One thing that a lot of students do in the years leading up to the end of secondary school is to get some experience job shadowing. You might even find that your school has a week where this type of experience is mandatory. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to shadow in an area that is especially interesting to you, although not everyone has this experience and for some the time spent job shadowing can seem a bit tedious. However, even in this case it’s an experience which provides you with some insight into the goings on in a professional work environment, and perhaps more importantly, it helps build up the experience and skills that will help you land a spot in university or get a job. You might even find yourself asking someone within the organisation to provide you with a reference a little further down the line, meaning that you should do as much as you can to impress them when you have the opportunity. So today we’ve got a few job shadowing tips to make sure you have a positive experience, and can really make the most of it.
The first of our job shadowing tips is about demonstrating that you’re taking the experience seriously. To do this, it’s important to dress in a professional way. This means blouses or dress shirts and tie, smart skirts or trousers and even a jacket if appropriate. This may seem like a simple thing, but it quickly shows the people who work in the organisation that you’re respectful of the workplace and of them, and that you’re looking to get the most from the job shadowing experience.
The next of our job shadowing tips is to show up on time, and even a bit early. This is important every day, but especially so on your first day. If you’re not completely sure where the office or building is located, you can scope it out a couple days ahead of time. Again, this gives a really positive first impression which shows that you’re taking the experience seriously.
Third and last in the job shadowing tips line-up for today is to be polite and respectful to everyone in the organisation, from the cleaning staff to the reception to the senior staff members. Remember that there’s a good chance that staff members will speak to one another after you’re gone, and if you’ve not shown everyone your complete respect it may make its way to someone who may be providing a reference or completing a report on you for your school.
Check back in later in the week for more quick and easy job shadowing tips!