A careers day is a great way to expose students to real people doing real jobs: industry professionals, community members, local business owners and parents to present to students on their industry and profession. This would be best held outside school and business hours.

Organisation requires time and resources, so an organising committee will probably be required.

Here are some tips for organising a careers event at your school:

• Form a project team or organising committee to coordinate the event.
• Check school calendar for suitable dates to host function
• Draw up a list of industries, which will dictate the choice of speakers, resources and number of classrooms required.
• Decide on a location - a building with groups of classrooms close to a main hall or auditorium would be ideal.
• Seek professional speakers – you may want to contact parents through the school newsletter, use your or other staff members' personal contacts or contact large local employers, local chambers of commerce or industry associations for help.
• Promote the event to students in the target age group, their parents and fellow teachers, ensuring that everyone grasp the significance of the event and appreciate the importance of attending. Advertise it on school noticeboards, through the newsletter, or send a special letter to parents to communicate the event.
• Before the event, you could run a session with the students to get them to think about which industry/career presentations they want to attend so that they can get the best out of the event.
• Once speakers are enlisted brief them on timings, dates and aspects they should cover, such as what their job entails, skills required and education and training needed. The more prepared the speakers, the more value they will be able to impart.

When the big day arrives, welcome guests and explain the purpose of the event, then direct presenters and students to the appropriate rooms. Job well done – now make it a regular fixture on the school calendar.