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It's always a good idea to know what your getting into, if you have a definite goal in college. Job shadowing is an excellent way to understand what the job you are choosing will likely entail, and break any fantasies or myths you may have about the position.
The best way to do it is approach a business or professional who is in the line of work that interests you. Let them know what it is you want to do. If you have a family member or friend in your field of interest, talk them into letting you go through the motions with them. Just as with every other part of preparing for college, it is best to have a plan.
This isn't the time to hang around and get in the way, or give the person in question a chance to goof off. Figure out what it is you really want to know about the job in question. Ask yourself why you want to do this, and then find out if your thoughts are realistic. Find out from the person you shadow what field of study they came from, and what other sources of education or training they have that qualified them for the job. This is an interview, your chance to interview a potential employer once you are trained.
As part of a student grant application, I had to do a job shadow exercise before going into broadcast school. Although I was not new to the field, I did have some "fantastic" Ideas about what my life would be like as a radio professional, and during my job shadowing I had that house of cards smashed. Yes, I still went into broadcasting, despite my dreams not meeting the reality. But what I had hoped I would find the job to be was there, in spades. The experience made me focus harder while I was in school.
Any chance you get to have a behind the scenes look at what you're planning to spend the next several years of your life doing will benefit you in the long run. It may help you decide that your decision is a good one, or it just might force you to re-think your priorities.

Learn more about this author, John Randal.
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