Author: Computer User

INTRODUCTION:

WHAT IS A JOB SHADOW?
A job shadow is a program where each student selects a career that is of interest to him/her, finds a professional in this field, and spends time observing that person on the job, asking questions, and learning all he/she can about the career. The main purpose is for each student to get hands-on experience in a career of his/her choice, and to expose that student to the life of a real working professional.
WHY DO A JOB SHADOW?
In addition to being a required portion of Senior English, the job shadow will aid students in making difficult decisions beyond high school. Some students will have their career goals validated while being exposed to all kinds of useful information, while others will discover that their career goals may need to be reconsidered before deciding on what to do and where to go after graduation.

PLEASE NOTE!
JOB SHADOWS MAY NOT BE DONE WITH AN IMMEDIATE
FAMILY MEMBER.
JOB SHADOWS MAY NOT BE DONE AT A JOB YOU CURRENTLY HOLD.
YOU MAY USE CAREER INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE TO
COMPLETE THE JOB SHADOW. SEE ME FOR APPROVAL.
Job Shadow Due Date:

There are nine steps to completing the job shadow listed below.
STEP 1—Submit one paragraph proposal for what you would like to do.
STEP 2—Mr. Perry approves proposal.
STEP 3—Make business contact(s) to set up date and time of job shadow. This
experience must be scheduled for one week or more from day of contact to give time to complete the remaining steps. If you have many absences, you should set up your job shadow for after school or on the weekend.
STEP 4—Meet with Mr. Perry as soon as the job shadow date is arranged. Pick up
permission slips. Prepare Employer Packet and forward to job shadow employer with your resume.
STEP 5—Arrange transportation and return permission slips to attendance office (only if completing job shadow during school hours).
STEP 6 (The day before job shadow) - Pick up Employer Evaluation. Arrange for make-up work – don’t forget you are responsible for work missed due to your job shadow!
STEP 7 (The day of job shadow) - Attend job shadow, dressed appropriately, and bring
with you: Pen/pencil; Job shadow packet with prepared questions and
notes page; and Employer Evaluation with stamped envelope
addressed to Mr. Perry at Lakeland High School.
STEP 8—Submit to Mr. Perry in person two copies of a typed thank you note for the job shadow host within two days of job shadow experience. One copy will go in my records, and the other will be mailed to your mentor.
STEP 9—Submit to Mr. Perry the following items upon conclusion of the job shadow experience:
Job Shadow Student Evaluation (attached in packet)
Your prepared questions and notes on the experience
Summary Paper—You must submit a formal paper to me detailing your experiences during the job shadow. Who/What did you see? What questions did you ask and what were the answers? What did you learn, overall? What were the positive aspects of the job shadow for you? Were there any negatives? This paper should be one to two pages following MLA format.
Be sure your mentor fills out and sends in the Employer Evaluation.

...but, Mr. Perry, I’m shy and hate calling people I don’t know on the phone. How can I possibly call people at work and ask them if I can do a job shadow there??!

If you fit into this category of person, there are three options at your disposal.
FIRST, you don’t have to call. Feel free to stop by the business and explain your request in person.
SECOND, ask Mr. Perry for help or visit the career center. We can both make time to help coordinate your job shadow experience.
THIRD, feel free to use the following script when making phone contacts:
Sample Student Script
Job Shadow Telephone Recruitment
Hello, may I please speak with _______________? This is ______________from Lakeland High School. I am participating in a job shadow program for Huron Valley Schools. It pairs adults in the business community with students in the local schools. Would you be interested in letting me come to your business to shadow you?
There would be a total of about 2 ½ hours of your time invested in this project on a weekday of your choice.
I would like to come to your work site for a half a day, so that I can get an idea of a real work environment. If you are interested I can send you information about the program.
If yes: - Set up a time and date for one week or more from today
- Get directions if you are unsure of their location
- Inquire about what business attire would be appropriate for your visit
- Thank the business contact for his/her time
If no: - Ask if they know of anyone else who would serve as a good job shadow sponsor for students (This is another way that you can network to get a shadow sponsor)
- Thank the business contact for his/her time

Job Shadow Questions for your Mentor
The questions below are to be used only as a guide during your visit. Do not feel like you need to ask them all, however, they are often helpful to break the ice when you first arrive or during any down time.
JOB ACTIVITES
What type of daily activities are involved in your job?
What activities require most of your time?
What are the average earnings of persons with jobs like yours?
What do you enjoy MOST about your occupation?
What do you enjoy LEAST about your occupation?
OCCUPATIONAL DECISIONS
How did you decide to become a/an____________________________?
What are the educational requirements for this type of work?
What other occupations did you consider before deciding on this occupation? Why?
If you were starting over, would you make the same occupational decision? Why?
OCCUPATIONAL PROBLEMS
What are the primary problems that you face in your job?
What solutions have you found most helpful in meeting these problems?
Do you ever feel lonely or isolated from your co-workers? Why or why not?
What were some of the fears you had to overcome? How did you do it?
OCCUPATIONAL FUTURE
What future developments do you see for persons who are in your occupations? Will jobs be available?
What advice would you give someone like me who may be interested in your occupation?
Would you give me the same advice if I were the other sex?
DEVELOP AT LEAST 10 OF YOUR OWN QUESTIONS:

Job Shadow—Student Evaluation
Name of Student_________________________________________________
Name of Business Employee _______________________________________
Place Visited ____________________________________________________
Phone Number for Business ________________________________________
Email of Business Employee ________________________________________
Career you Investigated ____________________________________________
Date of Job Shadow ______________________________________________
1. Did you meet your business contact as scheduled? Yes_____ No______
If no, Please explain.
2. Did your contact meet with you for an adequate amount of time?
Yes____ No_____
How many hours were you with him/her? _______
3. Did any other people assist your contact in giving you a good career experience? Yes_____ No_____
Comments:
4. How will you use what you have learned from this experience?
5. Has this experience changed your career goals(s) in any way?
Explain:
6. Would you make any changes in this job shadow program?
Yes______ No______
Explain: (Your input will influence future programs.)
Don’t forget to turn in this evaluation, your summary paper, and a thank you note to Mr. Perry within a few days of your job shadow experience.

Job Shadow Thank You Note
Thank you notes are typically written to employers after interviewing for a position with their company. The purpose is to keep your name in the interviewer’s mind. At this time, we are asking you to write a thank you note to your job shadow mentor. Be sure to keep the following pieces in mind:
Thank the mentor for his/her time
Be sincere
Cite something specific from your visit to indicate to the reader that his/her letter is not a form letter but written especially to them
Send promptly – within 24-48 hours
Sample Body of a Thank You Letter
Your address
City, State, Zip
Today’s date
Mentor’s name
Title
Company Name
Company Address
City, State, Zip
Dear (Mentor’s name):
I appreciated the opportunity to shadow you on (date). It was very interesting to see how you (list a job or jobs the person did while you were there) and to learn more about (the career field or job you explored).
Thank you for spending the time to give me a tour and allow me to interview you about your career path. I especially enjoyed (list something you enjoyed here) and I found (list something interesting here) particularly interesting. I will be using my new knowledge to decide which classes I should take after graduation and how to prepare for my career in (career field or job you explored).
It was very nice to meet you. Thanks again for taking the time to assist me with my career goals.
Sincerely,
(Your signature)
(Your name typed)
Address the envelope to the person that you interviewed with following the format below:
Company Name Total Health Chiropractic
c/o Employee Name c/o Dr. Mike Sadowski
Address 1658 S. Milford Road
City, State Zip Highland, MI 48357
Submit two copies to Mr. Perry within two days of your job shadow experience along with your evaluation and summary paper. One will stay with my class records, and the second will be mailed to your mentor.

MR. PERRY - SENIOR ENGLISH
Your Name__________________________________

JOB SHADOW
CHECKLIST

STEP # DESCRIPTION COMPLETED

1	One paragraph proposal written and handed in for approval.
2	Mr. Perry approves proposal.
3	Student sets up date and time of job shadow.
4	Prepare employer packet; forward to job shadow with resume.
5	Return permission slips to attendance office if going during school hours.
6 (day before JS)	Arrange for make up work (if during school hours). Take your course pack and Employer Evaluation.
7 (day of JS)	Attend job shadow. Take notes and Employer Evaluation with envelope.
8	Two copies of Thank You Note turned in.
9	Student evaluation, / questions and notes, and / summary paper turned in.

MR. PERRY - Senior English Name____________________
Job Shadow Speech (2-3 minutes)
You will be asked any three of the following questions. Be prepared with thorough responses using your job shadow experience as well as additional research for the basis of all answers.
1. Define your general career pathway as well as specific directions (different jobs) that a professional can take within that pathway.
2. What does professionalism mean in your chosen career?
3. How do you show pride in your work in this career?
4. How are communication skills an essential part of success?
5. How is your career field affected by the economy in positive or negative ways?
6. What does it mean to have a successful career in your chosen field?
7. Where is a young professional likely to find available jobs today? Where will the jobs be in the future?
8. What kind of personality traits make a person successful in this career?
9. What steps will you need to take in the next 5 to 10 years to increase your chances of having a successful career?
10. How does being a professional in this career affect one’s life outside of work in positive or negative ways?
11. What are the benefits as well as drawbacks of entering into your chosen career?
12. What are some current issues or concerns faced by professionals in your career field today?
You will be graded according to the usual speech guidelines as well as how well you utilize the strategies explored in the Mock Interview project. In each response, you must refer to your job shadow experience and/or research including sources.
Useful resources
Your job shadow mentor.
www.careercruising.com - Explore Careers
http://www.michigan.gov/dleg - Michigan Dept. of Labor
http://www.dol.gov/ - United States Dept. of Labor

How to show professionalism in your approach to the job shadow experience:
Always have your course pack when asking questions/seeking help with the JS. Have questions about specific steps of the experience.
Communicate with me early and often. Let me know what you’re thinking in terms of career and possible businesses.
Make at least three phone calls to businesses before coming to me for help on where to go. Be able to tell me where you called and what their responses were.
Seek help from the Career Center before asking for my assistance.
Seek job shadows that demonstrate a true desire to learn from the experience.
Behaviors to avoid in your approach to the job shadow experience:
Taking the easiest job shadow available just to get it done.
Asking me questions like “What am I supposed to do for my job shadow?”
Waiting until the week prior to its due date before taking any steps to getting it done.
Rushing through the steps; skipping steps.
Losing your job shadow packet.