Fourteen Career Day Tips by Jesse Bluma
On Career Day my homeroom class learned about different careers and vocations. A friend of mine, Chris Gaida, agreed to be one of the presenters. He has worked as a producer on “Regis and Kathie Lee”, “Dr. Drew”, and other shows. We also learned about his experiences with escorting stars at award shows, including “The Academy Awards”, “The Grammy Awards”, and “The American Music Awards”. He is also the director of the Big Bear Horror Film Festival. On Career Day our school had over sixty presenters. We rotated classrooms and got to meet three. My students appreciated getting to meet our guests, such as Chris.
Career Day How To
As a presenter...
1. Ask questions and find out about any guidelines, such as time, topics, space, and audio-visual equipment.
2. Prepare. This may include resume items, real life objects, photos, video clips, and practical advice. Today's society is image driven and has many language learners. Real objects help teach and keep interest.
3. Prepare a few questions for students.
4. Practice your presentation by walking around the room. Standing still can put people to sleep.
5. Remember to pause and let students take in what you said and to reflect. This will give them time to process and engage with you.
6. Smile and be in the moment. You are doing something important and the students want you there.
7. Have a back up plan. What if you forget your photos? What if you have to cut your time? What if...???
As teachers and students...
1. Invite presenters and let them know the importance of their volunteering.
2. Schedule. A general announcement at the beginning of year, formal invite two to three months prior to the date with specific information, guidelines, definite topics to speak about, parking details, and timeline. Three to four weeks before the day verify with presenters. Five to fifteen minutes is a good amount of time for each presentation, this depends upon the age of students, what and how much they are sharing, and the school day schedule.
3. Enrich curriculum throughout the school year with career minded content and activities. This may include a dress-up day, research report, sharing business and economic news articles, et cetera.
4. Prepare questions. Guide students through a series of thoughtful questions, remind them to avoid asking the money question. Asking about a specific salary can be rude, instead you may ask presenters to include a salary range in their presentation.
5. During the presentations you may wish to have students complete a worksheet or take specific notes.
6. Prepare a banner, sign, refreshments, water, etc. to welcome guest speakers.
7. Remember to formally thank presenters with a card, photos, and treat.
Credit: Image courtesy of bplanet at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
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