The guest speaker of the event was Forest Protection Officer Fazlı AVŞAR, one of the distinguished alumni of our vocational school. Having graduated with outstanding success from the Department of Forestry at Sütçüler Prof. Dr. Hasan Gürbüz Vocational School, Mr. Avşar was appointed as a Forest Protection Officer shortly after graduation. Following one year of successful service, he was promoted to the position of Forest Technician through the internal promotion examination. While continuing his professional duties, he has also pursued his academic studies and is currently a final-year student at the Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Engineering, where he will graduate with honours at the end of this term.
Conducted in an interactive Q&A format, the session offered students a sincere and inspiring account of Mr. Avşar's career journey from his vocational school years to the present day. He placed particular emphasis on his preparation strategy for the KPSS (Public Personnel Selection Examination), the challenges he faced during the examination and interview phases, and the key competencies that current students should begin developing as early as possible. Drawing on concrete examples, Mr. Avşar discussed how the courses and practical training he received during his vocational education shaped his fieldwork, and offered valuable guidance on which components of the curriculum students should prioritize.
A substantial part of the talk was devoted to a forest protection officer's typical workday, illustrated with field-based examples. Mr. Avşar shared insights into the most common challenges encountered in his region — including forest fires, illegal logging, and illegal grazing — along with the practical field strategies applied in response. He also provided valuable information regarding the division of labour and professional roles between associate-degree technical personnel and bachelor's-degree forest engineers, helping students gain clarity on their future career pathways.
Another highlight of the session was the discipline and balance required to pursue further education while working full-time. Sharing candidly the challenges and opportunities of managing shifts, field assignments, and academic responsibilities simultaneously, Mr. Avşar offered concrete advice to students planning to continue their studies at the bachelor's level through the Vertical Transfer Examination (DGS). He also reflected on areas he wished he had focused on more during his vocational school years — including internships, certificate programmes, technical skills such as GIS/GPS, and foreign language proficiency — providing students with a practical roadmap for personal and professional development.
In the closing part of the session, Mr. Avşar shared both the most challenging moments of his career and the experiences that reaffirmed his passion for the profession, delivering motivating messages on dedication, perseverance, and the importance of lifelong learning. He warmly responded to additional questions from students and extended his best wishes to the future forest technicians and engineers.
Our vocational school is pleased to announce that such career events — bringing together our alumni and current students and aiming to strengthen students' career awareness — will continue in the upcoming terms. We extend our sincere thanks to our esteemed alumnus, Forest Protection Officer/Technician Fazlı AVŞAR, for his valuable contribution to the event, and we wish him continued success in his career journey.