Job shadowing involves a student being present during the course of a work day or other period of time, observing a real job in the workplace, and gathering information and asking questions about that job.

This method also functions as a career exploration method, allowing first hand experience of the career in practice.

By 'shadow' observing workplaces, the job seeker can gather a plethora of information on a variety of career possibilities. This can help him/her focus on one particular course when there's uncertainty as to which career would be preferential to follow.