Career Services Launches Job Shadowing Program in D.C.

During winter break, students will have the opportunity to participate in the Working Orange Observation Program (WOOP), a new job shadowing program offered by Career Services and Greenberg House in Washington, D.C. This is the inaugural year for the program.

WOOP is currently focusing on securing alumni and parent hosts for students in the greater Washington, D.C., area. Hosts will provide unpaid opportunities that vary in length, depending on student and host availability. WOOP will provide students an inside look at a job, firm, career field and industry.

Alumni and parent hosts are expected to introduce their profession, industry and organization to their visiting student, provide a tour of the workplace, answer questions and most importantly, allow the student to observe their daily routine. Students will be responsible for transporting themselves to and from the job shadowing site, locating and paying for any necessary lodging, researching the organization in advance of the shadowing experience and coming prepared with questions. The student and host will be encouraged to discuss the goals of the shadowing experience beforehand to ensure a successful experience for both host and student.

“The Greenberg House staff is excited to support the WOOP job shadow initiative being coordinated by Career Services,” says Mary Anagnost ’86, executive director, Regional Operations. “The SU community in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore regions, including alumni and parents, are always eager to participate in local programs, especially networking opportunities involving current students. We are hopeful that, in the near future, WOOP will result in internship opportunities for current students and, in the long term, employment opportunities for alumni.”

For alumni or parents interested in hosting a student through WOOP, the deadline to apply is Nov. 30. The registration form is now available.

To apply to job shadow through WOOP, interested students should complete an interest form on OrangeLink between Dec. 1-8. Students will be notified if they are matched with a host by Dec. 10. Matched students will be required to attend one on-campus workshop on either Dec. 11 or 16.

“Connecting with professionals is a great way to learn about career fields and industries,” says Tracy Tillapaugh G’15, assistant director of counseling in Career Services. “Partnering with the Greenberg House staff allows us to begin this pilot program in an area where we have a concentrated number of alumni and parents eager to host students to teach them about careers. The goal of this program is to make use of the short time that students are available over winter break to contribute to their overall career education.”

All shadowing opportunities through WOOP will take place between Jan. 5-15, 2016, at organizations in the Washington, D.C., area.

To learn more about WOOP, contact Tillapaugh at ttillapa@syr.edu or 315-443-3616.