TIMELINE FOR CAREER DAY
15 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Set a date for your career day
- Create or update a script to use for calling potential speakers/presenters (A)
- Create or update parent interest form to send home to parents re: presenting
at Career Day (B)
Between 10-15 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Make initial phone calls to outside professionals, if applicable (A)
14 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Send home the parent interest form with students (B)
11 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- All parent interest forms should be returned (on or by ________________)
- Confirm speakers for career day via phone/email.
- Create Info Sheets for each confirmed presenter, if applicable (C)
- Begin requesting money or items to be donated from local organizations,
administration or PTO to support career day (food, prizes, etc.) via phone call
or letter
Between 1-10 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Begin collecting items for a display case or bulletin board, if applicable. Items
should be related to the speakers that will be presenting that day.
Between 7-10 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Make follow up calls or emails (if needed) to get bio information for all
speakers. Update Info Sheets with speaker and topic presentation information.
(C)
- Begin to create a bio packet for the teachers. Take information from Info
Sheets to create this document. (D)
7 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Complete bio packets (should include name & title of the speaker, company
they work for and what they’ll be presenting on). When completed, give to
teachers. Ask teachers (via email) to read over this list and select the
topics/speakers they are most interested in. (D)
6 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Ask teachers to make name tags for students to wear during career day, if
applicable.
- Make speaker name tags.
-
Complete address labels (2 per speaker) to be used when sending
informational packet and thank you letter.
Complete sign-up sheet.
Make invitation and invitation list for community members (Superintendent,
Board Members, other counselors, etc).
Create a link on the counseling, building or district website to advertise and
create awareness about your career day.
Include information in counseling or principal/school newsletter advertising
career day.
5 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Conduct sign-ups for career day.
- Create/complete newsletters to send home with students the weeks leading
up to career day. (E)
- Begin making signs to post at career day.
4 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Placement of speakers throughout the building – those that need stationary
and those that can travel. Create a list of AV equipment needs based on room
placement.
- Create tentative schedules for each speaker and each teacher. (F)
- Complete speaker informational packets (which will go home to the speaker
with needed information about Career Day) (G). Include letter, map/directions
to the school, list of other presenters, building map and the speaker’s
individual schedule. (Also have copies of these ready for the day of.)
- Invite community members via letter – mail out.
- Write summary of purpose of day, speakers, participating students, etc. for
local media. Send information.
- Send home a flyer to all students/parents about the upcoming Career Day.
May be done via email, if necessary.
3 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Complete display case or bulletin board, if applicable.
- Via email ask teachers to plan on preparing thank you notes for their
speakers (can be done individually by each student or by the class as a
whole).
- Complete a Master Building Schedule, making note of where everyone is
during Career Day. (H)
- Send informational packets to speakers. (G)
- Place order for lunch or food items that you’ll have available for speakers, if
applicable.
- Send first newsletter home with students.
2 Weeks to Go (_____________________):
- Write/Print personal thank you letters to all speakers to send out after career
day. (I)
-
Send second newsletter home with students.
1 Week to Go (_____________________):
- Call or email speakers to confirm that they received their packet of
information and that they are still planning on attending. Check to see if they
have any questions related to their presentation.
- Create speaker sign in sheet.
- Send final newsletter home with students.
- Announcement: “It’s almost here! _____________________ is Career Day.
We’ll have the opportunity to hear about hobbies, interests and jobs in
different career fields. Get ready to ask lots of questions and learn a lot of
interesting and exciting information!”
Week of Career Day (_____________________):
- Place a reminder in teacher’s mailboxes about writing thank you notes for
speakers.
Day before Career Day (_____________________):
- Purchase any remaining items needed for lunch on the day of the event or
prizes, if applicable.
- Set up a hospitality room for speakers (refreshments, lunch, place to store
personal belongings, etc.).
- Send an email to staff letting them know what tomorrow will look like. (J)
- Hang signs throughout the building.
- Announcement: “Tomorrow is Stephen Bell’s Career Day. There will be lots
of exciting things to see and hear about from the many presenters that will be
here tomorrow. Get ready for a fun-filled day of learning!”
CAREER DAY!!!!! ____________________
- Set up sign-in table. Have sign in sheet for speakers. Also, have all
paperwork available for presenters who did not bring needed items – map of
building, schedule, etc. Make sure to provide those needing to use AV
equipment with instructions.
- Remember to unlock all bathroom doors.
- Send an email reminder to teachers – check to see if they have any questions,
remind about nametags and thank you letters.
- Announcement: “It’s finally here! Today is Career Day! We will have ___
presenters in the building who will speak to us about their jobs. Please be
respectful to each of them and to each other. Remember that you are
representing Stephen Bell Elementary. Have a great time…and ask lots of
good questions!”
- Throughout the day/during transitions, make announcement: “Excuse me for
the interruption. Speakers and teachers, please begin transitioning to your
next location. When everyone is present, the next presentation can begin.
Thanks!”
The Day after Career Day (_____________________):
- Announcement: “Boys and Girls…We hope that you enjoyed Career Day
yesterday! You were very well-behaved and I appreciate how respectful you
were throughout the day. Teachers, please remember that we’ll need your
thank you letters by next _________, _____________!”
- Write a thank you email to all teachers and special thank you notes for those
who helped (secretaries, principal, etc.)
1 Week after Career Day (_____________________):
- Collect thank you notes from students/classrooms. Sort and Send to speakers
with typed Thank You letter. (I)
- Announcement: “Thank you to every student who wrote a letter thanking the
speakers who presented at Career Day. It was great to read the letters!! Mrs.
Knipfer and I were so impressed with all of the beautiful pictures and the
wonderful writing that the Stephen Bell students are sending to our presenters.
We could tell that lots of you were GREAT listeners! We’re sure the
presenters will love them! Thanks again!”