Posted under Career Planning on January 28th, 2008
While catching up with an acquaintance regarding her offspring and college plans, I was thrilled to hear her state that her son was “shadowing” several specialists to help him identify the area of medicine he would like to pursue. I nearly did a happy dance right there in public. Most of us put more time and thought in to the weekly TV schedule than we do our career choices. Imagine, if you will, my excitement at uncovering the little known fact that February 1, 2008 is the nationwide kick-off of “Job Shadow 2008“. A chance for students to shadow and professionals to mentor! Everyone wins! My brother, an Ohio State Trooper, believes one of the reasons so many forensics programs have waiting lists is due to the glamorized CSI programs popular now. Try to imagine the watershed disappointment when reality hits these young men and women after graduation. Not all of them will land jobs in Miami and (horrors) some of them still won’t be good-looking!
Shadowing could have saved them endless heartache and introduced them to the “real world” of forensic studies. I always recommend shadowing to my job search candidates that want to “make a change” and very few of them ever do it. It is refreshing to see education getting involved.