HOW TO TALK TO A PROFESSIONAL 101

During the last week of the Independent Study Mentorship Class many new topics were introduced to prepare the student to interview with professionals. Some of the learning targets were how to build a professional resume, how to create a contact list with 25 potential mentors, how to conduct a brief phone conversation and set up a professional interview, and finally, how to dress professionally. Also, we individually researched our field of study and wrote a research paper about the college and career path. One of the main accomplishments that were achieved this week was researching more in depth about cardiothoracic surgery. Some of the articles that were researched this week were "Most Cited Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Articles", "Why Become a Cardiothoracic Surgeon?", and "What Is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon?". These articles were good representations of how the cardiothoracic field is in the long run, some of the pros and cons of being in this field, and also personal experiences and journeys to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. This week, the main goal was to learn how to interact with a professional. The first step was to create a detailed list of at least 25 potential mentors who are either in the exact profession or a mentor who relates to that profession. For example, the list I constructed consisted of cardiothoracic surgeons, thoracic surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, and also nurses. Next, we started creating professional resumes and chose professional emails as well a chose a sober color scheme. One of the most important things was conducting a professional phone call to set up an interview. In this process, it important to speak slowly, speak clearly and confidently, smile even though you are speaking (it shows in your voice), and also have a calendar open with several available dates and times marked. Start speaking to them with a proper greeting and introduce yourself, what school you go to, and your main purpose. Next, explain how you allocated their contact information. For example, “I located your name by _________________ and thought I would contact you to see if you would consider allowing me to conduct a brief informational interview”. The next step is explain to the potential mentor that you are allowed to leave the Reedy campus and ask them to talk about the profession. If they agree, right down the dates and the times that you plan to meet. Next, appreciate them for agreeing to meet you, and also confirm the date and time. The last step is to ask for their email for a confirmation email closer to the date of the meeting. Also, if there are conflicts for meeting, then appreciate them for their time and ask if it is possible to meet them in the future. If you talk to a receptionist rather than the actual professional, then ask them for a call back. Next week, I will conduct more research on cardiothoracic surgery and also learn some information about the major procedures, and lastly, I will create and edit my professional resume.