Work Shadowing for Postdocs: Explore Careers Beyond Academia

Work shadowing gives you the chance to observe a professional outside academia, ask questions, and reflect on whether the role or sector aligns with your career interests. Each host has outlined their offer on Handshake. Typical activities may include introductions, observing meetings, time for reflection, or an “information interview.” 
Important: shadowing is purely observational, unpaid, and not part of a recruitment process.

We know postdocs are busy, so the scheme is designed to be flexible. Hosts have been asked to offer between half a day and three days of shadowing. Details will be given in each Handshake listing. 

We ask applicants to answer pre-and post-shadowing surveys to help us understand the impact of the scheme and shape its future. To be able to participate in the work shadowing scheme, please make sure you have completed the pre-shadowing survey.

The Careers Service will introduce you to your host by email so you can discuss the opportunity and agree on suitable dates. You’ll then be asked to sign a short agreement between you, your host, and the Careers Service. After completing your work shadowing, we’ll ask you to fill out a post-shadowing survey. You’ll also be invited to a one-to-one appointment with a careers consultant to reflect on your experience. 

Yes. Work shadowing opportunities are listed on Handshake, and you’ll need to apply directly through the platform. Once registered, you can also browse job vacancies, book one-to-one appointments with a careers consultant, and sign up for careers events. 

Only those registered as a postdoc can apply for work shadowing opportunities. To register as a postdoc on Handshake, please complete the registration form. This will provide us with the required information to change your status. Please note, this can take up to 3 working days.

To ensure the programme runs smoothly for both postdocs and host employers, applicants must have at least 3 months remaining on their contract as of 1 April 2026 (Round 2).

If your contract ends before then, we can still support you in exploring similar opportunities at Cambridge, such as:

• Informational interviews and networking to learn more about roles and sectors that interest you.
• Self-sourced work shadowing by reaching out to Cambridge alumni or professionals on LinkedIn to observe their work and gain insights.
• 1:1 career appointments to help you plan next steps, draft messages, or prepare applications. Appointments run online throughout the week.

We aim to source opportunities across a breadth of sectors, but this pilot can’t cover every area. New opportunities will be added in future rounds. In the meantime, read Exploring career possibilities. Further resources on arranging your own experiential learning opportunities will also be available from Easter Term

Yes. You can reapply in the next cycle (March 2026) if you still meet the eligibility criteria. Future rounds may be available subject to funding.

Yes. The Expression of Interest survey helped us gauge interest in the programme, but it isn’t an application. To take part, you’ll need to complete the pre-shadowing survey and apply for a specific opportunity. See How to apply for further information. We’re very grateful to everyone who submitted an EOI. 

The final selection and matching process will be carried out by the Careers Service using the criteria and taking into account each host's preferred background or discipline. Applications will be assessed for each opportunity and ranked accordingly. You will be matched if you rank highest for an opportunity. We encourage you to apply for the all the opportunities that interest you. As places are limited, applying to multiple opportunities can increase your chances of being matched.   

Start by doing some background research on your host organisation. Think about what you’d like to learn and prepare questions in advance so you can make the most of your time together. Work shadowing often includes an informational interview - a curiosity-driven conversation about someone’s work and career path. This can be a valuable way to deepen your understanding of the role and sector. To get started, we recommend reading Informational Interviews: get your career questions answered! for ideas on the kinds of questions you might ask your host. 

That’s absolutely fine. Eliminating options is part of career decision-making. After your work shadowing, you’ll have a one-to-one appointment with a careers consultant to reflect and consider next steps. 

If you haven’t discussed non-academic careers with your PI before, it may feel sensitive. You could frame the scheme as professional development, supported by the Researcher Development Concordat, which allows for 10 days of professional development time including career exploration. Some postdocs will prefer to wait until they’ve been offered a work shadowing experience before mentioning it. Be ready to explain how you’ll manage your workload around the shadowing.  

All participants are offered a one-to-one appointment with a Careers Consultant to reflect on their experience and explore next steps. You’re also welcome to book an appointment at any time during your postdoc.

Postdocs can access a wide range of support to help with career planning and development. The Careers Service offers tailored advice, events, and resources - learn more on our Careers Support for Postdocs page. For details on services available across the University, explore the Postdoc Academy Guide to University Services.

This is a pilot, and we welcome your questions. We’ll update FAQs as the pilot advances. Please contact Isha Verma, Postdoctoral Work Shadowing Coordinator if you have any further questions.