It's never too early to start planning for your career.

That's the message almost 600 eighth graders from Freeborn, Mower and Steele counties got Tuesday at the 10th annual Career Fair at the Austin Riverside Arena.

Small groups of students spent the morning sitting in on 20-minute sessions as local career representatives talked about the pros and cons of their respective professions.

"It gives them the chance to hear from the people involved with that field," Neil Hanson, coordinator for the fair, said.

The fair was funded through a federal grant program called School to Work. The three counties together received $3,000 to put toward the program. They worked with the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce business education committee to set up the event.

Cosmetology, the armed forces, law enforcement and construction were some of the most popular among the 25 groups presenting that day, but every booth seemed to attract interest from some students.

Angela Jones, from Ellis Middle School, went for a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar in choosing which booths she would visit.

"I already knew a lot about nursing because I did a paper on it in school," she said. "But I learned a lot about social work."

Lisa Tibey, sales recruiter for the Hormel Corporation, spoke about how to take advantage of job opportunities in large businesses.

"My biggest piece of advice is get involved. Get involved in anything," Tibey said in her presentation. "That tells us a lot -- that you're not just coasting through life. You're actually doing something."

She also stressed that if you want to get involved in a large business, it is important to get a college degree.

"I realize that's four years away, but it's something you want to start thinking about now," Tibey said.

Most students at the fair seemed to agree that it is important to think about the future, even while in eighth grade.

"You don't want to wait until the last minute," Sarah Rauen from Ellis Middle School said. "You might struggle to find what you're looking for and not take the right classes in high school."

Matt Merritt can be reached at 434-2214 or by email at :mailto:matt.merritt@austindailyherald.com