How to Put Shadowing on Your Resume (+ Examples)

Do you lack experience? If you’re new to the working world, one way to get ahead of the competition is by shadowing a professional. This move gives you industry experience and a wealth of knowledge right off the bat. However, you need to know how to put shadowing on your resume to show this off.

In the following guide, we’ll share our top tips for getting this right from the start. Plus, we have some adaptable examples you can use when you need some inspiration.

If you’ve previously shadowed a professional, don’t be afraid to brag about it. As we’ll cover in this guide, there are plenty of ways to share your experience on your resume.

What is shadowing?

Shadowing is a great way for you to get industry experience ahead of starting work. This is when you follow and observe a working professional in their daily role to gain insights into the job, industry, and workplace dynamics. Typically, shadowing experiences last a matter of months.

In some professions—such as the medical field—shadowing is extremely common. For example, student doctors often shadow mentors to see whether the role suits them. However, this form of work experience is by no means confined to that industry.

Whatever your career aspirations, organizing a shadowing experience is a savvy way to get a taste of the job and see whether it’s right for you.

Difference between shadowing and other experiences

Shadowing differs from other experiences on your resume. For example, you may have internships, volunteer work, and formal training that you want to list.

These are all invaluable but you shouldn’t confuse them with formal shadowing. The main difference here is that shadowing involves following a professional in their day-to-day work. Other forms of experience don’t have this feature, which makes them unique.

When a hiring manager sees that you’ve done this, they’ll instantly understand the level of training you’ve had. Observing a professional’s daily tasks means that you have a clear knowledge of what the job entails. That’ll surely be a huge bonus as you can quickly get to grips with the job.

Benefits of including shadowing on a resume

First, let’s talk about why you should have shadowing on your resume. As we’ve already said, this can make your resume stand out from the crowd. But what other advantages does it have?

How to format shadowing on a resume

Formatting matters when you’re including shadowing on your resume. The aim of the game is to give the hiring manager all the information they need. You want this to be clear and concise.

Let’s take a look at the information you need to add here:

Company or organization

First up, list the company or organization where you completed this experience. You should put the full company name at the top of each entry.

Location

Next, you don’t have to provide the full address of the business. This is an outdated approach. Instead, simply give the location — e.g. the city and state.

Dates of experience

This next part is important as it tells the hiring manager how recent the experience was and how long it lasted. Include the month and the year of the start and end. For example, you might write something like “Mar 2021 - Aug 2021.”

Vital tasks and achievements

Here’s where the bragging starts. Be clear about what tasks you tried your hand at and any achievements you gained along the way. Wherever possible, add metrics to back up the claims you make. This will allow the hiring manager to quickly and easily see how valuable you could be.

Name and title of professional (optional)

Finally, you must identify who you shadowed. You can detail their name and job title. You may also want to elaborate on this experience when writing your summary or cover letter.

Where to include shadowing on a resume: four options

Next up, let’s talk about where to list shadowing on your resume. You have four distinct options you can choose from. Read the below and then decide which one works best for you.

Work experience section

Adding your shadowing to your work experience section is a logical move. If your shadow experience aligns with the other positions on your resume, this is the way to go. You can slot this in as you would any other job, in reverse chronological order.

However, you should make it obvious that this was a shadowing placement. You don’t want the hiring manager to think it was a full-time position.

Let’s take a look at an example below.

Education

While shadowing is a type of work experience, it’s also a type of education. So, it can be slid easily into either section. When listing it in your education section, place it in reverse chronological order as well. Below the main information, you can add bullet points that flesh out what you’ve learned.

Check out our example for inspiration.

Dedicated section

Do you have more than one shadowing experience? If so, you can create a dedicated section on your resume. Use the same structure you’d use for a work experience section. However, you should make it 100% clear that this is a shadowing section by adding a label.

Take a look at how that would appear below.

Summary

Your summary is often the first thing a hiring manager reads. If you want to draw special attention to your shadowing experience, mention it up top. Weave the experience into the narrative in this short and sweet paragraph. Be clear about how it’s readied you for the job opening.

We’ve created an example for you to see how this works.

Tailor your shadowing experience with keywords

Now that you’re clear on where you can include your shadowing experience, let’s talk about tailoring your resume. You should always take the time to adapt your application for each new job application.

Refer back to the original job advert and pick out keywords that align with the role and industry. Use these when talking about your shadowing experience. This approach is a subtle way to draw a direct comparison between the shadowing work you’ve done and the vacancy you’re applying for.

Not only will this move help you put yourself in the best position, it may also allow you to rank well in the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Some companies use this software to filter incoming resumes and determine how well they match the job. Using keywords is the best way to get ahead slide past these screenings.

Downloadable template

Want to showcase your shadowing experience on your resume? We’ve got a simple drag-and-drop resume builder you can use. Simply select one of our many tried and tested templates to begin.

Conclusion

Adding shadowing to your resume immediately bolsters your application. Whether you lack work experience, have changed careers, or work in a field where it’s the norm, you can easily list this detail on your next application. Follow the tips we’ve shared and use our examples to guide you.