(Lander, WY) – Lander Valley High School held its third career fair Wednesday afternoon, bringing 41 local businesses into the auxiliary gym to talk with students about what working life actually looks like.
John Rounds, the business teacher at LVHS who organizes the event, said the idea is simple: give kids a window into jobs they might not know exist.
“A lot of them know what a bank is, or what this is, but they don’t realize you can get a job working for state parks, or you can get a job working at Westward Heights,” Rounds said. “There’s so many different options that the kids just don’t even know what’s available.”
Students rotated through the gym in groups, stopping at booths where business owners and employees had set up displays, games, and materials. To help students who might be shy or unsure what to say, Rounds gives them what he calls a bingo card with conversation prompts and sample questions.
“We want them to have those genuine, authentic conversations where they can ask, ‘What is a day in the life of your work like?’ and try to get a sense for what that could be for themselves,” he said.
The fair is not specifically meant to be a hiring event, Rounds said, but connections do happen. He recalled running into local restaurant manager Zac Bristol from Cowfish, who told him he wanted to come back to the next career fair because several of his employees had first found the job at a previous one.
Rounds said the school has settled into an every other year schedule so students get the chance to attend twice during high school without it feeling routine.
Recruiting businesses to participate can be a challenge in a small town where stepping away from work means lost income, but Rounds said most are receptive when scheduling allows.
“If it fits their schedule, they’re here,” he said. “And if it didn’t this year, then maybe the next time around it will work.”
Businesses interested in participating in a future career fair can contact Rounds at Lander Valley High School.