A high school career day can help students prepare for their future careers and plan the track of education they will need to follow. Students will get a chance to learn about different careers while networking with local companies in that field. It is important to start early when planning a career day to make sure there are enough participants.
Step 1
Determine when and where you will hold the high school career day. The event can be held in the school’s gymnasium, auditorium, cafeteria or a combination of them. The event should be planned for an entire day to give students a chance to participate, and to allow time for parents to attend and ask questions.
Step 2
Contact local companies about attending career day. Call a variety of companies in different fields, such as hospitality, sales, science, manufacturing, communications and dining. Include civil service jobs, such as police, firefighters and paramedics. Invite those in the medical field, including doctors, dentists and other medical professions.
Step 3
Invite area college and technical school representatives to attend. Students can learn about different education options for a particular profession. School counselors will be able to help them apply and sign up for appropriate courses.
Step 4
Plan to have staff from a local career center on hand. Employees at the career center will be able to help students find jobs and training classes. Career centers also offer assistance with job applications, job searches and resumes.
Step 5
Make a schedule for guest speakers. Ask participants if they would be willing to speak during the career fair. Give speakers approximately 20 minutes to speak and answer questions about their job. Depending upon the number of speakers and the length of the career fair, you can adjust speaking times.
Step 6
Confirm participants' attendance one week before the event. Have an information packet ready, including location, times and expectations, to mail or drop off.
Step 7
Send details about the career fair to students and parents. Include a list of all the participants, date, time and guest speakers. Encourage students to come dressed professionally, as if they were interviewing for a job.
Related Articles
Writer Bio
Heather Leigh Landon has been a writer since 1988 when she started her career as a stringer for "The McHenry Star News." Since then she has worked for newspapers such as "The Woodstock Independent," "The Northwest Herald" and "Press Journal." Landon graduated from William Rainey Harper College with an Associate of Applied Science in journalism.