Universities are attempting to respond to recent changes in the employment sector in order to ensure graduates are job ready. One approach for preparing students for the evolving employment sector is to expose them to work integrated learning (WIL) experiences during their undergraduate degree. Traditionally, WIL experiences have been offered towards the end of students’ degrees, but there might be value in offering such opportunities as students’ transition into university. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of brief WIL experiences on first year university students’ perceptions of employability and academic performance. Students (N = 28, Mage = 19.47 years) reported enhanced perceptions of employability and performed better on academic assessments following exposure to 10-hours of job shadowing. The findings from the study support the implementation of WIL experiences in the foundation year of university and offer applied implications for educators, universities, and the employment sector.