Every year at Mayfield Middle School, students get a chance to explore different professions through Career Day! At MMS, students got to visit 3 different careers, and listen to career day guests discuss everyday aspects of their jobs. This year, Career Day took place on Friday, May 12, at Mayfield Middle School. Career Day jobs included a chef, judge, pilot, architect, paramedic, game designer, forensic scientist, and many more.

Students at MMS were surveyed on their opinions on career day, as well as their past experiences in career day. The survey revealed that 77% of students surveyed have been to career day before, and of these, 71% enjoyed career day, while the remaining 29% did not enjoy it. Students also said they enjoyed learning more about their parent’s occupations, and it helped them to pick a job for the future. Of the students who did not enjoy career day, 28% said students should choose friends to go with, and 42% wanted to completely scrap it. The remaining students said students should get more choice in choosing a career person, or make sessions shorter.  Of the students who have never been to career day, or any other form of it, they were asked which careers they would be most likely to learn about, or choose on a career day. The most popular careers chosen were related to the fields mathematics or medicine.

Outside of Mayfield Middle School, career days around the world in many different schools can be extremely beneficial to students. For one thing, students will get exposed to a variety of different jobs. In other words, students will be made aware of other possible career options they might not have considered before career day. In addition, students are given a chance to better understand what they might become as adults. A student who has no idea what career they should choose might be given at least an idea of what field they should pick after attending a career day event. However, the benefits do not just stop at students. Presenters at a career day event are given a chance to educate others about something they are passionate about, potentially letting a student to share their passion as adults. These benefits are just a fraction of what students may accomplish or understand after career day, and it is no wonder that Mayfield has continued to host a career day event for all of the middle schoolers.