Shadow & Soar
See the job. Shape your future.
Shadow & Soar is a University of North Dakota job shadowing program that connects students with employers for short-term observational experiences. The program provides students with meaningful career exposure while giving employers the opportunity to showcase their organization, industry, and career pathways.
Through Shadow & Soar, students explore career interests, build professional connections, and gain insight into workplace expectations while employers help shape and develop the future workforce.
Student Opportunities
- Explore potential career paths
- Observe professionals in the workplace
- Learn about skills employers value
- Build professional connections
- Gain confidence in career decision-making
Employer Opportunities
- Connect with UND students early
- Showcase workplace culture and career paths
- Support student career exploration
- Promote opportunities within their industry
- Strengthen partnership with UND
Program Timeline
- May 14, 2026: Shadow & Soar Launch Event
- August 2026: Employer registration opens
- October 1, 2026: Student registration opens
- October 20, 2026: Student Registration Event
- November 11, 2026: Job Shadowing Day
Get Started
Register for Shadow & Soar Job Shadowing
Explore careers, connect with professionals, and gain real-world insight through a job shadow experience.
How the Program Works
- Students register to participate in the Shadow & Soar program
- Students are matched with employers based on interests and availability
- Job shadows are typically half-day or full-day experiences
- Students observe daily tasks, attend meetings (when appropriate), and learn about career paths
- No prior experience is required
- Career Services provides preparation and guidance before the shadow experience
Why Participate?
As a student participant, you can:
- Explore potential career paths before committing
- Gain real-world insight into a professional work environment
- Build connections with professionals in your field of interest
- Learn about skills employers value
- Ask questions about career paths and industry trends
- Strengthen your confidence in career decision-making
- Enhance your resume with career exploration experience
Example Job Shadow Activities
During your Shadow & Soar experience, you may:
- Tour the workplace
- Observe daily responsibilities
- Attend meetings or team discussions
- Participate in informational Q&A with staff
- Learn about career paths and required skills
- Discuss industry trends and opportunities
Student Commitment
Participating in Shadow & Soar is simple. Students are asked to:
- Register for the program
- Communicate professionally with host employers
- Arrive on time and prepared for the experience
- Participate actively and ask questions
- Follow workplace expectations and guidelines
- Complete any requested reflection or feedback after the experience
What Students Should Know
- Job shadows are observational experiences
- Students are not expected to perform work tasks
- No prior experience is required
- Experiences are typically half-day or full-day
- Students may participate in one or more job shadows
- Business casual or professional attire may be required (varies by host)
- Transportation may be required depending on host location
Shadow & Soar is designed to be a flexible, low-pressure way to explore careers and learn from professionals.
Ready to Participate?
Student registration will open in October 2026. Additional details will be shared once registration becomes available.
We encourage you to:
- Think about careers or industries you want to explore
- Prepare questions you may want to ask professionals
- Watch for registration announcements from Career Services
Questions?
Steffanie Young
steffanie.young@UND.edu
701.777.3906
Host a UND student, showcase your organization, and help students learn about careers in your industry.
How the Program Works
- Employers volunteer to host a student for a job shadow experience
- Job shadows are typically half-day or full-day experiences (flexible based on employer availability)
- Students observe daily tasks, attend meetings (when appropriate), and learn about career paths
- No formal project or internship commitment is required
- UND coordinates student preparation and provides guidance for hosts
Why Participate?
As a host employer, you can:
- Build early connections with UND students
- Showcase your organization and workplace culture
- Support student career exploration
- Promote career pathways within your industry
- Strengthen your partnership with the University of North Dakota
- Help develop the future workforce
Example Job Shadow Activities
- Workplace tour
- Observe daily responsibilities
- Attend meetings or team discussions
- Informational Q&A with staff
- Learn about career paths and required skills
- Discuss industry trends and opportunities
Employer Commitment
Participating in Shadow & Soar is simple. Host employers are asked to:
- Host one or more students for a job shadow experience
- Provide a point of contact for scheduling
- Offer an overview of your organization and role(s)
- Allow time for student questions and discussion
That’s it — no hiring commitment or long-term obligation required.
What Hosts Do NOT Have to Do
To keep participation simple and flexible, host employers are not expected to:
- Create a formal internship or job opportunity
- Develop a project or structured curriculum
- Complete extensive paperwork
- Provide compensation to students
- Offer job placement or future employment
- Plan a full day of activities (shadow length is flexible)
- Host large groups (one student at a time is perfectly fine)
- Participate more than once (host only when it works for you)
Shadow & Soar is designed to be a low-commitment way to introduce students to your workplace and career field.
Ready to Participate?
Employer registration will open in August 2026. Attendees of the launch event will receive the registration link first.
If you are interested in being part of Shadow & Soar, we encourage you to:
- Consider potential job shadow opportunities within your organization
- Identify staff who may be interested in hosting students
Questions?
Steffanie Young
steffanie.young@UND.edu
701.777.3906
Fall 2026 Shadow & Soar Experiences
| Organization | Majors/Areas of Interest | Day & Time Commitment | What You'll Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acme |
Human Resources |
3 hours |
Students participating in the job shadowing experience will spend time observing one or more of our corporate and support departments as they go about their daily operations. Rather than a passive tour, students will be embedded alongside team members to see what a typical day actually looks like: sitting in on team meetings, observing day-to-day responsibilities and decision-making, and watching how employees collaborate across departments to keep the business running smoothly. This gives students a realistic, firsthand look at the skills, tools, and workflows used in each area, as well as a sense of the company culture and how different roles fit into the broader organization. |
| Altru Health |
Human Resources Law Marketing Nursing Surgery |
2-4 hours |
During their experience, students may observe a variety of healthcare disciplines. Participants gain insight into the daily responsibilities of healthcare team members, patient interactions, safety protocols, and the use of medical technology. Job shadowing will allow students to explore potential career paths, connect classroom learning to clinical practice, and better understand the skills and professionalism required in healthcare. By interacting with experienced healthcare professionals, students can ask questions, learn about educational pathways, and develop a deeper appreciation for the vital role healthcare providers play in serving their communities. |
| Brady Martz | Accounting | 1 hour |
We will be hosting students in a conference room setting where staff from various departments share about their career paths, experiences, and roles at the firm, along with an overview of Brady Martz. |
| Burian & Associates, LLC | Civil Engineering | 4 hours |
Our shadow experience will include a combination of observation, demos, site tours, and field experience. We plan to have the student(s) moved around to all areas of the business and will provide lunch with the staff. |
| Construction Engineers |
Human Resources Marketing Project Management Estimating |
3 hours |
Students will experience a "real world" look into what it looks like to work for a Commercial General Contractor in the role they are shadowing. It will include career discussion in the job shadow path they choose most likely a project site tours so they can see what we do. |
| Forks Lath & Plaster |
Human Resources Marketing Project Management Safety |
4 hours |
Students shadowing at FLP will have the opportunity to learn about both field and office operations, including construction project management, estimating, safety, human resources, business development, accounting, and skilled trades. |
| Grand Forks Public Schools | Human Resources | 2 hours |
Student can expect to observe daily HR tasks such as onboarding, new hire process, off boarding process, employee relations, and benefits. |
| MBN Engineering |
Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering |
2 hours |
Students will meet the staff associated with the discipline they are interested in and have the opportunity to work with our drafters and engineers and ask questions about what their daily work life looks like. Although we would love to take them onsite to projects we are currently working on, our insurance won't allow this, however, they can see our teams at work and what projects they can follow on their own and watch the progress. They will see how our drafters work with programs online and coordinate with the engineers to meet the specifications outlined by the Architects/Owners. |
| Probitas Promotions | Marketing | 4 hours |
Students will gain exposure to multiple areas of the business, including sales, account management, webstores, operations, warehousing, fulfillment, and leadership. Depending on the day, students may observe client meetings, merchandising and product sourcing discussions, warehouse operations, company store management, marketing activities, and business planning sessions. Students will have the opportunity to interact with team members across departments, learn about career paths in business and marketing, and see how branded merchandise projects move from concept to delivery. Lunch will be provided. |
| ProMach | Mechanical Engineering | 1 hour | Virtual experience. |
| PS Industries |
Accounting Engineering Design Human Resources Manufacturing |
2 hours |
Presentation and tour of the building. They may ask to speak with employees from a particular department they may be interested in. |
| Rydell Auto Center | Business | 4 hours |
Students will have the opportunity to visit every department in our dealership and see firsthand how we all work together to provide a wonderful experience for our customers. We will end with lunch in the conference room. |
| Sanford Health |
Allergy Cardiology Dermatology Family Medicine Human Resources Imaging Internal Medicine Laboratory Nursing Occupational Therapy Orthopedics Physical Therapy Sports Medicine |
3 hours |
During their experience, students may observe a variety of healthcare disciplines. Participants gain insight into the daily responsibilities of healthcare team members, patient interactions, safety protocols, and the use of medical technology. Job shadowing will allow students to explore potential career paths, connect classroom learning to clinical practice, and better understand the skills and professionalism required in healthcare. By interacting with experienced healthcare professionals, students can ask questions, learn about educational pathways, and develop a deeper appreciation for the vital role healthcare providers play in serving their communities. |