Throughout high school we are frequently asked what we are going to be when we grow up and what we are going to major in at college. Various teens have no idea and are planning to go into college with an open major. Although this seems to be a frequent pattern with soon to be college students, there are different ways teenagers can go about experiencing the work life to better their future.

Job shadows should be promoted throughout teenager’s high school years. Most students aren’t aware of the various opportunities out there that exist for careers. Being able to experience a job shadow, allows students to get hands on experience with a job they may be interested in.

Senior, Katie Morrissey, said, “I believe students should shadow because it gives them an idea of what the work force is like, and how it could play into their lives. Some people discover a completely new career while job shadowing that they hadn’t been aware of beforehand.”

With this opportunity, teens are able to see what they like and dislike with particular jobs. Most teenagers think they know what a job looks like and what they do on a daily basis, but most of the time, after having an experience of seeing the job hands on, it’s different than they would have excepted.

Senior, Anna Vershaw, said, “Getting the experience of what your potential job may be like is very helpful for future plans. It really helps you decide not only what you want to do, but what you don’t want to do. It’s way cheaper to job shadow and learn you hate a job, rather than majoring in it and then learning you don’t like it.”

Throughout my experience of shadowing a labor and delivery nurse, I instantly fell in love with the idea of working with babies. While at my job shadow I was able to see the different jobs that nurses take on and the different responsibilities. It showed me that so many different people can have the same job, yet they can all seem completely diverse. No work setting is ever the exact same.

Going into my job shadow I knew I wanted to work in the medical field but didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. Without my experience of shadowing a labor and delivery nurse I would still be uncertain of the job I would want to endure in the near future. I believe it’s the best way to help you figure out what career you would be most interested in.

“It’s an eye opening experience that gives you a sense of the “real world” that someday we will all be living in.” said senior, Ashley McMahon.