ISM Professional Symposium: 10/9/23

After many weeks of preparation, I was given the privilege to participate in the ISM Business Symposium where I had the opportunity to network with professionals as well as students in the same program. First impressions are extremely important in a professional setting, so I dressed in appropriate attire as well as prepared copies of my resume to share with those I interacted with. I was proud to have something that compiled my work up to this point as the resume included both my experiences as well as a website, which hosts the research I have been doing in order to learn more about gerontology. We started with open networking, where we were free to walk up to and start conversations with any professional before selecting two to have a one-on-one interview with. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to interact with these experienced individuals as they gave me insight into the paths they took and struggles they faced in the workplace, so I can begin to form an idea of how to adapt to make the most out of a situation. I also believe that I grew my interpersonal skills as I was able to practice remaining engaged and an active listener throughout the interview process by not only answering questions but asking relevant ones as well. As we moved on to the following events, I learned more about how I can build a successful foundation in my pursuit of healthcare by making the most out of ISM. This includes taking advantage of the plethora of advice on contacting professionals in real life as well as areas of study I can branch out into. Overall, I gathered information on what I can be doing now in order to facilitate things for myself in the future not only through my efforts but also by the people I meet along the way.