From molecular biologists discussing woolly mammoth DNA to a musician talking about fame and Taylor Swift, students experienced the gamut of occupations on Tuesday.

The Old Rochester Regional Junior High School’s biannual Career Day gives seventh and eighth graders a chance to learn about jobs they may one day want to pursue. This year 32 speakers participated, including keynote speaker Joseph Nauman who spoke on developing good life and work principles.

Learning the soft skills is an important part of preparing students to consider a job path, said guidance counselor and Career Day organizer Julie DeSousa.

“We want them thinking about how they recognize success,” she said.

After hearing from Nauman, students got to hear from three people with careers they wanted to learn more about.

“It’s a good way to explore a variety of careers,” said junior high student Michelle King.

She chose songwriter and record label owner John Taglieri of Hanson for one of her three sessions.

Taglieri told the students gathered in the music room that they should embrace technology and start recording their own music.

“I would say every one of you should be recording already. Get used to it,” he said.

While he makes his living with music, Taglieri told students that fame isn't everything.

“It’s a very different game plan to be famous or have a career,” he explained. “I never want to be famous. I’ve had a number one single, but when I walk off stage, nobody knows who I am.”

Taglieri said being a smart businessman is one key to succeeding.

But students still had some questions about the limelight, namely how does one become famous.

“The ‘it’ factor. It’s intangible,” answered Taglieri. “Why is Taylor Swift Taylor Swift when a million other girls want it? There are some people made to be in the spotlight, others aren’t.”

After his Q and A, Taglieri said he appreciated the students' interest in music.

“This is the first time I’ve done this,” he said. “It’s nice to see young musicians that have that desire.”

In another classroom, Rochester residents and molecular biologists Isabelle Gomes McCann and Damien McCann spoke about the many opportunities available in Massachusetts.

“Boston is the capital of biotechnology,” said Damien McCann. “You guys are really, really lucky.”

He told students about some of the many groundbreaking experiments happening only 60 miles north of them, including a man at Harvard University who hopes to create a woolly mammoth using 10,000 year old DNA and a scientist who made mice glow in the dark with jellyfish DNA.

Gomes McCann encouraged students to explore the jobs that require a background in science, such as lawyers who work on intellectual property. And she said you don’t have to get into Harvard or MIT to get into the field.

“You can go to BCC, UMass, all you need to do is take some biology classes,” she said.

In addition to music and biology, students had the option of hearing from a hair stylist, a crime scene investigator, a zoo keeper, first responders and businessmen, many from the tri-town.

“We have parents who represent a lot of different fields,” DeSousa said of the variety.

She said the event was a success and would especially benefit eighth graders as they decide what high school to attend next year.

The discussion wasn't over after the guest speakers left. In the afternoon, students got to debrief and share about their experiences with teachers and peers during the advisory period.