Those with an eye to the future have the opportunity to meet and shadow prospective employers during Career Preview Days.

The event, sponsored by the Student Alumni Leadership Council, is designed for students interested in job-shadowing professionals in their field of study. The preview days are from Nov. 6 to Nov. 22, but applications need to be turned in by Friday.

Tena Hendricks, co-chair of the Career Programs Committee for SALC, said although the program is open to the whole university, only the first 100 applicants will be accepted.

“Normally every application we get, we can pair people up,” said Hendricks, junior in chemical engineering. She said career previews will take place in Ames, Des Moines and surrounding areas. She also said students job shadowing during Thanksgiving break can be placed near their hometown and that the committee tries to target either ISU alumni or former SALC members.

Hendricks said the program tries to place students in companies with their specific field.

“We try to pair students and employers really well – not just the major but emphasis also,” she said.

ISU alumnus Becky Paul, personal trainer and fitness director at Ames Racquet and Fitness Center, 320 S. 17th St., said she believes job shadowing is one of the best activities a student can get involved in while attending college.

“The best way to learn is by job shadowing,” she said. “The books don’t do justice.”

Paul, a professional mentor in the program, said she also participated in Career Preview Days as an undergraduate.

“The people were welcoming. They gave lots of tips and information, as well as letting me learn hands on,” she said.

Laura Elliott, clinical dietitian at Mary Greeley Medical Center, 1111 Duff Ave., also said the program is beneficial since classes are very different from the actual job.

“Job shadowing gives students a more realistic view of what the job entails and helps them decide if they are headed in the right direction for their interests,” she said. “Some people may really like what they learn in class but not like the reality of dealing with vomit and blood.”

Elliott said most job shadows only last a half-day to a day, during which students watch patient visits at the medical center.

Students should do a personal assessment of the field before they begin job shadowing, she said. That way they can ask about their mentor’s likes and dislikes in the field.