A New Way to Grow at UC Davis

We have incredibly diverse jobs within FOA and across UC Davis, and most of us only see a small slice of all the interesting work. The new Employee Job Shadow Program is a chance to change that.

Many of you shared in the Employee Experience Survey that you want more opportunities to grow professionally and to better understand how the university operates. This program is one response to that feedback. Led by HR in partnership with Staff Assembly, the Job Shadow Program is being rolled out to both UC Davis and UC Davis Health. Applications are due by March 31.

There are so many fascinating roles here. Budget analysts, healthcare technicians, construction and facilities managers, HR experts, safety professionals, animal caretakers, nurses, communication strategists and more. Spending even a few hours with someone in a different role can give you insight.

Recently, a healthcare technician spent time with me to better understand my role. We talked through priorities, tradeoffs and how decisions get made. We still keep in touch and she has grown in her career. That experience reinforced something I have long believed: even a short window into someone else’s work can shape how you see your future.

You might shadow a leader, or you might choose a colleague with skills you want to explore. You might even do it to better understand the teams you support.

If you are thinking about your professional development, this is a practical place to start.