La Pine High holding Career Day on Friday

Hundreds of La Pine High School students will get an opportunity to try out their job interview skills during the school’s Career Day on Friday, when representatives from more than 40 local businesses will be on hand to network with students.

This is the second year for the event, which is a partnership with High Desert Educational Service District and includes a wide range of businesses from La Pine, Sunriver and Bend.

“We want to build strong connections between our high school and our business community. This opens the doors for internships, job shadow opportunities and jobs in general,” said La Pine High Principal Matt Montgomery. “Students get to practice their interviewing skills, while businesses can recruit and networks with potential employees.”

Montgomery said La Pine students take this opportunity seriously — preparing resumes and dressing up — and many walk away from the event with a summer job or internship lined up. The local business leaders will conduct job interviews with students and answer questions about their respective industries.

“The business community knows that La Pine students are reliable, they work hard and are doing a great job, which means our school is preparing them for the real world,” said Montgomery.