Students introduced to life in the newsroom

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Spec_Nathan_closeup.jpe” caption=”Nathan Shaw, a second-year honours political science and communication studies student, right, with Doug Downes, an employee with The Hamilton Spectator.”]This past year saw the creation of another partnership between McMaster University and The Hamilton Spectator. A unique learning opportunity, developed by the Faculty of Social Sciences Experiential Education office, gave social sciences students the opportunity to participate in a seven-week job shadow placement.
On a weekly rotation, for four hours per week, four students had the opportunity to shadow Spectator staff in the production, circulation, marketing, editorial, human resources, business and advertising departments. The students networked with Spectator employees and saw first-hand what goes in to putting out a newspaper each day.
The goal of job shadowing is to give students the opportunity to learn about various business professions and to assist them in preparing for their careers. By providing exposure to a wide range of career options within a particular field, students come closer to making decisions about their future studies and career paths and make more thoughtful decisions on how to get there.
Nathan Shaw, a second-year honours political science and communication studies student, participated in the activity and said he loved putting his knowledge to practical use. “It gave me an understanding of life outside the classroom and was a great opportunity to apply my theoretical skills with real living examples that illustrate what I've learned. The textbook material came to life.”
Cristina DeSilvio, career development co-ordinator in the Faculty of Social Sciences agrees. “Students return from job shadow experiences with greater insight as to how their academic study provides the tools needed to succeed in potential careers. Through these kinds of opportunities, our students gain first-hand experience and knowledge of what a particular field entails. As a result, they have more confidence in identifying potential careers of interest. We were very fortunate to partner with The Hamilton Spectator. Their staff was enthusiastic and provided our students with an invaluable learning experience.”
The Faculty of Social Sciences is planning to offer this opportunity to its students again next year. Interested social sciences students may contact Cristina at desilvc@mcmaster.ca for more information on this, and other job shadow opportunities. Students can also visit www.socsci.mcmaster.ca/EE for information on additional activities offered through Experiential Education in the Faculty of Social Sciences, including internship placements, volunteer activities, student funding grants and research awards.