JA Job Shadow®
JA Job Shadow prepares students to be entrepreneurial thinkers in their approach to work. Students will acquire and apply the skills needed in demanding and ever-changing workplaces. Following participation in the program, students will be able to:
- Recognize career clusters and potential job positions and understand the importance of researching the requirements needed to earn a position.
- Develop job-hunting tools, such as networking, resumes, and interviewing skills.
- Identify the next steps needed in their personal career preparation.
Session One: Before the Job Hunt
Students are introduced to the JA Job Shadow program and the Seven Steps to Get Hired and Succeed. Through a close examination of specific skills and career clusters, they learn the key factors to investigate in career planning: skills, interest, work priorities, and job outlook.
The students will be able to:
- Recognize career clusters that match their skills and interest.
- Demonstrate self-awareness of their soft skills in work scenarios.
Session Two: Perfect Match
Students review the Seven Steps to Get Hired and Succeed and analyze job-hunting skills. They then participate in mock interviews to prepare for the Job Shadow Challenge at the site visit.
The students will be able to:
- Review methods of identifying job openings.
- Demonstrate professional interviewing skills.
- Express expectations for the upcoming site visit.
Session Three: Next Steps?
Students reflect on what they learned before and during the site visit, and they practice business communication by composing a thank-you note. They then create one of four career-preparation tools: a career assessment, an elevator pitch, a resume, or an infographic profile.
The students will be able to:
- Evaluate personal priorities based on their site-visit experience.
- Showcase identified skills.
- Apply program knowledge to at least one of four career-preparation tools.