Young Professionals Wanted for Belmont High’s ‘Real World Career Night’

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Photo: The poster for Real World Career Day.
For Belmont High Schoool Senior Tess Hayner, last year’s first-ever “Real World Career Day” – her idea of having young professionals discuss with high school students the ins and outs of finding a career – is well worth holding again. 
 
“Based on positive feedback, I know the students appreciated the chance to interact with relatively recent college graduates, now working in the real world.” said Hayner 
 
The second annual “Real World Career Events” will take place on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Belmont High School cafeteria

“We were thrilled with the wide variety of professions that attended last year’s event, and now hope to recruit even more professionals from different fields,” said Hayner, who is managing this year’s event  with junior coordinator Anya Sondhi.

And like last year, the event is seeking a wide-array of workers in their 20s and the early 30s who graduated from any high school between the years of 1999-2011, to volunteer and hold short, informal conversations with Belmont High juniors and seniors.

“My goal is by the end of the night, after many conversations with various young professionals, the juniors and seniors of Belmont High School will feel less intimidated, and perhaps inspired when it comes to turning their hobbies and interests into lifetime careers,” said Hayner.

All professions are welcome. Business people, educators, graphic artists, technicians, medical workers, scientists, accountants, you name it!

An introductory video and volunteer entry form can be found here, or email Tess and Anya at rwcareernight@gmail.com for more information.

“Whether you’re in your dream job, working towards your dream job, or still unsure of what that dream job even is, we want to hear from all of you,” she said. 

A Real World Look at Jobs Coming to Belmont High

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The traditional high school career day is seen by many as being a bit … well, bland. It usually consists of a few company representatives discussing “jobs,” firms seeking unpaid interns and lots of brochures handed out to students busy with class work, athletics, SATs and applying to college.

When she thought about holding a career night at school, Belmont High School Junior Tess Hayner felt there had to be a better way of introducing the wide variety of careers to 11th and 12th graders who may have a limited view of the possibilities before them.

That’s when Hayner came up with a novel approach: why not ask those who attended the high school and are in the job market to come back and tell their own stories?

Hayner has been recruiting young professionals who graduated from Belmont High and any other public or private high school between 1999 and 2010 to participate in an evening of short, informal talks with upperclassmen to share their stories and discuss possible career paths with juniors and seniors.

“Just picture speed dating without the dates,” says Hayner.

That original idea is now a reality as the Belmont High School Real World Career Night will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria.

“It will be a fun way for them to revisit their school … and help younger kids out,” said Hayner who hopes that by the end of the night juniors and seniors will be inspired, and less intimidated at the prospects of finding a career.

Recent BHS and other high school grads who wish to volunteer can email Hayner at realworldcareernight14@gmail.com

“I am hoping that we can get a core group of recruits who will pass the recruiting message on to their high school and college classmates in different professions,” said Hayner.