Job Shadowing
Teachers of all subjects often confess that it is a struggle to present
tangible, real-world applications in the classroom. Students are constantly
wondering, "When are we going to use this?" What better answer to this question
than a day on the job with a CPA? The Indiana CPA Society is proud to offer
teachers, businesses and CPAs the opportunity to provide an enriching learning
experience to Indiana's high school students through our Job Shadowing
Program.
The Job Shadow Program provides students with firsthand experience by
"shadowing" a CPA during a regular work day. Students are able to learn the
versatility involved in a career as a CPA through the Job Shadow Program.
Student and Educator
Benefits
- Students have the opportunity to understandfirsthand how the things they
learn in school are practically applied by a CPA in his or her day-to-day
activities. Educators, in turn, finally have a concrete way to answer students'
questions about the relevance of class work to the real world.
- Educators have a way to motivate students to reach academic and career goals
by introducing them to CPAs who have a wealth of experience to share with the
up-and-coming workforce of tomorrow.
- Students have the chance to ask questions and receive advice on career paths
and opportunities from established professionals in limitless areas of
accounting.
Employer Benefits
- Employers have a vested interest in continuing to contribute to the pool of
quality new talent considering pursuit of the CPA designation, and now have the
chance to pique the younger generation's interest in opportunities awaiting them
in the CPA profession.
- Employers now have an excellent way to display their commitment to the
community and to the school-to-work education of Indiana's youth.
- By participating in this program, employers give their employees a chance to
use their skills and experience to benefit students, inevitably increasing job
and personal satisfaction.
CPA Benefits
- CPAs will find that hosting a student shadow for a day is the type of
enriching and rewarding experience that can only come from mentoring a young
person.
- CPAs can use a Job Shadow program as an opportunity to share their
experience, knowledge and skills with a student already interested in the CPA
profession.
- By committing to mentor a student shadow, a CPA displays his or her
dedication to the CPA profession and interest in community involvement to
superiors, colleagues and clients.
What is involved?
- Participating in this worthwhile program is easy for educators, employers
and CPAs alike. The small amount of time it takes to prepare for the program is
no indication of the huge impact the program has on the classroom, workplace
community, and on individual student participants.
Student Involvement
- Be receptive! This is a great opportunity. If your teachers are not aware
of it, refer them to this site so that your school can get involved too!
- Prepare for your Job Shadow day by thinking of some interesting questions to
ask. You may also want to look over what you have learned in class so that you
can make some connections between what you do in class and what accounting
professionals do on the job.
Educator Involvement
- Present the opportunity to be a Job Shadow to your class, and identify
interested students. Contact the Indiana CPA Society or a CPA Key Contact in
your area to express the number of students interested in participating in the
program, the dates you have available, etc.
- When the Society or a CPA Key Contact gets back to you with a list of CPAs
in your area who have agreed to host a student, make sure that either you or
your students call the professionals to find out details such as dress code,
directions to their place of employment, arrival and departure times and lunch
etiquette if necessary.
- Prepare students for their visit to the workplace by taking time to make
sure they understand the basic rules of professional etiquette, etc. Generally
transportation is your school's or your students' responsibility, so you will
want to determine those details as well.
- Conduct follow-up discussions and assignments to reinforce what students'
learned at their Job Shadow sessions with the material you teach them in the
classroom.
Employer Involvement
- Encourage members of you staff to become Job Shadow mentors.
- Designate an individual to work directly with the Society as a CPA Key
Contact to coordinate your participation in the program.
- Set the bar high for other employers of CPAs. Be an example of community
leadership by helping us promote the Job Shadow program to businesses across the
state!
CPA Involvement
- Do some minimal planning in preparation for your Job Shadow day, but also be
sure to show your student shadow what your everyday job duties involve.
- Set aside a portion of your day to devote completely to your student - find
out about his or her interests, academic goals and career aspirations during
this time, and field his or her questions.
- Convey to your student shadow the academic requirements, skills and
experience required to fulfill your specific job duties, and generally needed to
be successful in the field of accounting.
Our Goal
- The Society has always made the career development of Indiana's youth a top
priority. We ask that educators, employers and CPAs join with us in our goal by
participating in this program and others we offer. Students often look forward
to leaving school and making a living in the real world, but many are not
prepared for the challenges that await them. Provide them with the hands-on
experience they need in order to make an educated decision on what academic path
will serve them best. Students want to try out different career paths before
college to make academic decisions easier once they get there. What better way
to promote the CPA profession to interested students than to give them a fun and
informative glimpse into it? Not only do you have the chance to help change a
student's life for the better, but you have an opportunity to show your
dedication to the CPA profession and to the community.
Get Involved
- If you would be interested in becoming involved in this program, please
e-mail or call the Communications
Department at (317) 726-5000. Please include your name, three available dates,
the time of day you are available, the grade level you are interested in
hosting, your city, an e-mail address and a phone number where you can be
contacted.
The following are paid advertisements, not INCPAS endorsements.
