Job shadowing should be embraced as a vital tool towards career clarity and real-world skills, and not just a content creation opportunity for social media. It should be a moment of self-discovery and a chance to acquire valuable skills.
As pupils in grade 12 prepare to pursue a new chapter in their lives, career coach and University of Johannesburg lecturer Dr Sanele Gamede shares key insights with Sowetan on why job shadowing and gap years could shape their future success.
Sowetan: What are some of the benefits of job shadowing?
Gamede: Job shadowing is important because it helps young people to better understand the career they want to pursue. It helps them get first-hand experience. But society needs to ensure that young people do not just see this as an opportunity to take content [picture and videos], but ensure that they learn while job shadowing.
Sowetan: Are there any risks associated with taking a gap year?
It depends on your background. If you are born fortunate, then it will have an impactful meaning in your life because your guardian will be able to provide for you while you are on a gap year. However, if you were born unfortunate, taking a gap year would likely lead you astray. You can end up discovering that you can sleep with the opposite gender and end up falling pregnant or abusing drugs because during this period, you would be doing nothing to advance yourself.
Sowetan: What advice would you give to students who are unsure whether to go straight to university or explore work experience first?
Gamede: In an ideal world, I would advise young people to go and acquire skills before going to varsity. But with the current state of affairs, it is unfortunate because the potential employer wants the candidate to have a certificate to show that they can do what they will be employed to do.
Sowetan: What factors should students consider when choosing a career path, especially in a changing job market?
Gamede: The first thing is to discover for yourself the things that you like and your strengths. Second, find a career that aligns with your strengths, then third, find out what it is that you are going to do and how you will pursue it.
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