Prairie View seeking presenters, interviewers for Career Day on Nov. 18

A Prairie View senior is interviewed by volunteer Paula Schwarz during the Prairie View Career Day in 2024. (Photos by Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)

Journal staff report

Employers often complain that young employees don’t come to a company with realistic ideas of what is expected from them. Whether the problem is lack of skills, no concept of key job requirements (punctuality, attendance, no use of electronic devices except on breaks, etc.), 

For those employers or their supervisors, Prairie View High School is offering the opportunity to speak directly with students who will soon be walking in and asking for jobs, discuss one-on-one why their résumé is great or needs work, and most of all, explain what happens on the job site. And it could also lead to some prospects you might want on your staff in the future.

Heide Henderson with the Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge tells about her duties as a refuge employee at the 2024 Career Day. Accompanying her was "Wally," a mounted specimen of a river otter.

Tuesday, Nov. 18, is PVHS Career Day, and the school is looking for company owners, supervisors, workers, or even entrepreneurs to talk about your line of work, whether it is on a job site, in the field, in a factory, or in an office. If you enjoy working with people, especially young people, this will be a fun experience for you.

Here are excerpts from the letter than has been sent out to recruit employers, colleges and universities, and even military recruiters:

“Prairie View High School is hosting our Seventh Annual Career Day, allowing students the opportunity to learn about different careers available to them, from people in the field. We are excited for this opportunity for our students and hope that you will join us, as many students have requested to learn more about careers in your industry of expertise.

“We are also looking for people to help conduct mock interviews in the morning with our Senior students and provide Skills for Life sessions in the afternoon. Would you be willing to help as a presenter, interviewer, possibly both?  The following information and details may help you in deciding.”

Colin Coronado, right, a recruiter from Pittsburg State University, joined representatives from several other universities and trade schools in providing information to students during the career fair at the 2024 Career Day.

"The Four Big Events of Career Day

1. Career Presentations (morning)

Volunteers come to PVHS to tell students about their careers.  Each career presenter is assigned a room and will give the same presentation or a variation of to four different groups of students. Contact Tamala Snyder or Trenton Smedley (tsnyder@pv362.org or tsmedley@pv362.org) for more information.

"Topics to address during Career Presentation: (not limited to these, just suggestions)

1) Job Description

2) Typical Day to Day Activities

3) The Perks and Challenges of the Job

4) What steps did you take to get started in this career?

5) Other important details about the career

2. "Mock Interviews (morning) 

Every Senior at Prairie View High School will take part in the Mock Interviews which will consist of two interviews with two different interviewers. Students will bring a copy of their personal cover letter, résumé, and reference list to each interview and each set will be prepared for one of six optional jobs/internships/scholarships.  

"For those helping with the Mock Interviews, the day of our event you will be provided  the six different “job” descriptions and questions that go with each “job” description. Interviews should last between 10-15 minutes and following each interview the Interviewer should collect the professional documents from the students, complete the provided scoring rubric, and paperclip the rubric to the front of the professional documents to be collected by a teacher after all interviews are complete. 

"This is an extremely practical and helpful practice for our students.  If you could bring a phone or timing device to help us stay on schedule with our interviews, it is appreciated. If you would like us to provide something for you, do not hesitate to ask. For more information contact Jacoby Johnson at jjohnson@pv362.org.

3. "Skills for Life Sessions (afternoon) 

These sessions run like the career sessions only they are about life skills.  Teachers often present at these as well.  Some examples might be: how to cook breakfast, how to write a résumé, how to survive the first year of college, how to change the oil in a car, what your local library has to offer you, etc.  If you have a great idea for a life skill, this can be an option as well. Contact Jessie Carr at jcarr@pv362.org for more information.

4. "Post-Secondary Job/College Fair (afternoon0)

The small gym will host representatives from various colleges, unions, vocational/technical programs, and businesses.   Participants will set up a table or booth representing their organization/college/business and visit with interested students. 

"Students will attend this as one of their afternoon sessions. Contact Lacy Stockton at lstockton@pv362.org for more information.

"If you are interested in helping us with any of these endeavors, please let me know at your earliest convenience. For more information, contact Tamala Snyder at tsnyder@pv362.org."

Students learn about basic vehicle maintenance during one of the Skills for Life workshops at the 2024 Career Day.

Tentative Schedule for the day:

8:15-8:30 Students will report to their XLT (eXtended learning time classroom) - take attendance, lunch count, and then write down their schedule for the day

8:30-9:00 Students will report to the Performing Arts Center for Career Day expectations and information.

8:30-8:45 Career Presenters and Mock Interviewers will arrive at PVHS and be escorted to their respective locations

9:05-9:35 Career Session 1/ Mock Interviews Group A

9:40-10:10 Career Session 2/ Mock Interviews Group B

10:15-10:45 Career Session 3/ Mock Interviews Group C

10:50-11:20 Career Session 4 / Mock Interviews Group D

11:20-12:20 Lunch - Lunch will be provided for all volunteers

12:25-1:00 Skills for Life Session 1/Freshman attend Post-Secondary Job/College Fair 

1:05-1:40 Skills for Life Session 2/Sophomores attend Post-SecondaryJob/College Fair

1:45-2:15  Skills for Life Session 3/Juniors attend Post-Secondary Job/College Fair

2:20-2:50  Skills for Life Session 4/Seniors attend Post-Secondary Job/College Fair

2:55-3:15  XLTs meet and reflect on the day.