CANOE - The Toronto Sun CareerConnection

By Carter Hammett
Special to The Toronto Sun

Who knows what career opportunities lurk in the hearts of employers? The job shadow knows...

Even if people are unfamiliar with the concept of job shadowing, many more are probably aware of the annual nation-wide "Take Your Kids to Work" campaign, in which more than 400,000 parents across the country are escorted by their offspring to their places of business.

The popular day gives the kids an opportunity to become familiar with what Mom or Dad does for a living and see how they bring home the bacon. In reality, it is job shadowing on a massive scale.

Simply put, job shadowing is a work experience option where students learn about a job by spending the work day following a qualified worker.

The job shadowing experience is temporary, voluntary exposure to a work environment where students can gain first-hand information about skills, pay, education, stressors and other facets about a certain job. The process is designed to increase career awareness, help model student behaviour by example and provide a natural bridge between classroom instruction and occupational expectations.

One of the greatest local promoters of job shadowing is a non-profit agency called The Learning Partnership, which is dedicated to uniting business, education, community leaders and labour to strengthen Canadian public education.

Program manager Madelyn Reynolds describes shadowing as a win-win situation for both employers and students. "It helps the student in that it moves beyond the classroom into another learning environment and is integrated with receiving credit. It's also beneficial for those involved in a school-to-work transition," Reynolds says.

In the past, typical job shadowing experiences have been limited to observation of the workplace during a half-day or so, but the concept has gained such popularity and has proven to be so beneficial to both employers and participants, that the concept is becoming more broadly defined.

Job Shadowing Tips For Employers

Here are some ideas employers may wish to share with a potential future star candidate:

How has the field evolved over time?

What type of work do you do? What do you like or dislike about your job?

What skills, aptitudes, experiences and values do you need to do this job?

What role does technology play in this job and generally, in the field?

Are there other jobs that could be considered transferrable?

What hobbies could the student develop that would help promote this career?

Any personal stories that could give the student ideas about this position or relevant career choices?

How much money do typical jobs in this field pay?

What will this job look like 10 years from now?

Nowadays, shadowing opportunities may stretch out to two weeks and include exposure to a variety of departments within a company, as well as the chance to offer some voluntary, hands-on learning, depending on the job.

The concept has caught on in a variety of job search sectors, and has gone beyond the concept of secondary school students gaining exposure to a job.

Indeed, foreign-trained professionals, displaced experienced workers and even persons with disabilities are all realizing the value of a hands-on chance to observe competent workers engaged in the day-to-day realities of their profession. It's a concept that's caught on with non-profit placement agencies as well.

"Job shadowing is an eye-opener for the participant in that it shows them what the job really entails. You can see the person doing the job and it helps put things into perspective.

The bottom line is that it enables everyone to see if a job is the right fit for a person," says Ivy Henrikson, a job developer with Career Solutions, an agency that provides placement services and counselling for disabled job seekers in York Region.

The reverse is true as well, in that employers are given an opportunity to screen potential candidates for future positions that may become available.

The Learning Partnership, in collaboration with Workopolis, has established a massive, GTA-wide Web site bursting with short-term opportunities in job shadowing, work experience, co-ops and mentoring opportunities.

The site, class2 careers.com, is an excellent chance for students, teachers and employers to come together to create experiential learning for students trying to choose a career.

Since its launch last November with a mere 27 opportunities, the concept has proven so popular the site currently boasts more than 3,000 learning opportunities and continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

"It's a diverse site with opportunities in a wide range of fields, from finance to health to non-profit," Reynolds says. "There are skill shortages in those areas and this could help future employees filter into those sectors."

With the range of career choices available to students and others like never before, it's safe to conclude the concept of shadowing is one of the better ways to shed light on future career choices.

For more information on job shadowing opportunities, check out www.class2careers.com or call The Learning Partnership at 416-481-0799.

(Carter Hammett is co-ordinator of St. Stephen's Employment Resource Centre, and can be reached at communityconnection@hotmail.com.)

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