*This blog entry is a student feature on job shadow experiences in high school.
My name is Makayla Bueltel and I
am currently a senior at Carroll High School. I recently had a job shadow at
Iowa State University with the football athletic training department.
When
setting up my job shadow, I got a hold of one of the Iowa State athletic
trainers, a former Carroll High grad, through email. He made the process of
setting up the job shadow easy and was able to provide me with all the details
leading up to my visit.
During my job shadow, I was able see the behind the
scenes of athletic training but also was able to help during practice. I spoke
with some of the student athletic trainers at Iowa State about the classes and
how they balance their schedule. It was cool to experience the relationships
that players have with their athletic trainers and the lively environment. By
being able to see athletic training first hand, I was able to identify some of
the positives and negatives of the job.
Some of the biggest positives is the
reward of helping players recover so they are able to reach their full
potential, the relationship that is built between athletic trainers, and that
it is a hands on job. But with every job there are downsides for athletic
training, I would have to say it would be the early mornings, late nights, and
also having to work on weekends. Immediately after completing my job shadow, I
knew that I wanted to pursue a career in athletic training.
By going on my job
shadow, I was able to figure out if this is what I wanted to do before
committing to my major. I encourage all high schoolers to go and job shadow
someone in a field of interest and figure out if that is a career in which you
want to pursue. It is an awesome experience that no one will ever regret.
Makayla @makaylabueltel - Carroll High School Senior