high school career day powerpoint presentation

How to Present Your Career Journey on PowerPoint

Want to present your career journey as an interesting story through a presentation? Find out how to do it using PowerPoint.

Talking about your career journey is a nerve-wracking exercise, whether in an interview or presenting to a large audience. You can make this process much more exciting by narrating your journey as a story.

A story that contains facts, figures, anecdotes, and more stories to illustrate your knowledge, experience, expertise, conflict resolution techniques, and insights. Here's how you can harness the power of PowerPoint to present your career journey as an interesting story:

1. Ask the Right Questions

Before you begin creating your presentation, you need to have a good idea about the content you will include in it. You can write down bullet points that act as the deck outline, or ask yourself pertinent questions. What kind of questions should you ask yourself? Here's a list to get you started:

• Who's my target audience; recruitment teams, college/school students, job fair attendees, or working professionals?
• What do I aim to achieve with this presentation?
• What professional events, stories, incidents, and insights should I include?
• What statistics, tips, and professional highlights should I mention?

Your presentation can go in widely different directions based on your answers.

2. Draw a Content Flow Chart

Now that you have a good idea about what to include, it's time to organize this information into a seamlessly flowing story. Draw a flowchart or a simple diagram to indicate what goes where. This is the storyboarding stage, where you'll order the content and fine-tune the details to the last fact and figure.

3. Choose Content Format and Media

Once you're done with the “what” and “where,” it's time to address the “how.” How do I present my career story as concisely as possible? Not every part of your journey needs a slide with elaborate textual content. You can use graphs and timelines to depict career trajectories and time spent in different roles. Use bolded numbers with labels or SmartArt and Charts to highlight critical statistics.

A short video can explain your work methodology with animations and voiceover. Concept images, tag clouds, and simple sketches can convey information more concisely than a slide full of text. Once you've decided how each part in the flowchart will take shape on the slides and have the media content ready, it's time to launch the PowerPoint app.

4. Pick the Right Template to Tell Your Story

Searching for story-based templates brings up lots of options on PowerPoint that have different slides to highlight stats, show graphs, depict growth, insert a video, etc.

You can insert your information in the appropriate slides, clone the ones that need repetition, delete the ones that don't fit in with your story, and insert slides from other presentation decks that cater to your requirements. Just make sure to edit the theme of this slide to match the main template.

Using a premade template to prepare a professional presentation . You'll not have to waste time deciding on fonts, colors, themes, and manually inserting diagrams and charts. You can also download or buy presentation templates from online resources like Crystal Graphics or SlideUpLift . These sites offer custom templates to showcase career journeys, with creative slides to present information concisely.

You can also use the Slide Master feature in PowerPoint to create a custom theme for your presentation.

5. Design Your PowerPoint Presentation

It's time to execute your vision. Use as many slides as you need without worrying about the length of the presentation. Here are a few quick PowerPoint tips to help you present your career journey in a stellar way:

• Use high-quality images, videos, and graphics.
• Use Animations and Transitions sparingly.
• Use Presented View mode to check how your slides look, keep an eye on your notes, and edit as needed.

6. Polish Your Stories

Your career journey would be incomplete without highlighting your professional growth and maturity, lessons learned, and insights gained. Use the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Results to avoid rambling and keep it short and straightforward.

When narrating stories, describe the situation or conflict you were facing, what needed to be done, what was done, what you learned from the experience, and how it has impacted your decision-making process. The STAR method touches upon all the crucial details of a learning incident, allowing you to tell more stories in fewer words.

7. Edit Your Slides

Now you need to step into the shoes of your target audience. Look at every slide critically. Think about the value each slide adds to the rest of the presentation, and decide whether it stays or goes.

Are all your stories helpful and needed? Are your statistics factually accurate? How long will it take for you to walk through the entire set? Use these and other relevant questions as markers to cut down the number of slides.

8. Deliver With Poise

Making a kick-ass presentation is just one part of depicting your career journey. The other part consists of being a good storyteller. Use the PowerPoint Speaker Coach to improve your presentation skills . Memorize your notes, pay attention to your hand gestures, make eye contact, and do not read from the slides. Practice with a timer until you can deliver it in the precise amount of time you've been allocated to present.

Present Your Career Journey With Aplomb

Look for Behavioral Interview related questions online and how to ace them before you sit down to create your career journey presentation.

It will help you channel your nervous energy into telling a good story accompanied by a presentation. Learn more about creating engaging presentations on PowerPoint to improve your story.

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Top 5 Career Presentation Templates with Samples and Examples

Shivam Kumar

Career advancement and professional growth are key aspirations of talented individuals seeking to thrive in their chosen fields. To translate those dreams into reality, a knowledge of career development plan and the standard roadmap to achieve goals is an absolute-must.

When you start out your career journey, a seemingly endless list of tasks awaits you and you must learn how to plan and set goals to get out of the chaos. Click here to access must-have goal planning templates to give your efforts a clear direction.

This collection of PowerPoint presentations from SlideTeam provides a valuable resource for those looking to strategize and plan their career trajectory.

For downloading and setting actionable steps for execution towards individual career plan templates, please click here.

Whether aiming for that coveted job promotion or seeking to outline your career roadmap, these slides offer a wealth of insights and practical guidance. They empower individuals to make informed decisions, set goals, and align their journey with their aspirations. Moreover, they cater to the needs of HR professionals and managers, facilitating employee career progression and development within organizations.

These templates are hands-on tools for career advancement, and are 100% editable and customizable, offering your both structure and a starting point. 

Let’s explore!

Template 1 Job Career Promotion PowerPoint Presentation Slides

If you’re striving for that next step in your career or aiming to leave a lasting impression on decision-makers, this PPT Template equips you with the tools to create a powerful and impactful presentation. Use this presentation template to craft a compelling narrative around your career journey, objectives, strengths, and aspirations. Propel your career path, engage your audience, and prime yourself for a future filled with achievement. Download this template from the link below. The slide on projects and achievements and the one slide on how I helped my current team add to the utility of the presentation template.

Download it now!

Template 2 : My career planning outline PowerPoint presentation with slides

To unlock your potential, we present a ready-made sample of a career planning process PowerPoint Presentation. To enhance and harmonize your career path planning, we’ve incorporated innovative design templates covering the evaluation process, work experience, project engagements, achievements, personal goals, key skills, current competencies, and much more. 

Enhance your self-assessment and articulate your career change ideas. With this resource, you can confidently shape your path to success.

Template 3 : Career Path Planning PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Navigate your career journey with precision using this PPT Template, a comprehensive complete deck of a toolkit in 30 slides. This presentation is  designed for professionals seeking to effectively chart their career progression. This PowerPoint theme expertly guides you through the entire process of succession, spanning across assessment, planning, development, training, and evaluation phases. Additionally, you can effectively demonstrate planning elements, objectives, and the essential tools required for career progression. Elevate your career with precision and confidence using this invaluable resource. Embark on your successful career journey today. Your path to professional growth begins.

Template 4 Employee Career Progression Planning PowerPoint Presentation Slides

The cornerstone of success lies in creating a clear structure for talent nurturing and career development. Recognizing and retaining skilled employees is not just important; it's imperative. Our comprehensive Employee Value Proposition (EVP) PowerPoint Deck is designed to help you pinpoint exceptional talents within your workforce and empower them to realize their full potential. This competency-based development slideshow covers components, categories, and frameworks, all adaptable to your unique organizational needs. It serves as a flexible career management visual, allowing ample customization to align with your goals. With this investment into your internal talent pool, you not only reduce external hiring costs but also foster professional growth, strengthen your employer branding, and facilitate career progression. Seize the opportunity to elevate your workforce and maximize their potential with this invaluable resource. It’s time to champion talent development and secure a brighter future.

Template 5 Career Development Roadmap PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Our PowerPoint Presentations are your gateway to showcasing career, project, and business advancements that captivate your audience. Use this complete PPT deck to outline your business plan's objectives or agenda effectively. The roadmap details steps like pedagogy, planning, content development, production, delivery, and evaluation. Highlight key features of your learning roadmap to elucidate procedures efficiently. Dive into the four learning roadmap phases: assessment, curriculum development, logistics, and certification.

Template 6 : Career Timeline PowerPoint Presentation Slides

These PPT templates spotlight your best work, leaving a remarkable impression on your interviewer. Present your short- and long-term goals with engaging visuals, and captivate your audience with achievements and milestones. Navigate through your work experience, highlighting accomplished tasks and discussing your future aspirations. This career path timeline PowerPoint Slideshow offers well-designed, clutter-free timelines, each tailored to enhance your narrative and create a presentation that reflects your unique journey.

UNLOCK YOUR CAREER GROWTH

These PowerPoint Presentation Templates provide keys to unlocking and accelerating your career growth. Whether you aspire to climb the corporate ladder, map out your career journey, or facilitate the progression of your employees, these resources offer invaluable guidance and insights. The templates help you structure your career aspirations and goals. Using these powerful presentation templates, you can simplify and accelerate your career growth, making your dreams of success a tangible reality. Elevate your career with ease, and seize the opportunities that lie ahead with these PowerPoint presentation templates.

If you’re interested in exploring career planning timeline templates, feel free to discover them Click here !

PS: Equip yourself with the essential tools for effective career portfolio highlighting by exploring our Templates in this blog, Click here !

FAQs on Career Presentation

What should be included in a career presentation.

A compelling career presentation begins with a captivating introduction, often a personal story or relevant industry example. It should provide insight into your unique career journey, highlighting milestones, challenges, and successes. Articulate your career goals and their alignment with your values and passions.

Share your core skills, competencies, and educational background, showcasing how your experiences have shaped your path. Delve into your work history, emphasizing key roles, projects, and lessons learned. Express your commitment to continuous learning and professional growth. 

Address challenges you've encountered, demonstrating resilience and problem-solving skills. Outline your vision for the future, describing the impact you aspire to make and the steps you plan to take.

Throughout, offer practical advice and insights based on your experiences. Use visuals, multimedia, and interactive elements to engage your audience. Summarize key takeaways, invite questions, and foster meaningful dialogue.

What is the purpose of the career presentation?

The purpose of a career presentation transcends the mere dissemination of information; it is a powerful opportunity to inspire, guide, and connect. At its core, a career presentation is a beacon illuminating the path ahead. A career presentation goes beyond the boundaries of a resume or LinkedIn profile. It’s a platform to share personal narratives, lessons learned, and the invaluable wisdom accrued over time. It encapsulates the spirit of mentorship, offering insights and advice that can shape the trajectory of others' careers. In essence, the purpose of a career presentation is to illuminate, motivate, and connect. It's an instrument of empowerment, a catalyst for growth, and a testament to the belief that each career is a unique and evolving narrative waiting to be written.

What is career life cycle?

The career life cycle is a dynamic and multifaceted journey that everyone embarks upon, characterized by distinct phases of growth, learning, and transformation. This unique trajectory defies a one-size-fits-all approach, as it is deeply influenced by personal aspirations, external opportunities, and the evolving professional landscape. It starts with the exploration phase. This is a period of self-discovery, where individuals identify their passions, strengths, and career preferences. It's a time of educational pursuits, skill acquisition, and the cultivation of foundational knowledge. As the journey progresses, the establishment phase unfolds. Here, individuals enter the workforce, building their reputation, and gaining practical experience.

The career life cycle then enters the expansion phase, characterized by the pursuit of new challenges and opportunities. Individuals may explore career paths, industries, or entrepreneurial ventures. It’s a phase, where innovation and adaptability emerge as the driving force. Finally, the culmination phase marks the twilight of one's active career.

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How to Host a Career Day at Your School

Are you planning to host a career day or planning for a career week for your school? It is a great experience to have students think beyond the four walls of their classroom, and it brings the real world into the classroom and helps students begin to think about their futures. 

Out of all of the events I have planned, career day was one of my favourites.

I have outlined the general steps for teachers who want to host a career day below and the process my school followed.

How To Host A Career Day

Career day planning steps.

It’s easy to host a career day when you have the steps laid out for you. Here are the steps I follow when I host a career day:

• Create a career day planning committee.
• Think about the purpose of this event, e.g. community building, career awareness, curriculum-real-life connections.
• Decide which grades will take part. I teach at a Kindergarten to Grade 8, so we decided that Grades 4 through 8 would participate.
• Where will the event be held?  What day will the event occur? If you have a space to host the event on one day, then you may consider hosting the event all on one day. We decided to host it over several days to not have to cancel gym classes.
• Send a digital or paper survey to the school and staff community asking for volunteer presenters. Set a deadline for submissions. We put parameters around the types of careers we wanted to present – the careers needed to align with our grade-level Social Studies, Health, or Science curriculum. We wanted students to see a direct link between what they learn in the classroom and real life.  
• Gather the committee together to review the career day presenter submissions. Sort the presenters into categories. Divide up who will contact each presenter. We divided it up by grade level. Each teacher volunteered to contact five presenters via email.
• Once you have finalized which presenters are available to present, create a presentation schedule and send out formal invitations with details to the presenters (15 minutes for presentations, 10 minutes for presentations, 5 minutes for questions) and 5 minutes for transitions between sessions. We had the presenters set up in classrooms, and the classes rotated through each presentation. This was easier for the presenters, so they did not have to travel from room to room with all their items.
• Send along possible sample questions they can discuss. Also, encourage them to bring tangible items and/or photos related to their careers to show the students.
• Plan out a thank you gift for the presenters. We gifted the presenters with a school-branded coffee mug. There are a lot of great, cost-effective DIY thank-you ideas on Pinterest.
• Select students in each session to formally welcome and thank each presenter.
• Set up a refreshments area for the presenters to get coffee, tea, juice, or cookies and a place for them to store their outdoor apparel.

Host A Career Day – Virtually!

If your school cannot put on a full in-person career day, modify the event to be virtual. Use Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Zoom to host your career day speakers via video chat. You might be able to get more students to see each presentation as the feedback might be able to be broadcast into multiple classrooms at once, depending on the tech setup. You need to think outside the box to host a career day virtually – but it can happen!

Career Day Presenter Sample Questions 

When you host a career day, ask the presenters to align their presentations to the sample questions you provide to ensure the presentation is focused and relevant to your students.

• What is your job title?
• What are the duties and responsibilities of your job?
• How many hours per day or week do you work? Do you work shifts?
• Can you tell me about your background and how you got into this field?
• What do you like the most/least about your work?
• What education or training is needed for this occupation?
• What personal characteristics are required for someone to be successful in this job?
• Is there a steady demand for workers in this field? How much job security is there?
• What should people do to get started in this career? (i.e. experience, training, education)
• How might this job change in the future?

After you host a career day, try this Career Research Project

Career education is very important. Don’t stop the education once you host a career day!

Help your students think purposely about their futures with this Career Exploration and Research Project . Students will get excited about career research by taking an online career quiz and then brainstorming possible career choices. Then, they will follow a guided assignment process – brainstorming, research, career poster creation, and oral presentation with scheduled check-ins throughout the process to ensure project completion.

What teachers are saying: 

“This is probably one of the best resources I have ever purchased! This project was perfect for my 7th graders to keep them engaged and help them to feel successful in research. Research can be a BEAR, and this made it SO MUCH FUN! So thankful I came across this!” – Caroline B. “WOW! This unit, like the others from this seller, moved the students along with built in scaffolds and purpose. It was also easy to leave for a sub.” – Rebecca C.

You can find the Career Exploration and Research Project on Teachers Pay Teachers USD and Shopify CAD .

Cover Letter and Resume Writing Unit Career Lessons

Are you looking to effectively teach your middle schoolers cover letter and resume writing? After you host a career day, try out this engaging approach: Students step into the shoes of hiring managers, gaining writing skills while making informed hiring choices. They’ll assess various applications, gaining insights, before crafting their own materials. These lessons are designed for all learners with QR codes, group activities, and a dynamic hiring simulation, ensuring active participation throughout the unit.

Unit Outline:

• Introduction – Job Vocabulary QR Code Activity & Examining Cover Letters and Resumes
• Lesson 1 – How to Write a Cover Letter
• Lesson 2 – How to Write a Resume
• Lesson 3 – How to Write a Brag Sheet

“Very thorough unit! This resource had everything I needed to teach the skills for resume writing and job searches. Thank you!” – Jennifer P. “As with all of your resources, this one was easy to use, required very little prep on my part and the students were very engaged in the lessons. It is well laid out and follows a plan that is logical. We have enjoyed using this.” – Christine K.

You can find this Cover Letter and Resume Writing Unit Career Lessons on Teachers Pay Teachers USD and Shopify CAD .

After you host a career day, both of these assignments are a fantastic follow-up.

Find More Engaging Learning Ideas

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• Perfect for engaging students in public speaking and persuasive writing
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• Ideal for in-person or online learning

By using highly-engaging rants, your students won’t even realize you’ve channeled their daily rants and complaints into high-quality, writing!

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Great Career Day Activities For High Schoolers (Including free worksheet and career aptitude tests)

Find a Job You Really Want In

There are hundreds of great careers out there, yet few students are aware of all the possibilities.

In fact, students’ list of possible careers is often limited to family, friends, and those they are exposed to in school. That’s why career exploratory activities are so important to students making informed career decisions.

We compiled this resource to help teachers guide students in their career exploration journey.

Below you can find helpful career tests, virtual career day videos, and a free worksheet to guide students as they research multiple careers.

Career Aptitude Tests

Career videos for jobs, activity to research potential careers, other activities and career skills.

• Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs

Career aptitude tests can help students not only better understand their strengths and interests, but how they translate to the workforce.

Having students take an attitude test can help them realize a passion for podiatry, a knack for carpentry , or a million other possibilities.

• Truity – Career Test

Truity’s 15-minute career test measures key personality factors to show you the exact careers that suit your strengths. No account or sign-in is needed for students to take Truity’s career test.

• CareerExplorer’s Career And Personality Test

CareerExplorer’s test takes approximately 45 minutes. Like Truity, no login is required to take CareerExplorer’s personality test. CareerExplorer’s test is far more in-depth and might be a better fit for students in their last years of high school.

Arranging speakers from the community to speak to your class can be incredibly rewarding. However, even in the best of times arranging schedules and finding a diverse sample of speakers can be challenging.

We compiled a list of videos that allow students to hear from multiple workers in exciting fields. This can spark interest and help students better envision what it would be like to work these jobs.

Click on the links below to view YouTube videos of people sharing information about their jobs and careers.

Videos On What It’s Like To Be A…

• Archeologists
• Veternarian
• Physical Therapist
• Wildlife Biologist
• Army Dentist
• Aerospace Engineer
• Marine Biologist
• Nutritionist

If Youtube is not an option, you may peruse the wider library of videos available at OneStop’s website . Note: Not all of these videos have interviews like the ones highlighted above.

It is important for students to research prospective careers. To help guide the research, Zippia created a free worksheet teachers can use (in conjunction with the previous activities if desired) to help students explore potential careers.

Students will use https://www.zippia.com/explore/ to research 4 careers, answering questions about education and skills needed, salary, and job responsibilities.

Below is a preview of the downloadable worksheet:

You can download the worksheet for use in your classrooms below: Download Career Research Worksheet

If you anticipate your students will struggle picking careers to research (or you would like to insure they research careers from multiple industries or different educational background), you can provide them with careers to research instead of letting them pick out careers on their own.

Similarly, if you have had students take the career aptitude test, they can use that as the springboard for their research activity.

If you have covered the above content or want to delve deeper into specifics for job hunting, we have a list of vital job seeking skills and articles that are needed for students to conqueror the job market.

• Best Jobs For High Schoolers
• How To Write A Resume (With Examples)
• How To Write A Job-Getting Cover Letter
• 50 Most Common Interview Questions
• How To Get An Internship
• What To Wear (And What To NOT Wear) To A Job Interview

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Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.

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Tips for providing P-12 students career day–type presentations about the veterinary profession

Children begin forming career aspirations in elementary school, and in many cases, adults find themselves in careers that they decided on before 12 years of age. 1 – 3 Tai et al 4 report that eighth-grade students who had an expectation of a career in the life sciences were nearly twice as likely to graduate with a baccalaureate degree in the life sciences as were others who did not have that early expectation. Preliminary research has shown that introducing young students to veterinary medicine through formal curricula and activity books can positively impact their attitudes toward and interest in science careers, increase their desire to study science in college, and influence their perceptions of veterinary medicine. 5 , 6 And educational experts cite classroom visits by role models and opportunities for role-playing by students as important means for students to learn about careers and the educational requirements needed to attain their occupational choices. 2 , 7

Veterinarians and veterinary technicians are frequently invited to participate in career day activities at local schools or community centers. These presentations can provide an opportunity to encourage young students to pursue careers in the veterinary medical profession and provide information about the breadth of opportunities that the profession has to offer. But, for individuals who have not provided presentations in the past, accepting such an invitation can be intimidating. The present report was written by a team consisting of a veterinarian, elementary school teachers, and high school teachers and is intended to provide tips for veterinarians and veterinary technicians planning to visit classrooms or community centers to give career day presentations.

General Considerations

Visitor requirements.

Many schools and community centers require visitors to complete a volunteer form and undergo a criminal background check and a sex and violent offender registry check before they can visit with minors. Additionally, many schools and community centers will require visitors to sign in and sign out at the main office and use a visitor pass. Some will require visitors to be accompanied by school personnel at all times and might have designated parking areas for visitors. Be sure to ask what requirements and policies you need to follow as a volunteer and guest of the school or community center.

Live animals

Animals can be an excellent means of engaging students, but careful consideration should be given before live animals are brought into a school or community center. First, the school’s or center’s leaders should be consulted as to whether animals are allowed in the facility. If animals are allowed, the teacher should be consulted to determine whether there are any students or adults in the classroom who have a fear of animals, have allergies to animals, or are immunosuppressed. Next, the type of animals and age of the students should be considered. The ultimate goal is for students to have a positive experience. Some students have an innate fear or have had negative experiences with certain animals. Although positive experiences can help alleviate the fear, you are not likely going to accomplish this during a 20-minute presentation. The temperament of the animal should be considered. For example, a pet dog might be great with children, but might not be great with 30 children. It is recommended that dogs (and other animals as reasonable) be current on all vaccinations and undergo behavioral testing and certification before they are used for educational purposes in a public place. Human health risks that animals might pose should also be assessed. The CDC recommends that reptiles, amphibians, poultry, ferrets, and items these animals have contacted not be handled by children < 5 years old, senior citizens, or individuals with weakened immune systems. 8 , 9

If live animals are allowed in the facility and do not pose a health, safety, or fear risk to students or adults, consider the impact on your presentation. Once an animal is observed, the students’ attention will immediately shift from the content of your presentation to the animal. Decide if and how the information you are delivering can be enhanced by the use of a live animal. Consider revealing the animal toward the end of the presentation, once your talking points have been delivered, to provide an interactive experience or demonstration that positively reinforces the content of your presentation. Remember that student exposure to animals will vary. Be sure to remind students of appropriate ways to interact with the animal before revealing it. Also remember to discuss the importance of hand washing after handling animals and ensure that hand washing occurs after animal contact and before eating. To reduce contamination and reinforce the concept, hand sanitizer can be provided if hand washing is not immediately feasible.

Prepresentation Meeting with the Teacher or Community Center Team

It is strongly advised that you contact the teacher or community center team at least 2 weeks before your presentation to arrange a time to meet and discuss your presentation plans. Meeting after regular school-day hours is generally preferred if you are meeting with a teacher. This prepresentation meeting will give you a chance to review logistics, including travel time to the location, parking options, location of the main office, check-in and checkout procedures and time needed to complete these procedures, approval of your background check, location and layout of the classroom or presentation area, audio-visual equipment availability, Internet availability, time allotted for your presentation, and classroom or center rules. The last is important because, as a guest, you do not want to break any rules that students are expected to follow.

Age and experience level

During the prepresentation meeting, you should discuss the content of your presentation. The teacher or center team can help you ensure that the content and type of presentation are appropriate for your audience’s age and experience level. For example, a slide presentation might be appropriate for high school students but not desirable for first graders. The teacher or center team can also inform you of what their students already know that is related to your topic. For example, the teacher or center team can help you determine the level of exposure the students have had to animals. Some classrooms and community centers have resident animals (eg, dogs, cats, fish, and rodents) that students see daily. Students might have pets at home. Students might have gone on a trip to the zoo. Keep in mind that experiences in pet ownership and veterinary care might be reduced in communities with a low socioeconomic status.

Cultural relevance

Ask the teacher or center team to describe the demographics of the student population so you can ensure that your presentation is inclusive. Using materials that portray culturally diverse images of veterinary professionals in action and highlighting the accomplishments of culturally diverse veterinary professionals allow all students to see themselves in successful veterinary medical careers. 10

In traditional African-American and Latino cultures, learning is contextual. Stage setting, or preparing for a task, is an important part of problem solving. 10 To help set the stage for your presentation, you might provide scrubs, lab coats, or scientific notebooks to use during the presentation. This can encourage excitement about learning.

Research has shown that communal communication and cooperative group learning can facilitate learning by African-American and Latino students. 10 Communal and cooperative learning is easier to implement in a community center setting than in a formal class-room. Hands-on activities that foster communal learning give the presentation content personal meaning and facilitate mastery by the children. 10 , 11 Group activities encourage students to work in partnerships and small heterogeneous groups on learning tasks that have multiple parts. In this way, each group member can contribute to the overall goal. Before any group activities begin, provide students time to introduce themselves to their group members and discuss what they each hope to learn. Lastly, encourage students to write and draw about what they learned after the presentation. Successes can be celebrated by displaying essays and artwork.

Interactive activities

If you are planning interactive activities, determine in advance whether all students will be physically able to participate or what modifications you need to make for the activity to be inclusive. You can let the teacher or center team know if you would like any background information presented to the students in advance of your visit, but should expect to provide them with needed resources.

Get feedback on the safety and appropriateness of items or animals you are planning to bring for students to see or handle. Again, keep in mind that once you give students something, they will be distracted from the presentation. If you are planning on bringing food items such as candy, discuss the appropriateness and ensure none of the items contain ingredients (eg, peanuts) that are allergens for students. If you will be using handouts, ask how many students are in the class so that you can bring sufficient copies or arrange for the teacher to have copies ready.

Room preparation

Discuss the arrangement and setup of the presentation room. The more the teacher or center team knows ahead of time, the more prepared they can be when you arrive. Decide where you want your students to be. Older students might remain at their desks. Younger students might be seated at desks or tables or on a carpet on the floor.

Student management

Managing students during presentations can sometimes be a challenge for visitors. Students who do not know you might test your authority. Similarly, you might not be familiar with the students and any special needs they might have. One way to personalize your presentation is to request that students wear name tags so you can address them by their first names.

Be sure to ask the teacher or staff member in advance whether there are any students with special needs in the group. Students can have visible and invisible disabilities. A group might include a student who uses a wheelchair or a student with a cognitive disability. Work with the teacher, student aide, or staff member to ensure that any group activities are inclusive.

Lastly, confirm that a teacher or staff member will be in the room with you at all times and that students with special needs will have a student aide as needed. Your function will be as a content expert and role model. The teacher or staff member in charge should be responsible for assisting with students who are not listening, students who are misbehaving, or students who have needs during the presentation (trips to the bathroom or the nurse). The teacher or staff member can even help with the presentation.

Preparing for the Presentation

Your presentation should be practiced and polished. Incorporate your passion, enthusiasm, humor, and even a dash of showmanship. Use voice inflection to create drama and excitement in your talk. Teachers are almost like actors on a stage, and you will have to bring some of those qualities to prevent students from becoming bored. Listening to a lecture for 50 minutes from someone they don’t know can be difficult for students, and you have to remember you are competing with video games, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, television, movies, and so on. A wonderful, quick, and easy-to-read book that describes effective teaching strategies is entitled Teach Like a Pirate , by Dave Burgess. 12

Keeping a presentation exciting takes work. Think about the amount of time you are asking students to sit. A good rule of thumb is that student attention span is equal to 1 min/y of age (ie, an 8-year-old can give 8 minutes of attention before needing to move). If you are speaking for > 12 to 15 minutes, switch your presentation medium to allow for some movement (eg, slides, handouts, artifacts, video clips, games, activities, labs, or demonstrations). Text is not particularly exciting, so if you are using slide presentations, make sure to include color, video clips, pictures, or diagrams. If students participate in movement activities, always begin with rules and consequences for not following the rules so that no one gets hurt.

Asking students questions during the presentation increases student engagement. Your responses to questions should be age appropriate. Avoid saying “no” if an elementary school student gives an incorrect answer. Alternative responses include the following:

• That is not what I was looking for, but I like the way you are thinking.
• Keep thinking, I like how you are trying.
• That is close. Who would like to help?
• I think you were answering ________, but I was going for_______. Do you want another shot at it it, or would you like to call on a friend to help you with this one?

Prizes for correct answers for groups of elementary school students could be distracting. Instead, save give-away items for students to take home at the end of the presentation.

For high school students, you can improve attention by bringing prizes (candy, pencils, pens, key chains, stickers, etc) to give to students who answer questions correctly, calling on students by throwing a ball to them, or putting their names in a bowl and drawing them to answer questions. Students want to feel as though they are part of the presentation, not just being lectured to. High school students will be held more accountable for the information presented if they know they could be called on.

Your attire should be neat, clean, and professional and should correspond to the aspect of the veterinary medical profession you are representing. For example, small animal clinicians could wear scrubs or business attire and an examination coat. Large animal clinicians could wear coveralls. Military veterinarians should don their uniform. Researchers can wear a lab coat. A name badge is recommended.

Your presentation should excite students about the breadth of careers in the veterinary profession, inform students of the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed, and explain the steps to becoming a veterinarian. The depth of information provided will depend on the age of your audience. Begin your presentation by introducing yourself and letting the students know the topics you will be discussing. Create dialogue and interactions throughout your talk. Students will learn more when they are engaged in a dialogue rather than listening to a monologue. Ask the students questions and encourage them to ask questions also. As you prepare your content, think about creative ways you can make your presentation interactive. You can even keep a notepad or voice recorder with you to record thoughts immediately so your ideas are not forgotten.

Resources for content can be found online at the AVMA website 13 and at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine website. 14

To excite students about the breadth of careers in the veterinary profession, you might consider starting your presentation by finding out what students already know about animals and veterinary medicine, describing the members of the veterinary team, explaining the variety of careers the veterinary profession has to offer, and then asking the students to guess what type of veterinary professional they think you are. For a presentation to elementary school children, you could ask how many have animals at home or how many have visited the zoo. However, you should use these questions simply to gauge the experience level of the group, as asking individual students to tell you about their pets or their visit to the zoo can quickly derail the lesson. First, all students will want to have a chance to tell the group about their animals and animal experiences, and those who do not get the opportunity to do so will feel left out. Second, students who have not had exposure to animals might not feel included in the discussion.

You can, however, call on students in response to questions such as “Do you know what a veterinarian does?” and “Do you know what a veterinary technician does?” Use analogies to human medicine to help students understand the various roles veterinarians can play, explaining that just like human doctors, some veterinarians are family doctors, whereas others are specialists or experts in certain types of animals (dogs, cats, horses, cattle, birds, etc) or certain body parts (heart doctors, eye doctors, skin doctors, etc). Describe careers in fields other than clinical practice, such as research and the military.

With this introduction, you can then ask the students to guess what type of veterinary professional they think you are. Call on the students to answer, and give them hints as necessary by suggesting that they look at the way you are dressed or telling them what kinds of animals you work with.

For high school students, you might consider using a slide presentation with images of the veterinary team in action as you describe the breadth of career opportunities. Ensure, however, that your images include individuals of both genders and various races and ethnicity so the students can envision themselves as veterinary professionals.

Once students have identified what type of veterinary professional you are, you can then personalize your presentation by telling them, in a manner the students can relate to, what you might do in a typical day. Telling your personal story helps establish a connection with the students, and students will be more vested in the information you provide. Personalization might also give you credibility on the material you are presenting. As you talk about your work, use anecdotes from your own experiences. Relating information about veterinary medicine to experiences the students may have had can also help improve understanding. Another way to engage students and help them remember information is to involve them emotionally. Both sad and funny stories can be effective, and the “gross” factor can be especially effective for teenagers.

Think about incorporating some items that students can touch and pass around at this time in the presentation. Students love to manipulate things and learn best when they can use all their senses. Students will hear your words, see your slide presentation or handout, and be able to touch the items you brought. Items you could bring to pass around include things you use in your everyday work, such as, for a small animal practitioner, a stethoscope and otoscope; for a dairy practitioner, a balling gun and magnets; and for a surgeon, plates and screws. Other items could include enteroliths, foreign bodies, radiographs, bones, or preserved parasites.

Discuss the skills and knowledge students will need to become a veterinarian or veterinary technician, and explain how students can pursue a career in the veterinary profession. For younger students, this could mean talking about a desire to work with people and animals and a willingness to work hard at school and be a problem solver. For older students, you could focus on specific courses (math, biology, physics, etc) they will need, along with traits they will have to develop, such as good communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Finally, explain the steps necessary to becoming a veterinarian or veterinary technician, including the educational process. For older students, you might also want to talk about the steps needed to become a specialist or researcher.

Remember to organize your presentation to allow time for students to ask questions, and be prepared for unexpected questions. For elementary school students, you should decide whether you are going to have students hold their questions until the end of the presentation or ask during the presentation. Allowing questions during the presentation can distract other students and interfere with the presentation. Another method is to have students write questions on sticky notes and then choose a few to answer without having to call on anyone.

Some common questions to prepare for include the following:

• How do you help animals?
• How do you give animals medicine?
• What is it like to be a vet?
• Why did you want to be a vet?

For high school students, nothing is more frustrating than when a presenter says, “Hold all questions until the end.” Often, time runs short and they never get to ask their question. Allow the presentation to be interactive and dynamic, and use some of the questions to somewhat guide your presentation. Be flexible. It doesn’t mean you can’t say, “I’ll have to take the rest of the questions later” or “We may have time for stories at the end.” Some common questions to prepare for include the following:

• What courses should I take in high school?
• What can I do outside of school to prepare?
• What are the salaries of veterinarians and veterinary technicians?
• What grades do I need to be eligible to get into veterinary college?

Feedback is important so that you can continually improve your presentations. An easy way to get feedback from elementary school students is to ask them to draw a picture about what they learned from your presentation. High school students can complete a short questionnaire. Examples of questions include the following:

• What did you like most about the presentation?
• What did you like least about the presentation?
• What was the most important thing you learned from the presentation?

Presentation Day

Allow an extra 15 to 30 minutes in addition to the time you think it will take you to arrive and check in. This will be especially important if you are presenting at the beginning of the day at a school or the end of the day at a community center. Traffic can be a little tedious as school busses are loading and unloading and as parents are dropping off and picking up kids. If you are going to a high school, be especially wary as you will be sharing the road with inexperienced drivers.

Remember that you are the visitor, and respect the authority of the teacher or community center team and their rules while you are a guest. Be flexible. Even though you have thoroughly prepared your presentation, the day may move in a slightly different direction than you originally planned. That is okay. Find ways to make connections with the students to get them moving back in the right direction. Don’t be afraid to redirect inappropriate student behaviors (like talking to another student while the presenter is talking). Defer to the teacher or community center team member in charge if you are not sure how to answer a question or handle a situation. For elementary school students, find a way to get the students’ attention, or ask the teacher how he or she does so. Some suggestions include the following:

• A rhythmic clap.
• A call and response. (You can teach this to students at the beginning of the presentation: “1, 2, 3, eyes on me”; students respond with “1, 2, eyes on you.”)
• Lights out.
• Countdown to 1.
• Play music. (Let students know ahead of time that when they hear the music, they are to give you their attention.)

Remember to save items for students to keep until the end of the presentation. A nice time to hand out these items is after the feedback forms have been collected.

Academic Standards

Although there is no core standard that addresses career awareness and education, the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards include speaking and listening standards. 15 For example, several grade 5 listening and speaking standards 15 (eg, 5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions…with diverse partners…, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly; 5.2: Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally; and 5.3: Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence) could be applied to a career day presentation.

Veterinary professionals have the opportunity to influence the future of our profession by being role models for young students and providing them the information and support they need to succeed. By building relationships with schools and community centers and developing presentations for elementary and high school students, they also have an opportunity to broaden participation in the veterinary profession.

Acknowledgments

Supported by a Science Education Partnership Award from the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the ORIP or NIH.

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