12 Ways to Have a Fabulous Career Day Presentation 

Last spring, I was invited to the School of Creative and Performing Arts in Lexington, Kentucky for a Career Day school visit.  My goal was to tell students what it's like to be a writer. 

As giggling students entered, I asked them to have a seat and scoot closer so that we could interact better. Then we discussed education paths, salaries, a daily routine, how to get published, and the pros and cons of being a writer. 

The session ended with a question and answer period.  The students had been prepared and asked thoughtful questions.  They really wanted to understand the writer's life. 

I had fun meeting these young writers. I hope you will consider doing a school visit, too.  Here are some ways to guarantee your Career Day presentation will be a hit.  

• Communicate with the career day coordinator beforehand about when to arrive at school.  Find out how many students will be in each session.  Find out how long each session lasts.

• During your presentation, keep an eye on the time.

• Allow a few minutes for students to ask questions at the end of the presentation.

• If students don’t have any questions, ask them questions.  For example, ask them what they like to write.

• When students ask a question, tell them that’s a great question before you answer it.

• Jazz up your table. Bring writing books, a fancy fountain pen, framed writing quotes, pictures of your writing space. Make your presentation inviting and interesting.

• Invite students to scoot chairs close to your presentation table. 

• If students prefer to sit to the side, be sure to address them as well as the students sitting in front.

• Keep note cards of your presentation handy in case you need to glance at them.   

• Be aware that the school intercom may interrupt.  (This happened two times during each session for me)

• Have something on the desk that is interactive and will make students curious.  I had a box with a card on it that read: What’s the secret to getting published?  When they opened it, they found the answer: be unique and never give up. (Their faces lit up when they read that)

• Thank the students for coming and give them your business card to contact you if they have more questions or hand them a bookmark.