What is the Ask a Professional feature?

On every career page within the new virtual career exploration website features an Ask a Professional button (orange "button/link" found along top right-hand side of a page).

 

This link directs students to a "forum" section about that specific career where students can submit questions. Your answers will then appear directly below the student's question.

How does it work?

• Students review content about a career -- read background information, watch videos, etc. If they have a question, they click on the "Ask a Professional" link, type in their question and click "submit."
• Questions are reviewed and "approved" by a member of the Bridges team. Bridges will "screen" questions to ensure they are appropriate and not duplicative.
• Questions will be reviewed/answered live between 9 am - 2 pm, Monday - Friday from March 5 - 26, 2021. Questions submitted later will be responded to the next weekday.
• Multiple questions may be asked by a student under one topic, and multiple topics may be started.
• If Bridges has an already supplied answer by a professional, post-secondary or industry partner for a question asked, the Bridges team will input in as an answer. (Note that all answers appear in BOLD font to help them stand out).
• If your answer is used, you will be credited with answer by showing your name, title and company/organization name.
• If we don't have an answer, the Bridges team will either supply an answer or contact a designated industry representative to seek a quick reply to the student's questions.

This Ask a Professional feature seeks to ease students into the concept of professional communication, while also providing answers to their unique questions. We realize this isn't as great as the face-to-face interaction you have enjoyed at our live, Career Exploration Day event, but it's a close second.

Because of the varied use of this new website — days of week, times of days, etc, by the schools, it's not easy to set up a "live" time to have professionals logged in and participating in the live answers. But, we still want this critical engagement between you and the students. So, this "prepared" process is our short-term solution, and keeps professions having to commit large amounts of time to answer questions.

Initially, Bridges will only be offering students the opportunity to submit questions from March 5 - 26, 2021. During this time, student will earn points for submitting a question. After March 26, all approved questions and answers will remain for student to read/review, but the ability to submit a NEW question will be removed.

After March, Bridges will access this process. We may offer specific days/times to promote live professional access via this website, probably tied to industry-themed promotions (starting in the fall of the 2021-22 school year). So, look at your emails for future involvement with this program beyond this spring.

 

We appreciate all that will help us build answers to common questions. Remember, your answers represent not only a career, but also an industry. Help engage your future workforce through this Covid-safe format.