What does Postdoc work shadowing involve?

Work shadowing offers postdocs the chance to observe, learn and reflect on the day-to-day work of a professional. It is designed to give insight into:

  • Typical tasks and responsibilities
  • Key skills and attributes
  • Organisational culture and the work environment

This experience will help postdocs to reflect on their own experiences and skills and evaluate whether a role or sector aligns with their career goals. Our research with former postdocs shows that the hardest parts of transitioning out of academia is making the decision to leave and adjusting to a new environment. Work shadowing is designed to ease that process. 

Three Pillars of Work Shadowing

Hosting a Postdoc

Time commitment: ½ day to 3 days, either in-person, online, or hybrid. 

Purpose: Observation, conversation and reflection – not active work 

Suggested Structure 

Arrival & Welcome 

  • Greet the Postdoc and outline the agenda
  • Introduce your team
  • Provide an overview of your role, the organisation and team structure
  • Tour of the office (if in-person) 

Observation: Routine Tasks and Meetings 

  • Allow the postdoc to observe your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities
  • Invite them to sit in on meetings as appropriate or project site visits if relevant  

Q&A and Debrief 

  • Schedule time for a short debrief/discussion
  • Answer questions about the role, responsibilities or sector 

Informal Conversation 

  • Share your career story, transition opportunities and challenges and lessons learned
  • Introduce the postdoc to colleagues for a broader insight 

Reflection Time 

Time set aside for the postdoctoral researcher to jot down reflections: 

  • What skills or approaches stood out?
  • How does this compare to their current environment?
  • What questions are arising? 

Closing and Feedback 

  • Wrap up with final reflections or questions
  • Agree whether/how you’d like to stay in touch
  • Complete a short feedback form 

Please note the following: 

  • No work is expected: shadowing is purely observational
  • No costs to host – this is an unpaid, exploratory opportunity
  • Not a recruitment process:  we clearly communicate this to postdoc participants. 

How we support you 

  • Support in writing a description of the opportunity offered
  • Advertise the opportunity on our careers platform - Handshake
  • Match a suitable postdoc to your area of expertise
  • Introduce you to the postdoc and support you both in completing a short work shadow agreement.