Tips for Practioners

• Do not judge a student based on what type of design program he/she attends
• Provide a dress code to students if your firm requires one
• Provide a shadow experience that is a minimum of four hours and a maximum of eight hours
• Provide lunch
• Remember: students are there to observe and accompany you on a typical workday—not to act as an assistant
• Even if business is slow, there are still much a student can learn from you (see below)
• Reiterate to students that client and project material learned on-site is confidential
• The shadow experience should not be treated as a recruiting event
• Do not feel obligated to answer every question asked
• Do not pay the students for time spent at the work location
• If the student has traveled a significant distance for the shadow experience, firms and private practices are encouraged to subsidize some of the travel costs incurred
• Follow up with students after the shadow experiences

Examples of Shadow Day Activities:

• Attend client meetings
• Attend team meetings
• Attend vendor meetings
• Visit design center
• Visit past projects
• Explore library
• Explain bookkeeping
• Review client binders and/or contracts
• Visit construction sites
• Review student’s resume and/or portfolio
• Demo CAD, Revit, SketchUp or other software programs
• Demo rendering