What do older teens want out of library programing? Communities differ, but in my area, with teens in a highly demanding school loaded with AP courses and ample, high quality after school activity options, the library’s offerings have tough competition for teens’ precious after school time. The strategy here is not to attempt competing with school and other activities at all, but to compliment them.

Career Conversations attempts to bridge teens from the excellent guidance department they have access to at school to something a little looser, something a little more connected to the real world. This is not a Teen Program in a Box, because a lot of the work is going to fall on your shoulders, and those of your teen board. But for the legwork it takes, it is inexpensive (free, even), useful, and fairly simple.

Career Conversations is a series of panel discussions, each focusing on a different type of work. What’s it really like to be an engineer? What does that even mean anymore? What’s your life like as a family doctor as opposed to a surgeon? How would I know which specialization to choose? The only real way to know is to talk to people who do these jobs.