The school’s annual Career Fair took place last Thursday during tutorial in the small gym, where more than 20 parent volunteers shared their work experiences across a range of fields including finance, medicine, entrepreneurship and the armed forces.
Despite coinciding with the California Music Education Association’s (CMEA) festival, which occupied many music students, there was a turnout of around 100 students.
At the fair, students had the opportunity to engage with professionals at different career stations, asking questions about their jobs, education, required skills and career pathways. This event served as a platform for students to learn about career interests in more depth, and explore career options they may not have previously considered.
“We want to get students thinking about how many different opportunities there are out there,” said College and Career counselor Sierra Ward, who helped organize the event. “Many occupations don’t have a major dedicated to it, so some people stumble into careers randomly.”
For many students, the fair was an eye-opening and valuable experience.
Sophomore Ovee Dharwadkar said she was able to gain more clarity about her interests.
“I’ve always been a really indecisive person, so I just wanted to learn more about the different fields that exist — what I don’t want to do and also what is piquing my interest,” Dharwadkar said.
Junior Jena Lew, who helped organize the fair and co-founded the nonprofit Career Compass, attended the career fair to help her decide between two majors: environmental science, or economic policy, finance and marketing. After talking to multiple professionals in marketing, business and entrepreneurship about their experiences running their small businesses, Lew gained a clearer understanding of what her potential career paths might entail.
Beyond career exploration, Ward hopes the event will prepare students for future professional interactions.
“There are career fairs all the time in colleges with hundreds of companies who are hiring or hiring after graduation. So, we want to get students used to having conversations with strangers and building that skill,” Ward said.
Parent volunteers shared insights from their respective fields, helping students understand real-world applications of different careers.
Manisha Manu, a finance accountant at Adobe, explained her role in financial analysis, product investment decisions and revenue forecasting.
“Finance is really the job that gives you the most breadth rather than depth when working on one particular product,” Manu said. “You gain a higher level of overview of how a company operates versus just focusing on development.”
She also notes that while the school emphasizes STEM careers, students would also benefit from a broader perspective of different careers within technology companies.
Kathlyn Bautista, an occupational therapist at Kaiser Permanente, highlighted the significance of her field, which many young people aren’t fully aware of.
“After surgery, patients need to do rehab or therapy to recover their functions and become independent again. Many people have a rush to return to normalcy, but you want to be functional, which is where occupational therapy comes in. Then, you can gear towards normal,” Bautista says. “It’s a great career and when I retire, I want others to continue this important work.”
Dietitian Amy Archer emphasized the wide applications of nutrition-related careers. Archer has held various roles, including working as a hospital dietitian recommending formulas for ICU patients and in medical sales representing products like nutritional formulas and feeding tubes. She is also a wellness coach, author and blogger, underscoring the crucial role dietetics plays in various aspects of healthcare.
“Everybody eats, and food influences everything,” Archer said. “There’s a whole world out there from pediatric or prenatal nutrition.”
Archer holds one of her educational books, “An Integrative & Functional Approach to ADHD Management,” at her station.
Santa Clara County firefighter Mike Buchanan volunteered at the career fair to support the community he serves, and to share insights he wished he received earlier in life.
“I didn’t have anyone come talk to me, so I got started in this career much later in life,” Buchanan said. “I wish someone had come to my high school and shared all the great aspects of this job. Every day, I get to go to work and feel like you’re making a difference, and the firehouse is really like my second family. The department also provides great healthcare benefits for me and my family and a strong retirement plan.”
Buchanan displays a multitude of firefighting equipment at his station.
With each passing year, the Career Fair is evolving and continues to broaden students’ perspectives.
“For me, it was really interesting to see the different paths people can take to reach the same place,” Dharwadkar said. “I liked how there were a big variety of careers, which one might get overwhelmed by, but it can definitely help to level out their interests.”
