The annual G9-10 Career Day event was successfully held in the Zhentao Building in the afternoon of May 10. We received warm support from many parents and alumni. They treasure the value of this event and wished that it could broaden the perspectives of students by having them learn from real-life scenarios of diverse industries. This will offer valuable references for students’ future study and career paths.

The career Day event started on May 10th at 2:20 P.M. and lasted for one and a half hours. Each parent delivered two 30-minute lectures for their students and arranged a Q&A session of around 10 minutes. The parents attach great importance to this Career Day event, and they all sent us their complete speeches several days in advance. Several parents had discussions with us before the event, and their dedication has deeply moved us.

Similar to previous years, the speakers for this Career Day were mostly senior experts from various fields, and their speeches summarized their valuable experiences over the years. The guest speakers participating in the lectures had come from various industries, including healthcare, IT, pharmaceuticals, human resources, law, finance, gaming, sports, and more. This year's Career Day theme included more topics related to artificial intelligence such as AI, ChatGPT, and so on. Topics related to cutting-edge science and finance remain hot topics. The previously rare topic of game design also received a warm welcome from the students.

Unlike previous years, this year's Career Day had added two special options: mock interviews and psychological counseling lectures. "Mock interviews" provided valuable experience of the interview process for students led by experienced HR experts. Experts had carefully designed interview sections to allow students to immerse themselves in the real process of interviews through debates, self-introductions, Q&A, and other activities. Participating students had also prepared sufficiently, and some even creatively designed their resumes. The mock interview activity effectively helps students establish a connection between school learning and career development, and it is hoped that it will continue in the future. This year, another new theme was added - psychological counseling lectures, as high school students’ mental health is at a critical stage. This new theme reflects the school's special attention to students' mental health development. We invited mental health experts to the school for this activity, and the students warmly participated, demonstrating high enthusiasm.

An hour and a half passed quickly, and the students actively participated in the Q&A sessions. The parents were also touched by the student's enthusiasm. Here are some reflections from students.

1. The Career Day activity provided us with valuable opportunities to think again about future directions. During the activity, we could not help but take a glance at the preview of the future careers being presented, and also figure out a possible path for further academic performance. For example, the mock interview activity provided by HR not only explained the interview process but also provided detailed job requirements, with the challenge of building a marshmallow tower as an example of a situational interview. Another example was lectures based on various categories, in which lecturers described their past, the present of the industry, and the future we are going towards. Take computer science and data science as examples: in today's iterative development of AI, perhaps the tools learned today are the keys to surviving tomorrow.

2. Through the lectures, I learned some of the more interesting and fun sides to certain jobs as well as the less fun things to them. I also found more motivation to study harder to get my dream job, knowing that my work will pay off.

3. I got inspiration from real experience, learning about the career I am interested in and the specific steps and methods to enter the ideal university. The event not only enriched our knowledge but also provided us with valuable experience and guidance for our future careers.

Before the event, many students had completed video interviews of family members at home. Through the interviews, they learned about their family members' daily work and future development plans, which not only enhanced communication but also aroused the motivation of the students for future planning. This form of career interviewing helps parents, the school, and students plan and explore students' career development and has received support and praise from many parents.

Under the joint organization of the TA Office and G9-10 homeroom teachers, the Career Day event ended successfully. Parents’ career sharing has ignited the passions of the students and aroused the students’ curiosity about the future. We look forward to continuing to work hard in the new year, reuniting with the guests, and bringing exciting Career Day events to the students!

(Written by SHSID TA Office Pictures by Hao Sun, Wenqian Wu Reviewed by Qian Zuo)