Preparation in Professionalism 10/2/23

Our first meeting with professionals from a variety of fields as a part of the Independent Study and Mentorship Program is scheduled for this week. Therefore, leading up to the event we have participated in many exercises in order to improve our interpersonal skills when speaking with adults. Namely, we simulated introductions in a way that would give them an understanding of who we were and what we were looking for. In order to achieve this, we rehearsed “elevator pitches”, which were intended to be thirty seconds at most to give listeners an overview of our objectives. However, what I learned is that these pitches are not something to be memorized because that can create an unnatural interaction; therefore, I have learned to use the ideas I have in my pitch as a guideline to share information about myself. In addition, we brainstormed questions --both specific and general-- to guide us in our conversations with the many experts. These questions will hopefully give me insight into the real world pressures and expectations these individuals face. Something I will make sure to remember throughout is to be grateful for the time they are taking away from their busy lives to educate students like myself, and I will be an active listener to learn as much as I can from the experience.