On October 22, 2024, Intro to Marketing students were given the opportunity to gain real world experience in the insurance world, learning things they wouldn’t be able to learn in a traditional classroom. Each student had the opportunity to pick their own insurance agency and go there for a school day.
Mr. Bellamy says, “the bigger picture” is that students will be able to shadow not only in the insurance fields, but also other industries relating to finance, with a long-term goal of students finding the “interest level where they roll that into the Apprenticeship Program or a part-time job.” This opportunity opened career pathways for the students, many of whom were offered to come back for an internship in the near future.
The six students who were given this opportunity – including me – agreed to talk about their personal experiences. This will give the student body insight into what job shadowing looks like, in hopes this can evolve into a tradition for the school.
At first, we were all stressed about the atmosphere of a 9-5, but we found that they welcomed us with open arms. Grace Johnson described the atmosphere as more “laid back… but still a very professional office.” Although the atmosphere is a different vibe compared to other office jobs, you should still be dressed business casual to be professional.
All six of us, including Brendan Rey, Grace Johnson, Brynn Seymour, Jackson Jarkiewicz and Joey Seman, met with different levels of people working in the insurance field. Although we all had a main mentor – the original person we reached out to – many of us spent time with other people who were part of the agency as well. While Brynn Seymour was at the workplace, she took a lot of notes, while I on the other hand, spent time conversing with my insurance agent. This leads me to Brynn Seymour’s main takeaway: “Expect the unexpected, you’re never going to know what they are going to make you do.”
When job shadowing, Joey Seman advises you should “take notes when you go and apply what you learn to your own personal life.” Especially in the insurance agency, you will learn about rates and other things that can help you financially. Job shadowing is something you shouldn’t take for granted; it not only leaves you with knowledge but can provide you with opportunities in the future as well.
