Having employment experiences before exiting high school is one of the main predictors of long-term employment success. One type of employment experience is job shadowing, which is when a student observes a job. This is a beneficial learning opportunity for many students that allows them to explore a career.

Job shadowing traditionally occurs when a student observes a job in person, but there are alternative ways a student can shadow a job.

For instance, Career One Stop offers many career-assistance resources such as a skills matcher that lists possible jobs that connect to a person’s skills. Career One Stop also offers an extensive list of career videos that enable users to learn about specific careers virtually.

You can find a huge selection of similar career videos over at Dr. Kit—a great way to let job seekers hear from someone that works in a specific field. On the Dr. Kit website, you can also find information about career clusters and lists of career options related to each field.

Another no-cost resource with virtual job shadowing experiences is over at Forage. Job shadowing opportunities on this site start at two hours in length. These experiences are engaging and give the user a good understanding of the job.

In short, virtual job shadowing is great for students that may not have time for a job shadowing experience during their school day or if they are unable to be in the community.