Guest Speaker

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL GUEST SPEAKING OPPORTUNITY

Students do best with interactive and engaging presentations.
Demonstrations and group activities are welcome – and we are happy to help you plan these.

Suggested Format for a 40-50 min class (schools will confirm the specific timeframe)
15–20 min talk → 15–20 min activity/demo → 10 min Q&A

EXAMPLE: TELL THE STORY OF YOUR CAREER JOURNEY

ASPIRE | How you got interested in this field

• Your first career interest

• Internships/early experience, education, and skills that helped you get started

ADVANCE | How you built your career

• Key steps, training/certifications, etc.

• Important moments and/or challenges along the way

ACHIEVE | Where you are now/where you plan to go

• What you do, what surprised you, and what's next

• Advice for students considering this field, potentially including general/average salary information

• Work in guidance on soft skills where possible – how being at school, going to class on time, working in groups, and handling challenges relate to employment

CONNECT IT TO CLASS | Please include!

• Show students how your everyday work uses the numeracy and literacy skills they're learning during high school. A few examples to spark ideas:

  • Numeracy: budgets, measurements, data/analytics, scheduling, pricing

  • Literacy: writing reports/emails, presenting ideas, reading technical documents, communicating with clients/teams, other forms of professional communication 

Pointing out even one or two concrete examples of how you use numeracy or literacy in your job helps students see why these skills matter beyond the classroom. We can help you brainstorm!  

WHAT TO BRING (Optional)

• Job postings, including pay & requirements

• Brochures, flyers, or swag

• Career path info

• Product demos or prototypes

QUESTIONS? NEED HELP PLANNING?

Contact Suzanne Gorman, Lead Business Partnership Coordinator, at suzanne.gorman@kentuckianaworks.org