Jenna was very excited about the first day of school. After going to college for almost four years, she was ready to begin a four-month assignment as the student teacher in a classroom of first-graders. She would be working with a very experienced classroom teacher, and the school had a strong reputation for excellence – she couldn’t wait to start.
You can imagine her surprise and disappointment when she left the school at 10 o’clock that morning, and never went back. While Jenna had spent three years studying how to be a teacher, she had never done any actual teaching. Once she was actually in a classroom for the first time, she discovered it wasn’t for her.
You have to give Jenna credit – at least she didn’t stay in a job she knew she didn’t like. At the same time, Jenna had put in three long years of preparing for a job she really knew very little about. Instead of finding a promising career waiting for her, she found herself starting over.
The lesson here is clear – don’t let this happen to you! It doesn’t matter if you’re studying to be a teacher, a technician, a medical assistant, or a carpenter. As you train for your new career, it’s important to look ahead long enough to make sure you really want to work in this field for at least a few years, if not the rest of your life.
The best way to get a taste of your chosen career is by job shadowing, or an externship. These experiences usually allow you to observe someone at work who’s already in your chosen career.
Most job shadowing experiences last three or four days, and give you a chance to see all parts of a job, from the exciting parts of designing a new computer part to the less-glamorous (but necessary) work of filling out requests and filing forms. Many training centers and colleges offer job shadowing opportunities through their career placement offices.
Another way to find out about a career is through open houses. Groups like real estate agents or professional associations often hold open houses, or career fairs, to give the public a greater understanding of what their work involves, the jobs that are available, and the training that’s required.
This can also be a great way to make contacts in the profession, so once you’ve completed you’re training, you have contacts who can guide you to job openings.
A third way to get a taste of many jobs is by volunteering. Most teachers start out as tutors at the local library or Boys and Girls Club, many future construction workers try out their skills with Habitat for Humanity, and many future social workers begin as volunteers at local runaway shelters.
Of course, you can’t always volunteer without some training – it’s not legal to clean someone’s teeth without appropriate training – but you can get a feel for all kinds of jobs volunteering as a file clerk or receptionist. These kinds of glimpses into the work can be invaluable.
By trying out a career as you train, you can see if this career path is meant for you, or if perhaps it’s time to consider something else.
