common challenges you experience in this role?

Asking this question can help you prepare for the challenges that may arise in this role. You can determine if its worth overcoming these challenges to work in this role. Your guide may share an answer that discusses common challenges and how to cope with them.

Example: “The most common challenge I experience as a nurse is communicating with families. I find that parents need someone to explain something to them multiple times to fully understand it. I completely understand their point of view since they may feel worried while their child is ill, but I find that this process requires a lot of patience and compassion.”