On Tuesday, April 16th, Junior High students had an opportunity to learn about some of their career options in  Saratoga County.

A Variety of Careers Piqued Student Interest

Many participating students came up with ideas about their future careers. Ryan Garcia learned about law enforcement, while Daniel Liberatore and Alaina Aschmutat were intrigued by Ms. Donovan’s presentation on jobs in education. The culinary presenter’s knife skills and fried rice captured the interest of Jacob Herbst, Dylan Frechette, and Tyler Sowle. Tyler also enjoyed the music and manufacturing presentations. Sophia Fasolino said that the pharmacy presenter furthered her interest in pharmacy. Alaina Aschmutat, Olivia DePres, Grace DeNisio, and  Joe Remscheid also were fortunate enough to see the pharmacist’s presentation. Brian Brink liked hearing about the technology that goes into tractor design. Samantha Teter enjoyed the crop and dairy nutrition presentation. Samantha and Annabella Teter, Eric Reekie, and I,  all had the opportunity to see the veterinarian’s presentation.

Soft Skills Are Important in Jobs

Todd Shimkus, the president of the chamber of commerce in Saratoga, spoke to students in the auditorium about the job market in Saratoga County. He told them about how important soft skills like perseverance and communication skills are in workplaces. He said that soft skills are what employers look for during interviews. He made his presentation interactive and fun by including a game and prizes.  His game was trivia about soft skills.Many students left school that day with a prize of two dollars.

The Truth

Although many people discovered what they wanted their career to be, others found that the jobs that they want in the future require more work than they thought.Olivia DePres was undaunted by the eleven years of schooling required to become on orthodontist. Seth Cowper,Kira Bishop, and I learned about the Bar exam, which you must take to become a Lawyer, its 200  multiple choice questions and 5 essays make it nothing to laugh at.

Hope For Next Year

Although there was a wide variety of jobs were represented, some students found that their career ideas were not included in the event. Annabella Teter and Quinn Bernard were disappointed to find that none of the careers centered around writing. Skye Fitzgerald would have appreciated an actor attending the event and presenting for the students. Raelynn Cullen would have enjoyed a presentation from a therapist. Maybe next year, their job recommendations will be included in the morning.