Career fair turns out to be fun
I have to admit I was a little less than enthused when I was asked to be the newspaper’s representative to a recent career fair for eighth-grade students.
I’d never done a career fair, but I’ve spoken to numerous classes in the past, and the results have been mixed to say the least. Not known for my charisma or charming personality, I’ve never really hit it off all that much with local youngsters. Let’s just say the response has been a little underwhelming. But it’s always been difficult trying to connect with kids who are 40 or even 50 years younger than you are. Somehow, I think they look me as a boring, old guy which pretty much sums me up in a nutshell.
I was even more fearful when I heard the fair was going to last from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. How in the heck would I ever talk to kids for five hours?
Well, the fair went much better than I could have expected. First off, I have to credit the Laurel Business Institute, the Fayette Business Education Partnership and Fayette Chamber of Commerce for the job they did in organizing the event.
Getting hundreds of eight-grade students together has to be a challenging task, but they pulled it off with ease. The students came in waves, giving me time to talk to students individually and in small groups, which I found much better than trying to talk to kids in a classroom setting.
Called the Annual Eight Grade Career Exploration Fair, it also went by much quicker than I could have imagined. In fact, we went past the 1 p.m. deadline, and I don’t think anyone was complaining. Credit also has to be given to all the people who manned the various stands at the fair, attempting to give students an idea of what’s involved with different types of jobs and careers.
One of my observations was how different the students were despite them all being in the eighth grade. Some were articulate and mature beyond their years. Others not so much. But then I remembered back to my days as an eighth-grade student. All I could think of was how tongue-tied and awkward I felt during that year. A lot of these kids have more on the ball than I ever had back in the day.
I did wonder about whether eighth grade was the right age for such an event. Muriel Nuttall, the executive director of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, said organizers of the event had similar concerns but she noted that most students have to make decisions as early as the ninth grade about whether they want to attend college or not. That’s true. Overall, the kids were great. They were all very respectful and courteous. Even if they were a bit bored, they did their best not to show it.
It warmed my heart when several of the students said they liked to write. One in particular said she tries to write something everyday. Smiling, I told her that’s the only way you get better at writing. A few even took the newspapers I was handing out. A couple of students said they were interested in studying journalism, which pretty much made my day.
So, what were my words of wisdom to the students? Well, I have two things that I try to tell students whenever I talk to them.
First, I tell them while most people only think of reporters when they hear about newspapers, there are many other jobs here. We employ all types of people including photographers, videographers, copy editors, graphic designers, pressroom operators, maintenance workers, sales people, accountants, data processors, Internet technicians, obituary takers, and mailroom workers among others. We also have plenty of room to move up the ladder to all sorts of various management positions. So, I tell people to don’t forget about newspapers when they decide on a career. On second thought, that’s good advice for everyone.
I also tell them to find something that they love doing and want to do, because they’ll be doing it for a long time. Fortunately for me, I’ve always loved journalism. Not that every day is peaches and cream, but I’ve never hated coming to work and quite frankly can’t understand how people can detest their jobs. I started writing for my school paper when I was a junior in high school, and 48 years later, I’m still writing. If that isn’t great, then I don’t know what is.
Hard to say whether the kids listened or understand what me or any of the other people at the fair had to say. But even if a small amount got through to the students, then it was well worth it. There’s no doubt that these students will be running the show one day down the road, and I’m sure they’ll do a great job. I can only hope that I may have influenced them in some positive manner.
Overall, it was a fun day, and I hope it was for the students as well. I only wish they’ll enjoy their careers as much as I’ve enjoyed mine.
Mark O’Keefe is the editorial page editor of the Herald-Standard. He can be reached by phone at 724-439-7569, by email at mokeefe@heraldstandard.com or by regular mail at 8 Church St., Uniontown, Pa., 15401.