The Importance of Job Shadowing

Also posted here.

Have you ever been certain that you wanted to do something, only to try it out and find out it is not at all what you expected? Perhaps your freshman year you declared a major you were certain you wanted to pursue as a career. However, as soon as you started taking introductory courses you realized that it simply was not for you. Thus the importance of experience, my friends, and in particular, job shadowing.

There have been plenty of television shows and movies over the years that have showcased public relations professionals. Of course there is the well-known character of Samantha Jones played by Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City (pictured) and most recently, a PR reality show, Kell on Earth, which gives viewers a glimpse into the world of high-powered fashion PR. As much as I enjoy these shows, at the same time I realize what I see on TV is probably not what my experience in public relations is going to be like. Thus why it is important to shadow a real life industry professional for a day or so, to get a feel for what that job is actually going to be like.

If you have had an internship, you may already have a pretty good feel for what your chosen career path is going to be like. However, maybe you want to see what another aspect of your chosen industry is like, or observe another career entirely. This is where job shadowing is extremely beneficial. You get to spend the day experiencing life as that person. You get a feel for what their challenges and responsibilities are and can apply them to yourself. For example, how would you handle what they are faced with on a day-to-day basis if you were in this position? You can learn a lot about yourself in a day participating in this sort of interaction.

For those of us approaching graduation, it’s very important to shadow someone in an entry-level position. It might be more exciting and intriguing to job shadow someone in a higher level within the company, but shadowing an entry-level professional will give you a better perspective on what your career is going to be like following graduation.

How do you feel about job shadowing? Is it important or inessential to your future career?