From Job Shadow to Client Advisor at RBC

In February 2025, during Reading Week, Marie Ghislaine Umugwaneza, BMOS ’25 (Finance & Administration), spent a day job shadowing at RBC Royal Bank. At the time, she was a fourth-year student exploring what her future might look like. One year later, she is working at RBC as a Client Advisor.

The King’s Job Shadow Program offers one-day opportunities that help students test their interests, build confidence, and expand their networks while gaining insight into workplace culture and professional expectations before they graduate. Placements are coordinated by Career and Engagement Advisor Heather Donnelly, who connects students with employer partners throughout the year.

Umugwaneza had long been interested in banking. She enjoyed working with numbers, and her experience as a retail keyholder had shown her how much she valued connecting with people. When she learned about the Job Shadow Program through a friend, she saw it as an opportunity to see whether the profession aligned with both her skills and her personality.

Umugwaneza approached the experience with curiosity and confidence. She asked questions, engaged with staff, and paid attention to how the branch operated. The day confirmed her interest in the field, but what followed proved just as important.

That same day, she connected with her job shadow host, Andrew Round, Branch Manager at RBC Royal Bank, on LinkedIn and followed up with a thoughtful email expressing her interest in future opportunities as she approached graduation. Several months later, when a position opened, Round reached out.

Umugwaneza applied, interviewed, and was hired.

Round, who has hosted King’s students for several years, notes that hiring today is highly competitive. A single posting can attract hundreds of applicants, making it difficult to truly understand who a candidate is beyond their résumé. Job shadowing, he explains, offers something different. It allows employers to observe initiative, curiosity, and interpersonal skills in real time.

“Visibility matters,” Round shared. “And if you make a connection, ensure that you nurture it. A meaningful interaction gives you every reason to reconnect and inquire about opportunities that may exist.”

For Umugwaneza, the experience reinforced the importance of stepping forward. Her advice to students is simple: “Put yourself out there,” she said. “Don’t hesitate to reach out, cold call, or send that email. The more connections you make, the more opportunities you create.”

Both Umugwaneza and Round agree that job shadowing opens doors when you engage fully, follow up, and stay visible.

This Reading Week, four King’s students will be participating in job shadow placements across London and the surrounding community. Four students have already completed placements earlier this term, with additional opportunities scheduled after Reading Week. Umugwaneza’s story offers a timely reminder of what these one-day experiences can lead to.

For current students wondering what comes next, the first step does not have to be a formal job offer. It can begin with a conversation, a connection, or a day spent learning alongside a professional in a field they hope to enter.

To learn more or apply for the King’s Job Shadow Program, students can email thepromise@kings.uwo.ca with the subject line “King’s Job Shadow Application” and include their student number, program of study, availability, and a brief description of the role or organization they would like to explore.