{"id":3627,"date":"2019-11-03T10:53:18","date_gmt":"2019-11-03T15:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highpoint.edu\/parents\/?p=3627"},"modified":"2023-05-23T15:02:55","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T19:02:55","slug":"pursue-informational-interviews-and-job-shadowing-over-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highpoint.edu\/parents\/2019\/11\/pursue-informational-interviews-and-job-shadowing-over-the-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursue Informational Interviews and Job Shadowing Over the Holidays; November 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fall semester is quickly coming to a close, which means that the holidays are upon us and your student will have almost one month off. Students can take advantage of this time to conduct\u00a0informational interviews\u00a0<\/strong>or engage in a day or two of\u00a0job shadowing<\/strong>. Doing so is sure to enhance the chances of being employed or accepted into graduate school upon graduation, a target that I am sure you hope your student will hit.<\/p>\n

Informational interviewing<\/strong>\u00a0is basically an investigative conversation with a person who is doing what you aspire to do and usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes. It is NOT a job interview and should not be viewed as such. In this exchange, your student will ask questions about the professional\u2019s career path and seek advice about the most effective strategies for entering the field. Professionals talk about themselves and their chosen path \u2013 something that most people really enjoy doing. Your student will have access to valuable nuggets of information that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to learn. Professionals \u201con the ground\u201d can offer a real-time perspective of the job market and current hiring trends in their specific field, which is often more helpful than reading this information online.\u00a0 One way to think of this is that if a student or soon-to-be graduate asks a professional for an internship or job, they may get advice.\u00a0 But if they ask for advice, they may eventually get an internship or job out of the interaction.<\/p>\n

Job shadowing<\/strong>\u00a0takes the informational interview to the next level and allows the student to spend a half-day or an entire day observing a professional on-the-job, experiencing what it is like to work in a field or with a specific company. The student can observe meaningful work activity, the culture of the organization, and feel the flow of a typical workday.\u00a0A request to shadow a professional should be made with adequate advance notice so that if needed, the professional has time to get approval to host a visiting student.<\/p>\n

Specific benefits for students who do informational interviewing\/shadowing include:<\/p>\n