Job Shadow

[Naked~Frog]

This post has had the information edited out for my own personal safety. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[jemron]

Wish I could help. I work on a computer editing videos all day, but I live in Utah.

[Dwynwen]

I'm not anywhere near MN, but I do have a suggestion. If you are having this much trouble finding someone to shadow, perhaps you could ask your teacher to find someone for you. If even the teacher cannot find someone, you could ask him/her to negotiate an accommodation assignment with you (e.g. to shadow someone who works with a computer at home, to shadow someone from any type of job whether a computer is used or not, or simply to write a paper about a job you have researched).

[Naked~Frog]

This post has had the information edited out for my own personal safety. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[dscott8]

Buffalo MN has a Chamber of Commerce web site with a categorized list of local businesses:

 

http://www.buffalochamber.org/

 

Before you start making calls, sit down and make a list of why the business should agree to have you do a job shadow -- from their point of view. Ask for face time, and present yourself as a developing business person. I was an information systems manager for years, and interviewed far too many young people who thought that gaming skills qualified them for a career in corporate IT.

 

Learn about each business before you contact them, and tailor your presentation to their operations. Show an interest in what they do and how they do it. You're looking to shadow a job that "involves a computer", but companies do not compute for the sake of computing, they do it to get a job done. Inventory tracking, healthcare patient management, whatever. The process is important, computers are just the tools.

 

Another thought -- target companies that do things YOU are interested in, you'll have more fun and it'll be more relevant. Into music? Call a music store, ask for their keyboard spcialist, and talk about synths and MIDI interfaces. Like visuals and graphics arts? Someone at the local TV station manages all those interactive weather maps and onscreen graphics.

 

Best of luck, let us know how it goes.

 

Gaidin Poindexter

Master of Business Administration

St. Edward's University 1992

[Naked~Frog]

This post has had the information edited out for my own personal safety. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[poetstorm]

I'd love to help, but I'm in NY. However if your teacher can make any accomodation on the assignment, I work on computers all day in finance and accounts receivables...and then at night for our home business running two websites. If you need any info I'd be happy to help.

[Naked~Frog]

This post has had the information edited out for my own personal safety. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Rufae]

Have you thuoght about trying to ask around a local college IT department or something? They might be more wiling to aide in knowledge. Either that or try contacting your local/city/state government offices. A lot of them have programs like job shadowing.

[Naked~Frog]

This post has had the information edited out for my own personal safety. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[dscott8]

I asked about it but she said it won't work... thank you though, it's very sweet. Right now I'm waiting on responses to the emails I sent to people... *sighs* No body wants a frog to follow them around... maybe if I wore clothes... hmm... lol :P

 

Judging by your Facebook, Twitter, etc. pages, clothing would detract from your prospects.... Lead e'm by their hormones, and their hearts and minds will follow.

[Naked~Frog]

This post has had the information edited out for my own personal safety. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Elend]

You know, I understand the educational value of this type of stuff, but I've never really liked the idea of it. Just because for some people it can be really tough to find someone. I had to do a job shadow in something like 8th grade... I just followed my dad around his office until he made me leave when he saw a client, due to confidentiality and stuff. Yeah.

 

I sympathize for ya. This stuff can be annoying.

 

Also, as Sam mentioned above, a college works well. I'd let you shadow me but somehow I think "college student" and "Civilization Player" aren't acceptable careers to shadow :( And the whole being in another state thing.

 

Which career did you pick, by the way?

[Naked~Frog]

This post has had the information edited out for my own personal safety. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

have you tried a temp ageny? or perhaps a kindly librarian? they're on computers all day long. and they're often bored. and . . . kindly.

 

has anyone in your family an employed friend if all else fails?

 

what are the other assignees doing?

[Wolfst3r]

I wish you all of luck in this. I have people shadow me all the time at my work.

Mostly just new people learning how to IT for this ISP.