Written by: Timothy Gartz,University and Guidance Counselor
Each year our YCIS Shanghai Pudong campus offers a job shadow work experience for each of our Year 11 students. This year, the program is offered from June 13 – 20, 2019 as our students travel and meet their company mentors who will provide them orientation to their job shadow companies, learn daily site operations and be given meaningful tasks to complete.
This is more than your typical job shadowas students have the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of a company’s daily operations, be treated as young professionals and be mentored by highly trained professionals. They are evaluated by their mentors and also provided with valuable insights into the nature of their experiences. The past two years, we’ve grown the program to include ten YCIS Puxistudents who will join us again this year in these companies. This year the companies include: Analog Devices, ELG, IBM Finance and IBMix Graphic Design Team, Body and Soul Clinic, Disney Entertainment Studios, European Chamber of Commerce, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Oogie Art Center, Love Plus Tree Hut Family Growth Center, Parkyard Hotel and the Precision Medical Institute of the Department of Cardiology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
To prepare,our students created detailed high school Resumes and introduction letters to demonstrate their interests in these companies. Thecompany site supervisors have shared with each of our student’s,orientation letters that detail the learning opportunities provided and the expectations they have of the students. On the whole, the professional mentors require students who are responsible and demonstrate integrity in coming prepared to contribute with 21stcentury job skills and a positive learning approach.
Finding the right site is not always easy since our students have an eclectic array of talents and interests. Great care is taken to ensure they are well-suited to each of the chosen sites and the school utilizes partnerships made from previous years. From Fine Arts, Engineering, Scientific Research, Hotel and Hospitality Management, Law, Business Management, Film and Sound Recording etc. the list is extensive in terms of providing high quality opportunities that custom-fit each student’s unique interests. Once again, we are exceptionally grateful for the outstanding companies that have partnered with us this year.
YCIS Pudong will celebrate our Job Shadow week on June 21, 2019 with Careers Day that involves each of our Year 9 – 12 students. As Career Day approaches, students choose their most interested presentations to attend and the event finishes with a full school assembly. This is special as select Year 11 students share their Job Shadow experiences and we properly introduce our presenters and their words of wisdom to our students. As teachers, Counselors, and Students attest, Careers Day is a wonderful way to bring in some of the most talented professionals in Shanghai who provide greater clarity in making important life decisions.