<p>D1's high school had a career day with a nice twist: rather than using parents, the school brought in alumni, ranging from the class of 1993 to class of 2002. There were maybe 40-50 speakers, mostly divided up by career, with a few grab bag surprises. There was a chunk of attorneys, another chunk of scientists, another big chunk of computer people, and an assortment of people in various business roles. But there was also the fellow who had been a round peg in a square hole in high school, choosing to go to culinary school rather than the four year schools that "everyone else" was attending. He's now a beer, cheese, and chocolate expert for Whole Foods Market, and a food writer. Or the alum who did a NASA internship, and who is now a firefighter. </p>
<p>Some of the things that stood out for D1:</p>
<p>*How people change careers. One woman worked for non-profits for 7 years, then realized she hated doing that type of work; she now runs a website dedicated to small-scale home decorating, and has written a book. Some people want to do something for awhile to make money, and then go pursue something else that engages them more.</p>
<p>*How people's interests can change. One grad went to college in love with chemistry, then discovered a greater love for history. Another grad went to college in love with humanities, and ended up coming out with a science degree. </p>
<p>*The transition from college to the working world is much tougher than going from high school to college. Freshman year, everyone is new and is going through the same type of changes coming from high school. But when you start working, you're often the only new employee in your workplace. Plus, the things that used to impress people don't necessarily mean anything. One woman recalled telling a prospective employer "Well, I went to such-and-such high school and Wellesley", and being answered "Well, can you file?" </p>
<p>*Having a minimum wage job during a high school summer is a worthwhile thing. Not just for the money, but for that work experience.</p>
<p>*Mom and Dad were right: sending people thank-you notes after an interview, a tour of their workplace, or a casual offer to contact them for work later is a very good idea. You want people to remember your name in a good way, because getting a job via personal contacts is far more likely than getting it just based on your resume. </p>
<p>*How some grad students in science can spend the summer studying overseas.</p>
<p>*Choose the career day speakers you're going to listen to based on if they're good speakers, not on their subject matter. I commented that the same thing is true for picking college classes. </p>
<p>*Sometimes you have to lose money to make money. The beer/cheese/chocolate guy talked about being paid $25 for his first restaurant reviews, but having to pay $35 for the meal. But the investment paid off; he now gets paid substantially more, and the restaurant tab for him and a lucky friend are paid for by the publication he's writing for.</p>
<p>Does anyone else have a high school that does this? I was really impressed. The students seemed far more receptive to hearing from adults who were closer in age to them than parents. And hearing from alums who had gone through the same high school program made it easier for the students to imagine themselves in the alum's shoes.</p>