Job shadowing can be an important part of a student choosing their career. Although some majors may offer it as part of a introductory class, some students never receive an opportunity through their college for this type of program. This is why you should be offering a job shadow program to interested students to help them decide which career is right for them.
So, what aspects should you consider when starting a job shadowing program?
A structure. You probably want to create an outline or structure for the program. How long will they shadow another professional (a half-day, a day, a week)? What types of things does the student need to get out of it? Deciding on the educational value from the job shadow is key. Students need to go into the experience knowing types of things they want to learn. They should be able to gather information during their shadow to help them focus their career path.
Contacts. It may be beneficial for the student to pinpoint which company or person they’d like to shadow. However, you may want to consider contacting employers on behalf of the college to ask if they would be interested in being put on a list for students to choose from, too. With a student’s schedule, it can be difficult to get in contact with people during the typical “9-to-5″ working day. Having a list of willing people can make a big difference in easily setting up job shadow days.
Promotion. Let students know that you offer this service. You probably have a listserv, website, Facebook or Twitter, right? (If not, you should!) Be sure to broadcast the opportunity (especially to freshman and sophomores) so they can’t say they haven’t heard about it. Perhaps one of your first students who participates can create a short video of their day and you can upload it onto your website or Facebook page.
A preparational packet or examples. Some students may not know what to ask during their shadow. Prepare questions to get them thinking about this career path. Also, include examples of thank you and follow-up letters — an important part of building a good relationship with their contact.
Once you’ve implemented a job shadow program, take some time to evaluate it. Ask students to complete a short survey afterward. See what they enjoyed, what could have been better and what they learned from the experience. Students opinions can be a valuable tool to growing and tweaking your program.
Does your career center have a job shadow program? How does it work?
