Mimi Fleck is the Young Professionals Group coordinator for the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question can be a challenge for many to answer. It’s rare to find an individual who has the exact job they set out to do in elementary school. In fact, most meander through several fields of study, discovering their passions along the way. That precious time in our lives, where we peer into the doorways of perspective career paths, is crucial to any student unsure of what they want to “be”. This process can be slow and even heartbreaking. Ask anyone who has paid a college tuition about the high cost of switching majors.

With an emphasis on “college and career readiness” and the rapid change of technology shifting the world of work faster than we can anticipate, the importance of career exploration is paramount to finding work that is financially viable and personally fulfilling.

2015 marked the second annual State of Jobs event, hosted by the Sarasota Young Professionals Group, a program of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. This one-day event focused on five leading regional industries including: technology, health care, engineering/manufacturing, business/finance and hospitality/tourism. The work of committed YPG leaders, support of generous sponsors and key insights shared by over 50 employers and educators were showcased this past Thursday at Suncoast Technical College.

Over 400 high school and college students and young professionals gathered to learn and discuss growing career opportunities, leadership and what it takes to succeed in today’s economy. Attendees heard from industry leaders about work in these specific industries, built relationships with these same leaders to help bridge the gap between education and employment, and engaged with local higher education institutions who provide professional development in the areas of hiring and digital professional responsibility.

State of Jobs used technology to gain real-time input from students about their thoughts on employment and education opportunities in this region and whether or not they believe they will be able to live, work, and call Sarasota their home. This information will be used to measure trends among students in Sarasota and will be presented to local educators and employers at the “State of Jobs: RECAP” event on March 26^th in order to help develop programs that retain our best and brightest students.

State of Jobs has done what any community needing a strong workforce would want to imitate: it swung the doors of career exploration wide open, giving the next generation of community leaders a chance to consider a breadth of local opportunities in a relatively short amount of time. Many were able to take the next step in their journey of career exploration and shake hands with the professionals they want to emulate. These 400-plus students have an advantage over their peers: even if they don’t have a precise answer on what they want to “be” when they grow up, they are much closer to opening the right door.

Mimi Fleck is the Young Professionals Group coordinator for the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce