Typically anything from a few hours (usually ad hoc) to a full week (e.g. where it forms part of a recruitment campaign).

A student acts as a guest or observer, with a keen interest in your business, role or sector.

Work shadowing is a welcome outcome for a student approaching you speculatively, where you do not have anything more substantial that you can currently offer

It can be a great way to showcase your organisation, build relationships with student cohorts or departments, gain an early insight into student motivations and priorities and what they are looking for in a role and encourage your staff to reflect on their work and career as they talk about what motivates and challenges them, potentially using presentation or other interpersonal skills.

Students will tend to be pro-active, but it is always helpful to make it clear on your website, myAdvantage profile or Linkedin profile, that you are open to work shadowing requests. You could even advertise a period in which you particularly welcome work shadowing, via a myAdvantage advert.

Although you may want to spend time talking about their observations (some of which may be a surprise!), the student is only visiting, is not undertaking work of any sort and, as such, there are no pay costs.

However, good practice would be to provide reasonable travel costs and expenses if possible, especially if you feel that their insights have been useful.