Bring a Bobcat to work by hosting our students through the BOBCATshadow Program! The BOBCATshadow Program connects students with employers, community partners, and alumni for one-day job shadowing opportunities to provide exposure to a wide variety of career fields and industries. BOBCATshadow typically takes place during scheduled breaks.

We extend our sincere thanks to Quanta Services, Inc. for their generous investment in our BOBCATshadow video project at Texas State University.

WHY HOST?

The BOBCATshadow Program is a structured matching process that connects students with one-day shadowing opportunities for career exploration and introduction to the world of work. BOBCATshadow is not a paid experience for participants. 

Benefits for Hosts include:

Building Your Brand: The BOBCATshadow Program introduces students to your organization and its commitment to informed career choices. Upon return to campus, BOBCATshadow Student Participants will become an unofficial ambassadors for your organization once they are able to learn what it takes to succeed at your organization!

Recruiting TXST Talent:  You may find your next star employee through the BOBCATshadow Program! Student Participants who have insider knowledge of your organization will be excited to apply for full-time or internship opportunities within your organization.

Giving Back: Your advice as a professional is invaluable to students wishing to gain information about a career field. 

*To see all photos and feedback from hosts and student participants: search #bobcatshadow on LinkedIn*

CRITERIA FOR HOSTING

  • Hosts must be an approved organization on Handshake.
  • Hosts should have a sense of the specific position(s) or department(s) the student will shadow during their experience. 
  • Hosts must be able to provide students with an acceptable workspace. Students will not be placed in a  home office or any residential workspace.
  • We recommend that hosts provide lunch to the student(s) but it is not required.

Hosts may participate in as many shadow days as they would like and take as many students per day as you feel comfortable hosting. We would recommend no more than 5 per day.

 

2026-2027 SHADOW DATES:

COMING SOON!

Ready to Sign Up?

2025–2026 BOBCATshadow host sign-ups are closed. Submit an interest form to be notified for the 2026–2027 academic year shadow sign-ups!

Need More Information?

Interested in hosting but have more questions? Fill out our interest form to receive more details and be added to our contact list!

Expand FAQ List

  • Employer hosts will submit a form to participate and host students on-site in order to shadow a specific role or department within the company.  The Career Services team will work with the host to post the position on the hosts behalf and students will apply through our Handshake system.  Career Services will match students with and communicate those matches with both the student and the host.  

    How many students can we take? We recommend hosting at least 2 students per day, and you're welcome to participate on both days. However, feel free to host as many students as you’re comfortable with each day!

  • Here is a list of ideas for how to involve your student participant during this experience:

    • 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

  • When registering to host a student, you will be asked for the following information:

    • Organization
    • Contact Name, email, phone number & title
    • Description of shadow experience including a pre-set Agenda
    • Arrival and Departure time of participate
    • Address/Location
    • Parking Information
    • Dress code information

  • From the moment you sign up to host, our team will stay in close communication with you throughout the entire process. You will receive a confirmation email verifying your details and the specific session(s) you selected. Before student applications open, we will also reach out to reconfirm your availability and ensure everything is set for the session you’ve committed to.

    BOBCATshadow student applications remain open for one month, providing students ample time to apply for the specific session they are interested in applying to. Once the application period closes, the matching process begins and is completed within two days. As matching nears completion, we will keep you informed so you remain up to date. Students then have one week to confirm their placements. The following week, hosts receive their matched student information and students receive their host details so communication can begin. During that same week, students participate in orientation to prepare for their experience. The program concludes the following week with Shadow Week, when students complete their shadow experience.

    Timeline Breakdown (Simplified View)

    1 Month – Student Applications open (30 days)

    2 Days – Matching begins

    1 Week – Students confirm placement

    Following Week – Hosts receive student information, Students receive host information, and Student orientation occurs

    Final Week – Shadow experience takes place

Past Host Testimonials

“I've worked with students from Texas State's Bobcat Shadow program several times over the years. The first iteration was a week long experience over the winter break. The more recent ones have been a single day. Every experience has been great. Communication from Texas State is clear and I know who my students are and when they will reach out. The students reach out in a professional manner and show up ready to learn. Follow-up from the university is quick and the feedback they seek is relevant. As a Texas State grad, I am proud to see this program offered by the university. We look forward to continuing this partnership for the foreseeable future.”

“We’ve had the pleasure of hosting BOBCATshadow participants for the past few years, and it continues to be a rewarding experience for both our team and the students. Many participants come to Comal ISD with a narrow view of the education industry—often limited to classroom teaching—but leave with a broadened understanding of the diverse and dynamic career paths available within the Education field. As part of the experience, students meet one-on-one with each member of our Human Resources team to learn about their roles and individual career journeys. They also get the chance to connect with our recruiters, ask questions about the job search and interview process, and gain tips on how to stand out in the professional world. By the end of the day, students consistently tell us how informative and perspective-shifting the experience has been. Our most recent group left excited to share what they learned and eager to spread the word about BOBCATshadow. We’re proud to be part of a program that helps students explore their futures with confidence and clarity.”

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