It’s never too early to explore your career options.

Nearly 2,000 eighth-grade students were given the unique opportunity to explore a wide array of potential career paths Wednesday during the annual career fair.

Students from Cullman, Winston and Blount counties were divided into groups which would rotate between five stations across Wallace State Community College’s Hanceville campus. Each station featured local employers from varying industries who students were able to engage with to become more informed about their potential options after graduating.

“We hope to educate them on the different opportunities they have when they finish high school,” CEDA retail and workforce development manager Susan Eller said in an email sent to The Times.

Some might argue eighth-grade might be a bit soon for students to begin taking on life altering decisions such as committing to any particular career path, and Cullman Electric Cooperative Communications Manager Brian Lacy didn’t argue this point. He did, however, say the event offers students a valuable perspective at a very timely point in their lives.

“These kids are right around that age when they are maybe starting to figure out if school or college is or is not for them. They may be starting to learn that they would rather work with their hands or something, and this is a great way for kids to see what all kinds of opportunities are out there,” Lacy said.

While some employers used hands-on activities or displayed utility vehicles to create excitement among the students, others featured less elaborate displays and engaged with students on a more personal level. Local Impact Mortgage Group loan officer Josh Campbell said the welding booth had created the most excitement based on the feedback he had received from students.

He also said workforce demands are changing and today’s students will have a much larger “toolbox” at their disposal than previous generations, which allows more options for generating passive, or even primary, incomes.

“It’s not that this generation is any better or worse than ones that came before it, it’s just different. This generation is so technologically savvy and have more tools at their disposal, they’re going to reinvent the way the workforce recruits and operates,” Campbell said.

Students also had the opportunity to be introduced to careers they may have not considered. Moss-Service Funeral Home director Ben Joslin said he is aware funeral directing is more of a “calling” than it is a career. But without an introduction, that calling would likely be ignored, he said, and Joslin was ready to discuss the benefits of such a multi-faceted career.

“The question I hear the most is, ‘Well, what do you do?’ and the truth is we do a little bit of everything. Part of it is hospitality and getting to deal with families on a very personal level, there’s the cosmetic side of it and there’s the financial side as well with funeral directing,” he said. “We also get to drive fancy cars. I mean, how many other professions do you get to drive around in a $100,000 car every day?”