8 Tips and Tricks for Excelling in Let's Talk Careers

Do you remember the excitement and curiosity that your students feel when exploring different career options? The thrill of discovering one’s interests and the energy that comes with quizzing more and more about potential career paths is truly unparalleled. Let’s Talk Careers is back this spring to bring back the excitement and help students become inspired. The best part is, with the Let's Talk Careers competition students can earn prizes while figuring out their future after high school. We understand that not everyone finds it easy to hit the top of the leaderboard, so that's why we've compiled a list of tips and tricks. Get ready to step up your school’s strategy, earn some prizes, and help inspire students to discover the possibilities after high school!

TL; DR

• Be an early quizzer to get a sense of the platform and set up your class before the competition.

• Take advantage of the resources and support available to easily incorporate Let's Talk Careers into lesson plans and engage students.

• Add exploration into your daily routine to encourage active learning and motivation among students. 

• Explain the benefits and rewards to both students and parents, fostering a healthy competitive spirit.

• Share the rankings with colleagues, parents, and students, to boost motivation and engagement. 

• Tell parents about Let’s Talk Careers and strengthen your parent-teacher relationship.

• Quiz yourself and explore resources to facilitate informed classroom discussions, and get a chance to win exciting prizes for your school.

• Turn the competition into a fundraiser to unite the school community around a common cause and elevate their spirit. 

Let's Talk Careers is a fun and engaging way to help students explore post-secondary options. By participating in the daily quiz, students increase their awareness of career opportunities available to them after high school. They also gain a better understanding of their own preferences through unique reports based on their answers. Students will start to connect what they are learning in school to potential career paths.

Follow these 8 tips to hit the top of the leaderboard and ensure that your students are engaged, motivated, and inspired while exploring the possibilities in their future. 

1. Be an early quizzer 

We know that you have a lot on your plate, so it’s important to create an account or log in before the start of the competition to get a sense of the platform and set up your class. By starting early, you’ll have more time to incorporate Let’s Talk Careers into your daily routine and give your students the opportunity to explore career options in depth.

**Insider Tip: During the last few days of competition when the bursary pot is shrinking try and complete your daily quiz early in the day so the pot isn't depleted before you finish your quiz!

2. Take advantage of the resources available

Don't hesitate to reach out to us for help. We’re one click away to help you with any questions or concerns you may have. Send us an email or give us a call. We also have teacher guides and an info pack that you can share with students or parents to help create an account and start exploring. These resources and supports will make it easier for you to incorporate Let’s Talk Careers into your lesson plans and ensure that your students are engaged and ready to hit the ground running!

3. Add exploration into your daily routine

Incorporating Let’s Talk Careers into your daily routine can be the key to ensuring that your students hit the leaderboard and stay motivated. Starting your lesson with an engaging activity not only facilitates further discussion, but also sets the stage for the rest of the session by encouraging an active learning mentality. Progress can be saved along the way, so your students can continue where they left off at the end of each lesson. 

**Insider Tip: Schools who hit the leaderboard integrate this as the first activity with their classes every day of the competition. They also noted that students were eager to attend the classes and continue their career exploration journey.

4. Explain the benefits and rewards

Parents and students will have different motivations for participating in the competition. Students might be interested in knowing about the unique report, identifying their interests and how they align with prospective higher education as well as clubs and extracurricular activities they might want to join. They can also win personal bursaries by answering questions correctly and levelling up. Parents on the other hand, will be interested in the discovery from research and results that this activity can have on their children. It is a fun activity they can do with their child and stimulates conversation at home.

The competition offers incredible benefits and presents students with endless possibilities, so why not share this blog with parents, students, and colleagues, so that together you can brag about your school being the most informed in the country this spring?! Everyone enjoys a little healthy competition, don’t they?

5. Share the rankings

Sharing progress with the school can boost that healthy competitive spirit and motivate participants. We share weekly leaderboard updates via email with participating teachers, and you can share these updates with colleagues, parents, and students to cheer them on or make a remark about their stellar results. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for regular updates. Also, we encourage you to get involved with the #LetsTalkCareers conversation on social media by downloading our social media guide and official competition graphics to share with your community!

We want the best for you and your students, so here is another insider tip to help you hit the leaderboard. 

**Insider tip: One of our top schools, shared the leaderboard updates during school-wide announcements and assemblies to keep motivation high. Use this tactic to boost motivation and engagement throughout the competition.

6. Tell parents about it

Engaging parents early on about Let's Talk Careers is a surefire way to strengthen your relationship with them. They'll be thrilled with the dynamic multi-media approach and appreciate the chance to participate in college and career conversations with their kids. And, there's an added bonus! By encouraging them to join in the fun and quiz their children, your school has the chance to earn points and even prizes! 

-> It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.

7. Quiz yourself 

You never know what's waiting to be explored on the other side of the screen, so why not quiz yourself? Delve into the world of future planning, and equip yourself with the knowledge to engage in informed and thought-provoking discussions within the classroom. And, as an added perk, you'll have the chance to win awesome prizes for your school too!

8. Turn the competition into a fundraiser

Transform the Let's Talk Careers competition into a meaningful fundraiser that unites your school community around a common cause. Working together on a collective purpose is an incredible way to elevate school spirit. You can choose to fundraise for a variety of important causes, such as supporting a charitable organization, financing a school trip, or even supporting student projects. With a focus on collaboration and philanthropy, your school will not only come together with a strong drive to hit the leaderboard, but along the way it will also teach students the value of teamwork and the importance of working towards a shared purpose.

I know we kept mentioning prizes but did we mention that students have the opportunity to win up to $600 total? For more information or to get started with the competition check out the Let’s Talk Careers competition page. Find out more about the benefits of ChatterHigh Competitions by checking out our previous blog: Why Competitions Engage Students

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