Voorheesville students interested in knowing more about working for the FBI recently met with local field agents and staff to learn about their careers.
The Voorheesville Guidance and Counseling Center organized a Career Cafe at the Jr./Sr. High School this fall. The event allowed students to discover career opportunities and ask questions during a lunch that the district’s food services department catered.
During Career Cafe events, professionals share their knowledge for 25 minutes before they move tables to talk with another group of students. Students wear professional attire and practice skills that would be required for a college admissions or job interview.
On this occasion, two field agents and four other FBI employees visited with students and answered their questions. One of them, Sarah Ruane, is a VCSD graduate. Ruane, a public affairs specialist, is a member of the Class of 2001. She talked about what it was like to come back to VCSD.
“It was such a cool, full circle moment to be back at VHS talking about my career with the FBI,” said Ruane. “My colleagues and I were so impressed by the Career Café and the students came with some truly outstanding questions for us.”
Student Erin Owens says it’s a great learning experience.
“The FBI career cafe was an amazing opportunity to get an accurate and honest representation of what it’s like to work in the bureau, whether that be in media and HR, fieldwork, or analytics,” said Owens. “To get to ask these professionals honest questions in such a casual setting created an incredibly positive environment and solidified my previous notion that a career in the bureau is a legitimate career opportunity for my future. So many of my questions, concerns, and misconceptions about these careers were brought to light and answered.”
Ruane says students received a broad perspective on career options.
“It’s never too early to start thinking about a career with the FBI, so this was such a wonderful and unique opportunity for us to share some advice and show the students that no two paths to the Bureau are the same,” Ruane said. “Any field of study can help students start that path, so it felt really important to be able to let them know the FBI is absolutely within their reach.”
The Career Cafe is the first of many opportunities for students to explore career options, with field trips and a career fair scheduled for April. There will be at least one more Career Cafe this school year.
For information about future events, contact Kristen Heyde at 518-765-3314, ext. 203, or Timothy Kelley at 518-765-3314, ext. 205.