Juniors only for Career Day 2015
In an effort to inform students about possible career options, Samo will host its annual Career Day on Tuesday, Mar. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. On Career Day, local professionals will give seminars about their respective occupations and students will have the opportunity to learn about a range of potential jobs.This year, Career Day attendance is mandatory for Samo juniors, and no other grade level may attend, due to scheduling issues and juniors’ statuses in planning out their futures, according to ASB adviser Bryn Boyd.Career Day is meant to be a big proponent for juniors to absorb advice and use it to assist them in their life planning that they are in the midst of.“The main objective of Career Day is to provide juniors with the tools and the motivation to consider their futures as they soon enter their senior year,” Career Day planner Carla Fantozzi said. “They will learn from professionals about their career, their journey and tips and tools in how to be successful in the job market today.”
According to Fantozzi, the juniors may attend up to three different professional panels of their choice throughout the day.The Samo Alumni Association and the City of Santa Monica have been searching for professional speakers in various industries. According to Fantozzi, this year’s selection will feature a variety of more than 40 panels to choose from, such as acting, business, fashion and forensics. According to the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, Career Day is meant to emulate a real-world job fair.“It is important for Samo students to hear from former graduates so that they can see that Samo does prepare people for their futures,” Boyd said. “Students can get all their questions answered regarding their career before starting college.”Planning college careers is a priority for juniors, but they must also be thinking about their future lives and resources past college, according to English teacher Jennifer Pust.“Students are realizing more than ever that college is one important option, but they have to be thinking longer about what it’s all going to lead to and what they ultimately want to do so that they can make good choices now,” Pust said. “For some students, Career Day will inspire them to think about careers or jobs that they didn’t even know existed or that they maybe knew something about but weren’t really sure what an actual day would entail.”
For students, there is an underlying importance of learning the process of becoming a member of a certain occupation and the practical knowledge of working in that profession, according to Brian Stewart (’16).“I feel like a lot of people don’t know what jobs are actually like,” Stewart said. “[For example] a lot of people say, ‘I want to be a doctor when I grow up’. They don’t actually know what a doctor actually does and how much work they put into college. By having someone come and tell you what their life experiences are, you can really gain a deeper insight.”Juniors are to sign up for panels via the main Samo website by March 13.