Many adults in the workforce have taken part in a traditional career fair at some point over the course of their professional lives. Luxemburg-Casco High School students recently took part in that concept, but flipped on its head.

The school district held a Reverse Career Fair on April 23. It is a networking event where the traditional hiring format is reversed: job seekers set up display tables and potential employers move through the room to visit them. In this case, the around 20 students engaged with each visitor while showcasing their skills and portfolios.

The event itself showcased the out-of-the-box thinking associated with the Luxemburg-Casco School District as it strives to best prepare its students for success following graduation. The district hopes to impart durable skills – which include communication, collaboration, creativity, adaptability and critical thinking – that extend beyond conventional classroom learning.

“What we are trying to do with students is to grow their professional self,” says L-C Learning Services Director Mike Snowberry. “We teach them to develop an ‘elevator pitch’ about themselves, along with how to meet and greet people, and how to dress for success. We also train them on dining etiquette for use at the luncheon that is part of the Reverse Career Fair; we asked each student to research the person he or she would be dining with to better carry on a conversation. The hope is that the person later would mentor the student on his or her professional journey.”

The inaugural Luxemburg-Casco Reverse Career Fair was woven into the curriculum of Intro to Entrepreneurship, a class for high school juniors and seniors. Within the course, students learn about selling/pitching themselves and their business,including the creation of business and personal mission statements.

A goal of the Reverse Career Fair was to push students to a more professional level, along with demonstrating that classroom learning is applicable to real-world activities and will be useful in their future endeavors, according to Monica Wittrock, marketing/business teacher at L-C High School and Middle School.

Preparation for the Reverse Career Fair began in late January with the students engaging in a self-discovery process through a personal branding activity: What are my strengths? What do I do well? They were asked to really think through the answers to those questions because the answers are what they would end up presenting at the Reverse Career Fair. The process included each student to ask five people close to them about what those people thought they did best.

In February, students were asked to have a picture taken of themselves at work, along with obtaining three letters of reference, from their employer and others who can attest to their skills and character. They also created a personal business card.

Students also took part in classroom instruction on “Dressing for Success;” “Greetings, Introduction and Handshakes;” and “The first 90 days on the job.” In other words, they learned everything to get – and to get started in – a job.

An AI interview module also took place. Students first prepared for an AI interview, then took part in AI mock interviews – with practice and with no practice (between questions) – as the calendar turned to March. They were graded on each aspect of the assignment.

Each student additionally was asked to submit an outline of their personal booth for the Reverse Career Fair.

In early April, each student had a professional photo taken of them by a member of the high school photography class.

For the event, students could create display boards or other materials that highlighted their qualifications, along with demonstrating their skills to potential employers.

Finally, it was showtime for the students on April 23. Each student had 15-20 interviews over the two-plus hour event.

The event was attended by prominent members of the Northeast Wisconsin community, including UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander and Wisconsin State Senator Andre Jacque.

“Students told me that it was a very worthwhile activity and they enjoyed it,” says Wittrock, “even though at times it was nerve-wracking as they thought about it.”

Participating students, including L-C senior Kailee Frank, concurred. “It was enjoyable to have conversations with people

that had a lot of advice and experience to pass onto us,” she says. “In the beginning I was a little nervous, but as the event continued the nerves settled as I began talking to more people.”

“It really helped me learn how to talk to adults and business professionals,” adds L-C junior Ethan Werner. “They had great advice for us on how to present ourself and what they look for in strong candidates for positions. They helped us understand what to emphasize.”

Among the other impactful takeaways for the participating students were improved clarity in setting their long-term career plans, industry connections within their planned career field, and contacts at post-secondary educational institutions.

“The event helped me map out my future career plans because everyone I got the opportunity to speak to had great advice to give,” says Frank. “All of these people had firsthand experience working their way to the top and they all had a different perspective to give on the path they took to accomplish what they have done with their career.”

“One main, big connection I made was in my future employment field – he works in the career path I want to pursue,” adds Werner. “The other is someone who works at the college I would like to attend.”

Snowberry credits Wittrock for her enthusiasm to adapt her teaching by

weaving an unfamiliar concept, the Reverse Career Fair, into classroom curriculum. “She is willing to move and try new things – she is pushing the envelope,” he says.

Wittrock and Snowberry hope to continue the Reverse Career Fair event in future years, finding a way for additional students to participate.

“It was a great event – the students were really excited about it,” says Wittrock. “I would like to see us grow it and involve more students. It really helps the students to put themselves out there and gives them confidence to try new things. Some of the juniors who took part would like to do it again next year.”

“The students knocked it out of the park with the way they did things,” Snowberry adds, “and I think it was an amazing experience for them. We had some pretty high-profile community members attend the event, and they came away impressed by our students. The question for us now is how can we make it so that more students can have this experience next year?”

Snowberry and other members of the Luxemburg-Casco School District leadership team will be working hard to make that happen.