Job Shadowing
Exploring careers is easier when you can see them in action. Brandeis at Work: Job Shadowing connects you with professionals who open their workplaces and share their experiences. By observing real-world environments, you’ll gain perspective on different career paths and a clearer sense of where your interests may lead.
What you’ll do:
- Build your professional network
- Learn about careers directly from professionals
- Get insights from industry leaders
- See how skills and qualifications are applied on the job
- Observe a typical workday
- Make connections that may lead to future jobs or internships
Who can participate
This program is open to all undergraduate students, across all majors and class years. Participation is unpaid. International students do not need work authorization since job shadowing involves only observation and conversation, not hands-on work.
Format
Job shadowing experiences are shaped by the host’s availability. They may take place virtually or in person, one-on-one or in a small group, and can last from a few hours to a full day.
Spring 2026 Opportunities
Browse and apply for opportunities on Handshake. New hosts are added throughout the semester. To apply, you’ll submit a current resume, short statement of interest and indicate your availability to meet with the host.
Application deadlines are in each Handshake listing.
Museum & Education
Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation
Location: Waltham, MA (In-Person)
Host: Stephen Anthony Guerriero, MA ’15, Director of Education
Step behind the scenes at a vibrant industrial history museum and experience what it’s like to bring history to life! During this immersive shadow day, you’ll gain insight into the many roles and responsibilities that keep a small museum running.
Brandeis University Press (coming soon)
Location: Waltham, MA (In-Person)
Host: Sue Ramin, Director
Experience what it’s like to be part of a small but dynamic publishing team bringing powerful ideas and important stories to life. At Brandeis University Press, you’ll spend the day shadowing professionals across key roles in the editorial, production, and marketing sides of the publishing world.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (coming soon)
Location: Boston, MA (In-Person)
Host: Samantha Goldman, BA ’14, Associate Director for Student Engagement and Experience
Step into student life at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. During this immersive experience, you'll follow the Associate Director for Student Engagement & Experience - a role that shapes every part of the student journey, from orientation and housing to student organizations, major events, and more.
Business - Investment & Finance
Beacon Pointe
Location: Waltham, MA (In-Person)
Host: Robert Santamaria, BA ’16, Relationship Manager
Beacon Pointe will show students the full picture of how a successful financial advisory firm operates. From client strategy to operational support, you'll gain a well-rounded view of the industry and meet professionals at various stages in their careers, including recent grads who were in your shoes not long ago.
G2 Capital Advisors
Location: Boston, MA (In-Person)
Host: Rachel Slayton, BA ’20, Senior Associate Talent
Spend a day with G2, an investment bank specializing in capital markets and corporate restructuring across a variety of industries. This job shadowing experience gives you an inside look at the fast-paced world of finance and helps you explore potential career paths in the field.
Wolf & Company, P.C. (registration live on January 27)
Location: Boston, MA (In-Person)
Host: Wolf & Company Human Resources & Talent Acquisition
Come explore the world of public accounting and connect with industry professionals at Wolf & Company, P.C. With the purpose of informing students about all that public accounting has to offer, we welcome students of all years, especially those who are considering the major or generally looking to learn more.
Science & Healthcare
EVERSANA
Location: Chicago, IL (Virtual) or Boston, MA (Virtual or In-Person)
Hosts: Noah Mark, BA ’19, MA ’21, Senior Consultant
Find out what it's really like to work in the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of pharmaceuticals and healthcare consulting with this experience. EVERSANA is providing a front-row seat to the cutting edge of healthcare strategy, research, and innovation by showcasing how data, policy, business, and science collide to shape the future of healthcare.
Government, Politics, & Social/Public Service
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs (EOEEA)
Location: Boston, MA (In-Person)
Host: Mia Mansfield, BA '10, Assistant Secretary for Resilience
Explore the center of Massachusetts’ climate and environmental leadership through this in-person job shadowing experience with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs (EOEEA). This opportunity offers an inside look at how environmental policy is shaped, debated, and put into action at the state level.
Office of the State Treasurer & Receiver General of Massachusetts
Location: Boston, MA (In-Person)
Host: Jill Donohue, HR Team Lead, Talent Acquisition
Step inside one of the most influential offices in Massachusetts state government and see how public service turns policy into real-world impact. This in-person job shadowing experience with the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General of Massachusetts offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how government agencies operate, and the diverse careers that make the work possible.
Contractor @ U.S. Department of State
Location: Washington, D.C. (Virtual)
Host: Joshua Kaye, BA ’13, Management Analyst
Explore what it’s really like to build a career at the intersection of government, policy, and global affairs through this virtual job shadowing experience with a Brandeis alum living and working in Washington, DC as a contractor at the U.S. Department of State. This opportunity offers a behind-the-scenes look at public service careers and how students from a wide range of academic backgrounds can thrive in this space.
Student Testimonials
See what Brandeis students are saying about their Job Shadow Program experience.
In the News
Brandeis Stories: The reality of going virtual
December 18, 2025
Most job shadowing happens in person, following someone through hallways and conference rooms. But for Chiara De Meglio ’27, three hours of virtual meetings at healthcare consulting firm EVERSANA revealed something she hadn’t considered: how modern teams actually work.
Brandeis Stories: Behind the scenes - A Brandeis student’s job shadowing experience at Harvard
December 5, 2025
When Esther Bistricer ’26 signed up to shadow a Brandeis alum at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, she expected to explore careers steeped in research. Instead, she discovered something unexpected: a glimpse inside the world of higher education administration.
Brandeis Stories: Job shadowing helped this business major hone his career skills
December 2, 2025
Matthew Chafin ’27 is no stranger to the winding path of self-discovery and career exploration. Beyond the classroom, Chafin has sought out career experiences to help shape his professional ambitions. But it wasn’t until sophomore year that he began working with the Hiatt Career Center to build his resume, craft cover letters, hone his interviewing and networking skills, and develop a strategy for landing a meaningful internship in finance for next summer.
WGBH: Brandeis bets big on rebuilding the liberal arts around real world skills
December 2, 2025
Between Miriam Grodin’s classes, shifts at the student newspaper and work in the campus development office, she’s spent part of the fall semester job shadowing staff at the book publisher tucked behind the stacks in the library.