Dream jobs tried on - The Columbian (Vancouver, WA)

CAMAS With apologies to parents everywhere, your workplace justisn"t that exciting.

Not after the second or the seventh visit, even when prompted bythe erstwhile Take Your Child to Work Day, which was markednationwide again on Thursday.

That is how Skyridge Middle School students instead got to quiz aDNA expert from the Washington State Patrol"s new crime lab inVancouver. And the head chef from Beaches Restaurant.

Plus an architect, hair stylist, sculptor, violinist and U.S.Army soldier, too, all right in their own classrooms.

About 40 professionals swarmed Skyridge, giving small groups theinside scoop on their jobs. They doled out helpful advice andanecdotes and took questions during four half-hour sessions duringthe school"s third Career Day.

That"s nearly double the guest list from prior years, afteradministrators brought seventh-graders on board this time. With highschool scheduling deadlines ahead and two weeks of the WashingtonAssessment of Student Learning just finished, students could measuretheir wildest dreams against gritty reality, without any clumsyparent-boss-co-worker moments.

"It"s pretty good. A lot of people really get to find out whatthey want to do," said Kaitlin Ramey, an eighth-grader bracing forhigh school next year.

Her peers seemed to agree: Only about 25 percent of the 800-plusstudent body chose to shadow a parent Thursday, down from 50 percentlast year, school officials said.

Language arts teacher and coordinator Jeanette Manwell saideighth-graders recently filed a six-year career plan for their highschool-and-beyond years. And it"s not too early for seventh-graders"to explore their future," she said.

Ramey is likely to load up on chemistry and biology classes atCamas High, which would serve a forensics job well. Robyn Eustis,forensic scientist at the WSP crime lab, described daily sleuthingof the type shown on "CSI" and other television shows. Whethertesting toxins or illicit drugs, spent bullets, arson accelerants,fingerprints or even conducting "bloodspatter interpretation," thejob is rarely dull, she said.

"If you like doing science and doing lab work, it"s a lot offun," Eustis said. A natural science bachelor"s degree (biology,chemistry, etc.) would get most beginners a foot in the door. Butcompetition for top jobs is fierce, she warned.

Glamour in short supply

Eustis laughed when asked if WSP workers rolled to crime scenesin hulking Hummers, like some television counterparts. "No, we"rehoping to get a minivan, actually," she said.

The adults spoke frankly, to deflate delusions. Ryan Bolen, ownerof Lenny"s Skate Shop in east Vancouver, explained that marketing,management and customer service consume his days, not playing withhis own merchandise. "It"s not what they think is some glamorousjob. It"s hard," he said.

On the flip side, commercial architect Whitney Henion toldstudents that while math and drawing skills are required, they"renot the end-all. Her job is more about communication, teamwork,dealing with a boss each day. "It"s a lot like school," she said, inencouragement.

Software and graphic design, nursing and counseling were amongthe hip fields touted by visitors. But even in the 21st century,youngsters still want to be firefighters. Good thing for BrooksCooper, a veteran Camas firefighter whose days and nights change ina blink when the alarm sounds.

"You can go from sitting in an easy chair to fighting a fire infive minutes," Cooper said. That"s where crews find themselvesblinded by smoke and facing temperatures that top 1,000 degreesFahrenheit, enough to singe ears and melt helmets.

Rewards depend on view

In truth, firefighters today spend little time battling realflames, Cooper noted. The job is 90 percent emergency medicalresponse, he said: auto accidents, injuries, health problems andmore plenty to keep crews invigorated and the job market strong."I"ll see something tomorrow I"ve never seen before. It"s a goodcareer. You"ll never be out of work if you"re a medic, a goodmedic," he said.

Likewise, Americans are pouring ever more devotion and dollarsinto cats and dogs. Still, veterinary workers at her Summit AnimalHospital and similar clinics must handle a full range of emotionsand "better not have a weak stomach," said Monique Brewer, officemanager.

That, plus modest pay, was enough to nudge Ramey, the eighth-grader, in another direction. "I don"t really want to cut upanimals," she said afterward. She"d prefer forensics, which shefinds "rewarding."

For seventh-grader Jason Mickel, a real career still seemsdistant. While his father flies commercial aircraft, he"s not set onfollowing suit, he said. He found Thursday"s talk by a litigationattorney, and the job"s pay, the most compelling. But he then added,"firefighter would be more fun."

Howard Buck writes about schools and education. Reach him at 360-759-8015 or howard.buck@columbian.com.