HSA JOB SHADOW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What are the goals of the program?
- To expose students first-hand to various health related organizations and careers.
- To introduce students to the day-to-day activities and challenges of professional life.
- To show students the vital connections between their current academic classes and real world occupations.
- To motivate students to attend college and pursue careers in the health services field, thereby contributing to a more diverse health care workforce.
- To strengthen the pipeline of future health care professionals who are motivated, culturally competent, and interested in serving their community.
Which students will participate in job shadows?
All HSA juniors who meet the qualifications outlined below will participate in the program.
How many students is each organization asked to host?
While it would be ideal to offer host organizations the opportunity to host just one student, our transportation budget requires us to transport students by full car, van or busload. As a result, we are asking each participating organization to host a group of 5 (car), 10 (van), 20 (two vans), or 30 or more (bus) students on their chosen day. A corresponding number of employees within the organization will be asked to act as individual hosts for each student.
What qualifications or skills will students have?
- CPR and First Aid Trained - all HSA students are trained through EMS Safety Services in 9th and 11th grades.
- HIPPA Trained - all 11th grade students undergo HIPPA training through HSA.
- Sufficient grade point average and classroom behavior.
- Career Readiness Certified - in 10th grade, all HSA students complete Career Readiness Training to learn skills such as resume writing, interviewing, and professional dress and behavior. Students who successfully pass the skills development receive Career Readiness Certification.
Where do job shadows take place?
Job shadows will take place in a wide variety of health care settings, including, but not limited to, hospitals, clinics, nonprofit organizations, government offices, colleges and universities.
Who will the students shadow?
We are seeking a diverse range of health professionals to act as hosts for this program. We hope to recruit doctors, nurses, psychologists, lab technicians, program officers, physical therapists, counselors, researchers, radiologists, veterinarians, health advocates, biomedical engineers, nonprofit leaders, educators, as well as individuals in health care related sales, marketing, and development positions, to name just a few. We are eager to explore a wide variety of opportunities for our students.
When will job shadow days be held?
Our job shadow dates have been selected to ensure the least amount of conflict with our students' academic classes, scheduled testing and school breaks. This spring, job shadow days will be held on:
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Additional dates will be added the first two weeks of June if necessary. Please see the registration form for details.
How long is a typical job shadow day?
Ideally, a job shadow will last 3 hours and can be scheduled from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm or 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
What does a typical job shadow day look like?
While each job shadow site is welcome to create a schedule of activities that work best for the organization, we would ask that the following elements be incorporated to ensure a comparable experience for all students:
- Interview of student - students will have a resume, cover letter and profile with them
- Brief tour of location and introduction to the rules, culture, hours, mission and purpose of the organization
- Opportunities for students to observe the work activities of the host
- Exit interview - a chance for students to ask questions of the host and debrief
What would my responsibilities be as a host?
- Coordinate and implement the schedule for the day.
- Take responsibility for each student's job shadow experience.
- Complete a post-shadow evaluation form to provide feedback on the student(s) and overall program.
What are the student's responsibilities as a participant?
- Successfully complete job skills, CPR/First Aid and HIPPA training.
- Arrive on time, dressed appropriately and prepared to act professionally.
- Present resume.
- Uphold all rules and regulations of the job shadow site.
- Be prepared to ask thoughtful and relevant questions with regard to the organization and the duties and responsibility of the host that they are shadowing.
- Send a follow-up thank you letter.
- Complete a post-shadow evaluation form.
What are the school's responsibilities?
- Facilitate career readiness program, CPR and First Aid training and HIPPA training.
- Ensure student eligibility.
- Match students to appropriate job shadow experiences
- Obtain all necessary forms and paperwork including parent consent forms.
- Recruit job shadow hosts and act as a main contact for hosts in dealing with any student or site related issues, etc.
- Arrange/provide transportation for student to and from the job shadow site.
- Conduct evaluation of the student and job shadow experiences/program.
