High School Students Learn About Careers from Those in the Workforce

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" It's a common question to kids and teens and one that can cause stress and anxiety if they're not sure. To help students explore their options, members of the guidance department at organized Career Day for sophomores who got to learn about many different jobs from professionals working in the field.

About 20 individuals came to the high school Friday morning to share their experiences with students and answer any questions they had about the career path. Presenters ran the gamut from a police lieutenant to a restaurant owner to a midwife to a sales representative for MTV Networks.

Students were broken into several groups and got to hear from some of the presenters about what their jobs are like, how they got to where they are and what types of educational or other requirements there are.

The event brought Career Day back to the high school, according to Principal Thomas Gorman. He said it offers students "an introduction into the world of careers."

Guidance Counselor Amy Wasser, who spearheaded the project, said she's hoping to expand Career Day to include more students next year. This year, the department chose to include sophomores. She said counselors work very closely with juniors to prepare them for the college application process and don't work with the younger students as much.

"This is a good way to get them exposed to careers," Wasser said.

To secure the speakers, Wasser said all the guidance counselors reached out to their connections and asked teachers who they knew. Through the networking they were able to get a variety of people representing numerous fields involved.

A common theme among the presenters was having a passion for their jobs. Several told the students they have the best job in the world.

They didn't neglect the negatives, though. To give students a full picture of what their jobs are like, presenters pointed out some of the down sides. Lt. Richard Skinner, a member of the , said his job can be dangerous and stressful on families. He said, "Shift work is horrible," and pointed out that members of law enforcement often work weekends and holidays.

But he said the positives outweigh the negatives for him. He said he enjoys helping people and taking "bad guys" off the streets. He added that one of the most rewarding experiences for him was being a D.A.R.E. officer for students.

Students also heard from Rachel Siegel, a midwife that works at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. She said she was probably one of the more unique presenters becuase "a lot of people think midwives don't exist any more."

She explained that the term midwife means with women and, while rare, there are male midwives. She said midwives never work alone, but they are able to prescribe and administer medication and assist in the operating room during C-sections. Midwives aren't just involved in childbirth either, Siegel said. She explained that they are involved in family planning and assist women after birth as well.

Siegel expressed another common theme of the day, which was career changes. She explained that she didn't know what she wanted to do as a career even after college, where she majored in anthropology. She said she moved to New York City and waited tables before going back to school to become a nurse and midwife.

Dr. Jett Gurman, a chiropractor who works out of Westwood, worked in the optical field for 10 years before going back to school for his current job, which he has been doing for 27 years.

Daniela Musano, who owns spa Araya Rebirth in Ridgewood, started out as a dental assistant, then worked at Westwood Dermatology treating acne in teenagers before getting a massage therapy license and working at a spa in Short Hills. She decided to open her own business at the age of 23 and has become a successful business owner.

Sophomore Haleigh Catalano of Westwood said she thought Career Day was very informative. "Most of these jobs I had heard about but I didn't know the details," she said. "I'm glad Westwood did this. ... I hope they keep doing it next year and the year after. No one knows what they want to do. With this, you get exposure."