Once students start to think about their future after high school, questions about the career they want to pursue and the colleges they want to attend may come up. In order to enlighten the minds of those students, CGHS hosts an annual Career Fair for juniors and seniors. About 500 passes were distributed earlier that week for February 6, 2014.  The Career Fair was located in the school gym, where different booths of all types of careers were presented by their representatives. The careers present varied from the different positions in the Army to even a chef at Le Cordon.

The PTSA organized the whole event, from getting the career representatives, to making sure the fair runs smoothly the day of. In choosing the careers that will attend, general advisors are sent out to the community letting them know about the fair. The PTSA looks for careers that the students are particularly interested in and that will benefit them moving forward.  If the PTSA sees that there is a specific industry that is not well represented, they target those industries, and collectively identify well operating companies, inviting them to come. Having multiple career institutes present, the Career Fair also gives private companies an opportunity to offer kids that don’t have the money for school possibilities like on-the-job training.

Career representatives organized their stands in a variety of ways to attract students. From the classic picture poster board used by Coral Gables Fire Rescue, to custom logo stamped free gifts like the cool shades and mini lipstick pens from Beauty Schools of America.

“I make sure I’m color-coordinated with what I’m wearing, just because I feel that shows a little bit of continuity. I also make sure I stand up so that if I see students that are walking by and might be a little shy or aren’t comfortable with talking to a  representative, I can kind of pull them in and introduce myself, as well as answer any questions for them,“ the career representative for The Art Institute said.

Another stand that was very popular especially among students interested in medicine, was the paramedics’ section. Its eye catching table display had a variety of different tools and equipment that grabbed everyone’s attention.

“I like to set up the presentation, where students get to do a lot of hands on, I think that’s how they will most learn about it, and experience it,” the career representative from Urgent Response Training said.

Having the students’ best interests at heart, career representatives and PTSA members gladly give advice on what’s to come in terms of choosing a career. Instead of insisting what their institute has to offer, career institutes at the Career Fair will tell you to really think about what you want to do, some, like Beauty Schools of America, even offer a sit down at their school before enrolling to see if it’s the right fit.

“[Advice I would give to students is] to think about what they would like to do. I know a lot of them don’t think about what they would like to do and that their first job is going to be the first one that’s offered to them. Statistics show that your first job determines your career path. A job is great, we all need money, but also think about what they would like to do with their lives and take advantage of this. This is a place where we bring everyone here so they can meet the people that can help them get where they want to go,” PTSA member Laurie Baad said.

During the Career Fair, students were seen walking around with an open mind, stopping by each booth and asking questions.

“I really liked this Career Fair because it included different careers that anyone could be interested in. I also liked how friendly each career representative was,” junior Francheska Choiseul-Praslin said.

Some students had an idea on the career they wanted to learn more about, and luckily the Career Fair had the means to provide them with the information.

“The career that interested me the most was the Army because they don’t only train you physical, they also give you mental preparation. I was always interested about the army in general, and I liked that the Career Fair gave me the opportunity to learn more about it,” senior Andy Garcia said.

Students, don’t forget to contact any of the companies/colleges/careers that you are particularly interested in before it’s too late. Make sure not to miss out on next year’s career fair!