th
The 12 th Grade Career Expo will be a one-day, district-wide event for over 1,200 DPS high school seniors who are making big plans for college and career. The Career Expo will be hosted at Johnson & Wales University in Denver. The event will feature a keynote speaker, breakout sessions on careerrelated topics and opportunities to learn more about higher education options. There will be an option to tour JWU’S college residence hall. This is a free and pre-registered event. Below are some guidelines and on the second page is the student Preparedness Timeline.
Goal: Putting each student’s ICAP into action!
The intention is not to create more work for the counselors/teachers/staff, but instead to apply everything counselors/teachers/staff have already trained students to do.
TIPS TO RECRUIT & REGISTER YOUR STUDENTS:
1.
Get into classrooms to complete the 12th, Q3, Career Exploration ICAP lesson, which includes information about the 12 th Grade Career Fair.
2.
Instruct students who are interested in the Career Fair to complete the Career Fair
Registration Survey in Naviance. DEADLINE is February 6 th .
3.
Remind students that they must pre-register and that space is limited so not all students will be able to attend. Each school will be given one to three buses according to school size.
4.
Utilize additional communication tools such as Naviance, promotional flyers, and PA announcements.
5.
Watch for emails with details to follow.
6.
Use the Student Preparedness Timeline as a tool to guide you and your seniors.
Note: Counselors, CTE Resource Specialists, and FACE specialists - please collaborate to ensure your school’s preparation is completed prior to March 2015. – Each school will be assigned 1-3
buses (depending on size).
 Registration: via Naviance ICAP Survey
 Bus: Transportation schedule will be provided to each school in February.
 Lunch: Lunch particulars pending (details in January).
Feel free to contact: Anne Aragon, Lead Planner anne_aragon@dpsk12.org 720-423-4381.

STEP 1: Complete your Résumé
□
Log into Naviance to complete, save, and print 10-15 copies of your résumé to bring to the Career Fair. o
Create a professional email address (e.g. firstname.lastname@gmail.com) o See your Goodwill or CTE Resource Specialist for help formatting and enhancing your Naviance résumé.
STEP 2: Complete ICAP requirements
□
Make sure you’ve completed a career interest survey in Naviance (e.g. Career
Cluster Survey, Strengths Finder, and/or Interest Profiler)
□
Use your transcript and career survey results to complete your Academic Plan
Survey in Naviance and ensure you are on-track for graduation.
□
Stay on track with your post-secondary planning timeline: o Apply to at least 1 college o Study to re-take the ACT and/or Accuplacer as appropriate o Update your Personal Statement o Search for scholarships o Submit your FAFSA
STEP 3: Register for the Career Fair by February 6 th
□
Complete the Career Fair Registration Survey in Naviance by February 6 th .
STEP 4: Prepare for the event
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Select Professional Attire (for assistance see CTE Resource Specialist/Counselor)
Investigate the businesses and colleges who will be attending the event at http://www.dpscareerexpo2015.com
□
Practice answering interview questions with a friend or your CTE Resource
Specialist
□
Review interview tips (e.g. introduce yourself, greet with a firm hand shake, maintain good eye contact, sit up straight and be aware of your body language, provide examples, slow down and speak clearly)
□
Create and practice a 1 – 2 minute Elevator Speech, including the following: o Who you are (Your name) o Your educational background o Your employment background o Your job objective/goal o Relevant skills, abilities and accomplishments o Why you stand out among your peers
“If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” ― Harvey MacKay

An elevator speech is a clear, brief message or “commercial” about you. It communicates who you are, what you’re looking for and how you can benefit a company or organization. It’s typically about 30 seconds, the time it takes people to ride from the top to the bottom of a building in an elevator. (The idea behind having an elevator speech is that you are prepared to share this information with anyone, at any time, even in an elevator.) At a career fair, you can use your speech to introduce yourself to employers. It is important to have your speech memorized and practiced.
Rehearse your 30 second elevator speech with a friend or in front of a mirror. The important thing is to practice it OUT LOUD. You want it to sound natural. Get comfortable with what you have to say so you can breeze through it when the time comes.
THIS ELEVATOR SPEECH IS:
 Absolutely not longer than 1-2 minutes)
 or - in words - approximately 80 to 90 words
 or - in sentences - 8 to 10 sentences
ABOUT YOU:
1.
Smile to your counterpart, and open with a statement or question that grabs attention: a hook that prompts your listener to ask questions.
2.
Tell who you are: describe yourself and your company/school/grade.
3.
Tell what you do and show enthusiasm.
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Use back of sheet if needed