Job shadowing is an important factor that has become almost non existent. It used to be a practice that let a lot of high school and college students figure out what they want to do with their lives by getting to see days or even a week in a job role that they may be curious about. I think this practice should be brought back into society. I also believe it would help a lot of veterans as well. Many veterans have even experienced work in the civilian sector or have been out the workforce for years or sometimes a decade. A lot of military jobs don't exactly translate into a civilian job, industry or field. One of the keys to keeping employees employed is employing them into a job or industry they have the passion or drive to stay in. Many people are being employed into jobs based of skills the employer wants their employees to have.
What's your opinion on job shadowing? Is it a great option or not?
Answers
Mrs. Severance,
I love doing informational interviews! Especially preparing for them, you get a chance to sit down and really think about all the questions you have about the company, industry, position, department, and etc. Although I don't think its quite an alternative to shadowing. In job shadowing you get to experience a lot that you can ask in an informative interview.
Mrs. Scholz,
Yes job shadowing was popular when I was in middle/high school as well! I will try to get in touch with a Vet Rep and see if I can make this happen. I'll send you updates as they come available. Thanks for the great idea!
Mrs. Schwarz,
Thanks for posting that article! It was a great article!
A good alternative to shadowing is informational interviews. I have found that when you are not in a formal interview situation, people are more open to sharing how they really feel about working in the company, their typical workload, challenges, etc. Companies are usually very open to scheduling these informational interviews, so you may have more luck than getting someone to agree to participate in a shadowing program.
Must only be available in specific schools. My kids got to job shadow while in high school. You can also request a job shadow day or week from a company yourself. You might try the Vet Rep at the Unemployment Office to see if he/she will do it for you, or request one directly of the company you wish to shadow.
Susan
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