Shadow-a-Saint: Winter 2012

Student Life › Career Services ›
Submitted by kgadbaw on Mon, 02/07/2011 - 11:37am
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Deadline: Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 5pm 

Shadow opportunities are matched on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply early.

The Shadow-a-Saint program is designed to provide students the opportunity to explore different occupational interests, and students are matched with alumni volunteers in the career and geographical area of their interest.  Once matched, students spend time shadowing and interacting with their mentor during the winter break.

There are now two ways in which you may participate in the Shadow-a-Saint program during winter break.
·     Option one is a new extended multi-day shadow or mini-internship in which you spend approximately five days (preferably within a week to two week period) with your alumni sponsor getting an in-depth view of their job and industry, and becoming actively engaged in their work.  This is a pilot program for winter 2012 and matches will depend on the number of alumni sponsors interested in this new option.
·     Option two is the traditional shadow experience in which you spend one day with your alumni sponsor learning about their job and industry, and getting exposed to their work environment.

The Winter Shadow-A-Saint program takes place during winter break (December 22-January 20). Beginning November 1, view the Catalog of Alumni Sponsors by Industry or Geographic Region and follow the guidelines below to apply.

Please reference both the industry and geography guides to make sure you can actually get to the shadow you choose.  Note that many shadows are cross-listed between more than one industry.  Also, pay close attention as to whether the shadow is a one-day or multi-day opportunity and make your selections accordingly. Have questions? Call (315)-229-5906 or e-mail Career Services at careers@stlawu.edu.

 Requirements:

In order to participate in the Shadow-a-Saint program, you must:

  1. Be a matriculated student with St. Lawrence University
  2. Be available during winter break to participate in and spend time with your alumni sponsor whether it is a traditional one-day shadow or the new multi-day shadow. You will need to work with the alum's schedule to find a mutually convenient day or days for your shadow experience.  The experience must be completed prior to returning for spring classes.
  3. Coordinate and fund your travel (and housing, if necessary) to your alum’s place of employment on your own (travel money for Shadow-a-Saint is NOT available through the Career Services office)
  4. Attend one of two mandatory meetings to receive detailed information, your contract, and the alum’s contact information - 4:00 pm Wednesday, Nov. 28 OR 11:45 am Thursday, Nov. 29.

Program Participation Requirements:

    Follow through on all contract commitments is required if you choose to participate in Shadow-a-Saint and sign a contract. To meet your contract obligations you must:

  • Contact your Saint during the specified period of time before your shadow day
  • Schedule your shadow day for a mutually convenient time during winter break and notify Career Services of this scheduled date
  • Show up on-time, prepared, and appropriately dressed for your Shadow-a-Saint experience
  • Complete a learning goals evaluation upon completion of your shadow experience and return it to Career Services by the stated deadline
  • Send a thank you note to your Saint within one week of completion of your shadow experience

    Failure on the part of a student to complete their shadow experience reflects poorly on St. Lawrence University and causes some Saints to withdraw from the program. Shadow-a-Saint sponsors put a great deal of thought and effort into planning a useful experience for their shadows. For these reasons, we have implemented the following consequences for failing to follow through on contract commitments:

  • Student will write a letter of apology to their Saint and also send a copy to the Career Services office
  • Student will not be allowed to participate in the Shadow-a-Saint program for the following cycle
  • Student will receive last priority for any remaining Shadow-a-Saint program cycles for which they apply

Application Instructions:

Please complete the Shadow-A-Saint Application Form.  On the form, you will be asked to provide the following information:

  1. General Information Name, class year, major, SLU ID number, preferred email and phone number.
  2. Shadow Numbers and descriptions for your top three (3) choices of Saints to shadow. Failure to choose three Saints will decrease your likelihood of being matched with an alum. Search by either Industry or Geographic Region (or both) and copy and paste information for your three choices. Also check to see if your selections are one-day or multi-day shadows as most likely you will not have time to do multiple multi-day shadows within the time frame of winter break. 
  3. Resume (required). Please provide a current resume which will be shared with your Saint prior to your contact with them.
  4. Essay. Please provide a one page statement, in which you discuss your career and personal goals, how the shadow site relates to your future plans, and what you hope to gain from this experience. Your essay will also be shared with your Saint prior to your contact with them, so please make sure you target each statement to the specific shadow experience.  General statements do not typically carry much weight.

Applications must be submitted by 5pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012.
For more information about Shadow-a-Saint, please contact Career Services at x5906.