BOBCATshadow Student Information

Maximizing Your BOBCATshadow Experience

The BOBCATshadow Program is designed to provide students with meaningful exposure to a variety of career fields, not just the ones they may already be considering. One of the key goals of the program is to broaden your perspective and introduce you to industries or roles you might not have previously explored.

During the application process, we encourage students to select multiple areas of interest. Many host sites receive a high volume of applicants, and placements are limited and competitive. By keeping your preferences flexible, you increase your chances of being matched and gaining valuable insight into a professional environment.

Whether you're exploring new career possibilities or confirming your current path, the BOBCATshadow Program is a great way to learn, connect, and grow.

Mandatory Orientation

All BOBCATshadow participants must complete a MANDATORY orientation prior to their shadow experience. This orientation will be held virtually.

Program Evaluation

After each BOBCATshadow program session, both the BOBCATshadow Student Participant and Host will evaluate their experience with the shadow program. Each Student Participant will receive an emailed survey within 3-4 business days after the shadow session concludes.

The BOBCATshadow student participant will evaluate the following:

• Overall experience with BOBCATshadow Hosts
• Satisfactory level of information learned towards making an informed career decision
• Communication of the BOBCATshadow Program
• Areas for feedback and improvement

To complete your application, you’ll need to:

1. Login to Handshake with your netID and password
2. Search for "Texas State University - Career Services" to view shadow postings that are listed as "experiential learning" (i.e shadow opportunities).
3. Opportunities are posted as a 'BOBCATshadow [DATE] Pool' for a specific day. You'll find a list of available shadowing experiences in each posting.
4. Select the day(s) you'd like to participate, read the posting carefully, follow the instructions provided on what application materials you need, and submit your application!
5. Watch for the Email: After applications close, be sure to check your inbox for an email from bobcatshadow@txstate.edu to see if you've been matched. If selected, the email will include the opportunity you've been matched with, the date and location, and detailed next steps to get started with your BOBCATshadow experience.

Once the application period closes, our team carefully reviews every submission. Students are matched based on a variety of factors, including:

• Stated preferences
• Academic classification
• Major relevance
• Quality of the statement of purpose

We use a matching matrix to evaluate and score applications, ensuring a fair and thoughtful matching process.

Each host will create their own experience for students.  However, below are the most common practices for shadowing: 

• Conduct informational interviews with a variety of employees
• Participate in a guided tour of the facility
• Attend meetings or organizational events
• Observe and ask questions while shadowing daily tasks
• Participate during interactions with clients
• Meet and greet college hires or current interns
• Lunch with Alumni at the company
• Learn about career/internship opportunities within the organization