Pediatric Neurosurgery

Business Symposium presented a unique opportunity for high school students to interact and converse with business professionals in a semi-formal setting. It was comprised of a networking session in which students and professionals casually conversed with one another and an interviewing component in which business professionals conducted mock job interviews with the students. The event in its entirety allowed students to practice professionalism and answer interview questions effectively and efficiently.

During the networking session, I was able to interact with various professionals. Under normal circumstances, I am not the kind of individual who goes up to strangers and initiates a conversation. The weeks leading up to this event, we had practiced how to give a proper handshaked, introduce oneself and carry a conversation, but this was all done with peers. Business Symposium was an entirely different context and although we had the basic skills to talk to these professionals, it was still intimidating on many levels. Although I was not able to talk to many medical professionals, I still was able to gain valuable insight and information as a result of this networking time. As ISM is a career specific class, often times we limit our knowledge to our own field but this experience showed me that there are many other interesting career choices out there. One thing I gained specifically from this networking period is confidence. When one is in a situation in which he or she has no choice but to go up and converse with random strangers, a new sense of determination is discovered. More often than not, this courage is simply lying dormant within every individual and it is just a matter of finding that boldness and recognizing that one is capable of doing such a terrifying thing such as talking to business professionals. As a result of this experience, I can say that I am more confident in who I am because now I know that despite being just a high schooler, I am still more than able to carry an intelligible and meaningful conversation with almost anyone I encounter.

The other portion of the Business Symposium consisted of three mock interviews from three different professionals. My first interview was with a manager of a veterinary clinic. The interview itself was rather informal, and more of a conversation than an actual interview. The lady who questioned me shared with me what her job entailed and advised me to make sure that my social networking sites did not contain anything that would give me a negative image. The second lady that interviewed me was a retired actuary. Initially she critiqued my resume and gave me positive feedback as well as possible things I might consider changing. She asked me a few questions about myself and the field that I wanted to study. At the end of the interview she made a comment about how doctors needed to not only be book smart, but also socially smart and that based off of the way I had presented myself through the interview, she felt that I had good balance of both. My final interview was with a sales representative from Grande Communications. Although he seemed a little intimidating and gruff, my interview with him was actually quite pleasant. He was intrigued by my particular topic of study and asked me questions concerning my interest in it. His one main comment was that in my answers I often addressed any follow up questions he might have had. Whether this is a good thing or a bad, I am not quite sure. Personally, I think he was suggesting that I need to find a balance between not elaborating and elaborating too much when it comes to answering questions. Thinking back upon the interview portion of Business Symposium, I feel that the greatest benefit to me individually was being able to practice answering questions. Often times, interviewers will ask random and unexpected questions. One must be able to answer the question, no matter how absurd, in a cohesive and appropriate manner.

All in all, the Business Symposium was an experience that allowed me to grow as an individual. It gave me the opportunity to gain confidence in myself and practice carrying myself in a professional manner. In another sense, it taught me how to keep a conversation going no matter how uninterested or uninformed I may have be about the topic. Furthermore, it showed me the importance of answering interview questions promptly and thoroughly. Business Symposium as a whole taught me how to market and present myself appropriately in a manner that is geared towards whoever I may be interacting with.