Unlike a job

fair, which is designed to showcase positions for which a person can immediately

be hired, career fairs offer exploratory opportunities for students to

learn as much as possible about a variety of career fields. With so many

career options available in today's job marketplace, students often discover

an area of interest that they had never considered.

Each school's

guidance department is responsible for coordinating career fairs. Counselors

include as many different career fields as possible that might be of interest

to the school's student population. In order to ensure that students are

getting valuable information from the fair, they are required to survey

several presenters in their area of interest. General survey questions

often include salary range, education needed, opportunities for advancement

and effect of economy on the career field.

"The surveys

we use at the fair are designed to give students valuable concrete information

related to careers. The realistic view that can be found from talking

with a person in the field often can enhance their decision making about

the future," said Winkie Greenhaw, counselor at Sandy Creek High

School.

After the fair

is over, schools continue to reinforce the career decision making process

through classroom assignments and discussion. At Sandy Creek, students,

through their English classes, write essays related to their professional

fields of interest, and, in turn, give oral presentations in history class

about their chosen careers.

During the

week of the career fair, students at Sandy Creek also relate their character

education lessons to their careers of interest. One student who is planning

to be a teacher did her lesson on the importance of tolerance in her future

career.

"Career

education should have a major part in the total guidance program. One

of the areas that counselors reinforce on a daily basis is planning and

preparing for the future. Post-secondary planning is enhanced through

career fairs," Greenhaw said.

Students in

Fayette first become exposed to career fairs at the middle school level

when they enter the eighth grade. Although students are several years

away from graduation, the fairs are important at this level because they

spark the thinking process and help students begin preparing for the appropriate

course of study when they enter high school, according to Janice McLeroy,

counselor at Rising Starr Middle School.

"Students

at this age are still so influenced by their parents, relatives, friends

and TV figures that they don't realize all of the career options that

are available. We want our students to see so much more that is out there,

and developmentally this is the time to strike," explained McLeroy.

Although many

students plan for careers that require a college education, McLeroy said

technical careers are going to be the fastest growing field for the next

25 years. The old school of thought that vocational schools were for students

who couldn't make the cut for college is slowly waning as technical colleges

are preparing students for the future.

"When

a ninth grader begins high school on the track that he or she chose through

the four-year planning meeting, there is very little room for change during

that four-year period. Those that fail to plan, plan to fail," McLeroy

said.

While career

fairs help expose students to careers they might not know about, parents

are still the most influential people in their children's lives said McLeroy,

and she encourages parents to get involved in their children's career

planning.

There are many

Web sites and books that are user-friendly and easy reading. For an easy

first start on the Internet, visit the Georgia Career Information Center

at www.gcic.edu , McLeroy suggested. The site allows users to explore

more than 450 career clusters with specific career profiles and jobs under

those clusters. Users can also take their findings and explore college/technical

requirements for those job areas.

While schools

at the secondary level have traditionally hosted career fairs, some are

experimenting with introducing students to career choices at the elementary

level. Last year, Robert J. Burch Elementary hosted its first career fair

for fifth graders. The fair was so successful that the school plans to

sponsor one again this year.

"Our purpose

for having the fair is to give the children an idea of why we study all

the subjects we do and to help get all of them ready to be productive

citizens in the world," said counselor Jackie Uttley.

The school

plans to invite parents as well as their business partners in education

to be presenters at the fair, scheduled April 29.

Other career

fairs scheduled for this year at various Fayette schools include Sandy

Creek High, Feb. 14; Rising Starr Middle, Feb. 22; Flat Rock Middle, March

22; Booth Middle School, Feb. 28; and Whitewater Middle, Feb. 22. Fayette

Middle School was scheduled to host its fair in February but due to unforeseen

circumstances will reschedule it for later in the school year.