Introduction by Mr. Adam Darell, Director of Curriculum & Assessment
On Tuesday 18 November, students from Grades 9-12 attended the annual Elsa High School section Careers Fair. Introduced by the Elsa High School PTA several years ago and totally conceived and arranged by Mr. Saar-Naville or the fourth year. The afternoon began with an inspiring and thought-provoking keynote speech from Ms. Sharon Ser, whom we thank for giving her valuable time to participating in this event.
The fair consisted of a series of mini sessions where each student had the chance to talk with over 20 career professionals. In keeping with previous years the participants were from varied professions: they were enthusiastic, engaged, positive and pleased to interact with our students. There was also keen interest and engagement from our students, with discussions running on until past closing.
We would like to thank Mr. Sean Saar-Naville and all the visiting professionals for their time and dedication to this event, and for making it such a valuable experience for our students.
Student Reflections
Nili, Grade 12 Elsa High School students once again had the pleasure of attending the annual Careers Fair, where we not only had the opportunity to explore career paths we may have envisioned, but also discovered new careers in depth.
What I found always stands out at Elsa’s Career Fair is the lively energy, where engaging questions can be heard from the students from each station. It’s not only inspiring to see everyone so enthusiastic about their future careers, but the thoughtful answers received highlight the meaningfulness of each conversation.
Each of the guest speakers brought incredibly helpful and unique perspectives to share, whether it was the importance of finding your own path even if it is unexpected as stated by Ms. Ser in her opening address, or how they found inspiration for their current careers whilst working another job, such as Mr. Mui and his motivating story about friendship and culinary school.
Each of the speakers offered memorable insights and stories which made both choosing a career, and adulthood, seem less daunting a prospect!
Anbe, Grade 9 When I was younger, people would always come up to me and ask me what I wanted to be in the future. While the question seemed repetitive, I always had the same answer. “ I’m still young! I don't know?!”
As the years have gone by, I have never really had a chance to think further. That was until Mr Ford’s college talk, when it dawned on me that I was going to have to think about college, think about what I wanted to do for the majority of my working life. Walking into this year’s Career Fair, I was filled with trepidation. What will I do after high school? What if I haven’t decided what I am going to do?
The desks lined up behind each other made my heart pound. What would these people who have had so much experience think of me? A student who hasn’t given a thought about what she would do?
As a student, I have tried to broaden my horizons and meet new people every once in a while, yet this event made me nervous. I knew they would all ask the same question– “ What would you like to do after high school?” While my group members shared their dreams and aspirations, when it was my turn, you could hear crickets. “I haven’t given much thought to it,” I admitted. While I was waiting for the long lecture on the importance of knowing what you want to do, I did not receive any of that during the entire Career Fair, from entrepreneurs telling me to follow my passion, to business consultants telling me not to stress out, I felt a wave of relief knowing that the people here – giving us advice - were once standing in the same shoes as us!
Validating my feelings, this not only taught me the importance of following my heart but also made me feel heard and valued. Of course, I still have not decided what I would like to pursue in the future. Still, by participating in this year's Career Fair, I understand that it is okay to question your life decisions. Whether you take a gap year or spend most of your twenties in medical school, the most important things are your commitment and the journey that has led you to where you are today. In a few years, looking back, I will realize how ludicrous I was when I was panicking about my undecided career. As Steve Jobs once said, “The journey is the reward.”
Sophia, Grade 10 When I heard about the Careers Fair, I was genuinely excited as I had never attended anything like it in the past. I expected to meet with professionals from various industries and hoped to gain real insights into their everyday work. By engaging in meaningful discussions at this event, my objective was not only to get to know different career paths. I hoped the fair would help me form a clearer picture of the kind of career I want to pursue in the future.
As soon as I stepped into the hall, I felt a real energy in the room. I glanced at the booths of the guests, noticing trophies, posters, and even chocolate that allowed us to take a peek into their careers.
I had many insightful discussions with the professionals. The one that really stands out to me was with Mr. Kalifowitz, Crypto dot com CMO, and a filmmaker. He showed us two Emmy awards he won, and mentioned how he constantly shifted his career path. I was quite surprised, as previously I always believed that someone who excels in a field is someone who is persistent and dives deep. However, Mr. Kalifowitz said, people’s career paths are like a letter “T”. Some dive deep and really dig in one field, like the vertical line. But others, like him, know a little about everything, just like the horizontal line. He believes switching professions has allowed him to always explore something new, build up passion, and is a joy in life. Mr. Kalifowitz's idea resonated with me, as I think I’m a more “horizontal” kind of person. The discussion made me reflect on how future paths can be highly flexible, and embracing this flexibility might allow me to build a career without many limitations.
The Careers Fair was a very meaningful event to me. I learned a lot from every presenter I met. My next steps in preparing for my future is to actively explore and dive further into my different interests. I want to stay curious, embrace new experiences, and step out of my comfort zone. At the same time, I plan to study hard and strengthen my academic foundation so that I’m ready for any path I choose.
Sacha, Grade 10 My expectations going into this event were that a few people would come to talk about their work, and we could ask them questions about what they do and the challenges they have faced. When I entered the hall, I was shocked by the massive number of people attending. Seeing all the tables with different jobs listed was inspiring; it showed me that so many busy professionals had taken the time to talk to the next generation.
A very inspiring conversation I had was with Steven Kaliflowitz, an Emmy winner and the CMO for Crypto.com. In our conversation, he talked about his transition from being an Emmy winning filmmaker to a marketing director. This made me realize that what I do at the start of my career won't necessarily determine what I do later in life, and it is never too late to change.
My next steps for the future are to study hard, pass the IB, and go to college. I plan to study what I am passionate about, not just what makes the most money!
Caleb, Grade 11 Every year, I go into the Careers Fair anticipating at least a few technology/software related jobs, but this year when I saw the brochure, I didn't see a profession that I was particularly interested in. However, when I first entered the hall I was immediately hooked on all the engaging conversations we had: even if they weren't professions I anticipated to pursue, each one of them was so interesting I couldn't stop asking questions.
This particular Careers Fair opened my eyes to the vast array of different professions that I could pursue with my current skill set, for example there were quite a few professionals who worked in the field of finance and business that encouraged me to think about a future in their field. I remember talking to Mr. Vishal about his daily work in global trading, currency exchange rates, and interest rates; this was something I never thought could be as interesting as it was.
The valuable takeaways I got from this Career Fair were the importance of networking and insightful advice for my future. Almost every professional asked us what we wished to pursue in the future and I always answered computer science, and each of them gave distinct meaningful feedback in their particular fields. I also utilised this opportunity to expand my networking and connect with all these incredible professionals, potentially opening the door to future internship or work opportunities which I believe would be valuable.
Being one of my last Careers Fairs, I really wanted to make the most out of it, and I believe I was able to achieve that. In the future I will most definitely contact the professionals I connected with and expand upon our current relationship.
anted to make the most out of it, and I believe I was able to achieve that. In the future I will most definitely contact the professionals I connected with and expand upon our current relationship.