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Job Shadowing, Internships, and Mentoring
In St. Paul High SchoolsOnline Discussion: May 17 - 28
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---- Anatomy Of A Job Shadow Experience, ---- the provider's perspective - PART 2
By Roger Barr
Day 2 has come and gone for me and my shadow, Jon (not John as I typed before, sorry). Day 2 mirrored Day 1 in many aspects. There was more discussion regarding the concrete v.. the abstract. Jon got to see me talk more on the phone, type at the computer and have people poke their noses in my office. The excitement of the day was working the phones to make arrangements for Kids Voting St. Paul and the Secretary of State's office to distribute voter registration cards to all graduating seniors next week.
Looking back over the two days, I very much enjoyed meeting Jon and sharing with him a glimpse into the world of work. Being a "job" that was shadowed was not at all inconvenient for me. Especially on the second day, I went about my duties and let Jon observe and draw his own conclusions. Today I did less "lecturing" and more working. For me, the experience was rewarding because I helped a student learn/confirm something about himself that he will be able to apply toward his career development. He is naturally (no pun intended) oriented toward science and math because of its concrete aspects. Watching someone work for two days in the abstract confirmed that his interests and comfort level (for now, at least) are in the more concrete world. We did, incidentally, discuss the fact that the great scientists and mathematicians probably spend much of their type in the abstract world of the possible.
When we agreed to each post our perceptions of this relationship, I encouraged him to be honest about his experience in every way. In reading his post, I'm glad to see that he was honest in his evaluation--my world isn't for him, at least at this stage in his life. Because he learned something about himself, both of us feel the experience was valuable--even though no new career door was magically thrown open to him. Instead, he was able to close a door for the time being and continue his exploration. I am happy to have played a part in this discovery process and invite Jon back any time he's in town. In closing, I must say I envy him in two respects: He has a wonderful life of discovery ahead of him, and he's going to college in Florida this fall--where it will be warm in the winter.
Good luck, Jon.
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