Imperial Work Shadowing Scheme
Exclusively for first-year undergraduates, the Imperial Work Shadowing Scheme offers short, high-value insight experiences designed to help you understand how different roles and industries really work.
Work shadowing is a short observational experience, not an internship or work placement. Over 1–3 days during the Spring vacation, you will spend time with professionals in their workplace, gaining insight into their day-to-day work, career journeys and organisational culture. You may attend meetings, discussions or site visits, learn about projects and teams, and have opportunities to ask questions and build your network.
The focus is on learning, exploration and exposure rather than hands-on work, helping you make more informed decisions about your future and feel more confident navigating career options early in your degree.
If you have any questions about the scheme, please contact us at workshadowing@imperial.ac.uk.
Work shadowing tabs
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR SPRING 2026!
Please review the application process below.
Host Recruitment
Employers large and small from a range of different industries and sectors are invited to register as Work Shadowing Hosts by Imperial. The Work Shadowing Hosts are often companies with an interest in engaging with Imperial students and offering them an opportunity to develop insight into their organisation, roles and teams.
Student Applications
Students should apply to the scheme via the online application form. You will be asked to choose up to three Work Shadowing host profiles from the Work Shadowing Directory in order of preference and explain your motivation for each.
It is not compulsory to select three choices; however, submitting multiple preferences helps us understand your interests and maximises your chances of being successfully matched if certain profiles are oversubscribed.
Work Shadowing places are limited and therefore places on the scheme are competitive. A strong application will:
- Show curiosity about the organisation or sector
- Explain what you hope to learn from the experience
- Demonstrate commitment to your career development and exploration.
Application deadline: 09.00AM Monday 23 February 2026
Matching
All student applications will be reviewed by the Work Shadowing Team after applications close. We aim to make as many suitable matches as possible based on students’ preferences and host availability. If certain host profiles are oversubscribed, priority is given to the strongest applications and students from lower participation groups.
Please note: due to demand, students will be matched to a maximum of one host for one Work Shadowing experience.
If you are successfully matched, you will be invited to a compulsory induction session to help you prepare for the experience and understand professional expectations.
Arranging the Experience
After attending a compulsory induction session, the Careers team will introduce you to your allocated Work Shadowing host and connect you by email to begin finalising the experience and logistics.
Hosts have already specified the dates of their work shadowing opportunities in advance. It is therefore important that you only apply to opportunities where you are fully available on the advertised dates, as these cannot be changed to fit individual vacation plans.
Work Shadowing is a short, unpaid experiential learning opportunity designed to help you observe professionals in their workplace and explore a sector of interest. You will not receive a salary for taking part.
If your Work Shadowing experience takes place outside of Greater London, hosts are encouraged to support reasonable travel expenses where possible. If this is not available, the Careers Service may be able to provide support. Further guidance will be shared during the induction.
Exploring careers early in your degree can make a real difference to the choices you make later on. Work shadowing gives you the chance to step outside the lecture theatre, see how organisations really operate, and start building the knowledge, confidence and connections that will support your future career.
By participating in the Work Shadowing Scheme, you will:
- Explore career paths early in your degree
- Gain a clearer understanding of different job roles and industries
- Observe professionals in action and learn what skills and experience are valued
- Understand how your degree connects to real careers
- Expand your professional network and make valuable industry connections
- Build confidence speaking with professionals
- Strengthen your CV with real-world insights and experience
- Boost your confidence and commercial awareness
- Pick up useful tips to support future job applications and interviews
Work Shadowing experiences are exclusively available to first-year undergraduate students. The scheme is designed specifically to support students at the very start of their career journey, when access to professional insight and networks can be hardest to find.
The Work Shadowing scheme also seeks to advance diversity and inclusion by encouraging the networking propensity of students from underrepresented groups. Whilst matching decisions will be based primarily on the strength of a students application, should the scheme become over-subscribed, priority will be given to students that meet the university's Outreach criteria.
If you are unsuccessful in being matched, we would encourage you to consider applying to the Alumni Mentoring Scheme in your second year. Alternatively, you can now access professional advice and career insights all year round from Imperial's vast graduate community via Ask an Alum.
If you have any questions about the scheme, please contact workshadowing@imperial.ac.uk.