Networking is a very important tool to have. Within networking, there are strong and weak ties. Strong ties are more interpersonal than weak ties. Weak ties are usually people you do not know. Strong ties are definitely more comfortable to reach out to than weak ties. There are pros and cons to both ties. For this particular informational session, I used a weak tie. I went through LinkedIn to find an individual who works in the health field. I found a physician assistant, who now runs her own business from home, partnered with Rodan and Fields Dermatologists. I thought it would be helpful to interview someone in the health field, since there is a wide array of jobs available out there.
The interview itself was great! She was very nice, and provided a lot of useful information. At first, I was nervous speaking with her. I did not know what to expect. Was she going to be able to answer all my questions? Were these questions too personal? How were they going to make her feel? I did not want to intrude into her personal, and most vulnerable, moments. By the end of the interview, all the questions above did not exist anymore. She made me feel comfortable enough to ask her anything. I was able to get a real perspective on her career and the path she took to get there. In her first years of her career, she had no children and was not married. So, she was able to focus on her career wholeheartedly; she did not have obligations to others. She said though, her most difficult decision had to be establishing herself in the work place, and making a name for herself. Making sure she was noticed, and made an impact on the patients, as well as the other staff members was very important. She did not want to be at work, and someone be unable to recognize her. She wanted the sound of her name to resonate through people’s ears. This process happened over many long nights and days. It was not something that was accomplished in one day, but something that has to be worked at for the rest of her career in the health field.
With the example above, you can see she is a persistent and motivated individual. She had to continuously work at making a name for herself in the workplace, and to do that one has to stay motivated. Motivation gave her the drive to be persistent. As far as what was not helpful, it was not helpful to have a fear of messing up something or doubt of not being great. Any negative energy she tried to steer clear of. The negative energy acted as a barrier to the goal. Also, when she decided to get married and have children it only made it more difficult to make a name for herself because she was unable to spend long hours at work like before. Now she had other obligation she had to attend to, and prioritizing them put work further down on the list. To her younger self she just wanted to say take advantage of all the opportunities that are provided to you. Do not only think about the present, but also take into account the future. Do not let anyone or anything get in your way. If you want it, go after it with a vengeance.
In her career, there was not an ethical or values based dilemma that stood out to her the most off the top of her head. She said she would provide me with one at a later date, if anything came to mind. As you can see, nothing resonated too strongly for her to call me back with the dilemma. As far as her way to navigate these dilemmas, she asks herself a series of question similar to others in the medical profession. They seem to have a generic set of ethical based questions. Does this decision fall in line with her, and the patient’s values? Will she regret this later? Is any harm taking place? In conjunction, she talks with other colleagues in hopes of new information, or thoughts, being brought to the table that she did not think of before.
Throughout this informational session you can see where new learning has been gained as a result of speaking with my professional. I have learned working in the medical field is time consuming; therefore, it is hard to have a family and career in the medical field. However, sometimes sacrifices can be made to have both. It is important to be organized and self-starting because you have to the ability to start, continue, and finish a goal. The ER is especially hectic in the medical field because it is a lot of thinking on your feet. Also, since the medical field is time consuming, you may find your husband there! So, be on the lookout. The meaning of this new information is more than what one sees. This information will guide me in my future endeavors. It will make me think twice about things, especially since someone’s life is in my hands. Ultimately, this information will allow me to not have to make the mistakes that someone else did.
The interview itself was great! She was very nice, and provided a lot of useful information. At first, I was nervous speaking with her. I did not know what to expect. Was she going to be able to answer all my questions? Were these questions too personal? How were they going to make her feel? I did not want to intrude into her personal, and most vulnerable, moments. By the end of the interview, all the questions above did not exist anymore. She made me feel comfortable enough to ask her anything. I was able to get a real perspective on her career and the path she took to get there. In her first years of her career, she had no children and was not married. So, she was able to focus on her career wholeheartedly; she did not have obligations to others. She said though, her most difficult decision had to be establishing herself in the work place, and making a name for herself. Making sure she was noticed, and made an impact on the patients, as well as the other staff members was very important. She did not want to be at work, and someone be unable to recognize her. She wanted the sound of her name to resonate through people’s ears. This process happened over many long nights and days. It was not something that was accomplished in one day, but something that has to be worked at for the rest of her career in the health field.
With the example above, you can see she is a persistent and motivated individual. She had to continuously work at making a name for herself in the workplace, and to do that one has to stay motivated. Motivation gave her the drive to be persistent. As far as what was not helpful, it was not helpful to have a fear of messing up something or doubt of not being great. Any negative energy she tried to steer clear of. The negative energy acted as a barrier to the goal. Also, when she decided to get married and have children it only made it more difficult to make a name for herself because she was unable to spend long hours at work like before. Now she had other obligation she had to attend to, and prioritizing them put work further down on the list. To her younger self she just wanted to say take advantage of all the opportunities that are provided to you. Do not only think about the present, but also take into account the future. Do not let anyone or anything get in your way. If you want it, go after it with a vengeance.
In her career, there was not an ethical or values based dilemma that stood out to her the most off the top of her head. She said she would provide me with one at a later date, if anything came to mind. As you can see, nothing resonated too strongly for her to call me back with the dilemma. As far as her way to navigate these dilemmas, she asks herself a series of question similar to others in the medical profession. They seem to have a generic set of ethical based questions. Does this decision fall in line with her, and the patient’s values? Will she regret this later? Is any harm taking place? In conjunction, she talks with other colleagues in hopes of new information, or thoughts, being brought to the table that she did not think of before.
Throughout this informational session you can see where new learning has been gained as a result of speaking with my professional. I have learned working in the medical field is time consuming; therefore, it is hard to have a family and career in the medical field. However, sometimes sacrifices can be made to have both. It is important to be organized and self-starting because you have to the ability to start, continue, and finish a goal. The ER is especially hectic in the medical field because it is a lot of thinking on your feet. Also, since the medical field is time consuming, you may find your husband there! So, be on the lookout. The meaning of this new information is more than what one sees. This information will guide me in my future endeavors. It will make me think twice about things, especially since someone’s life is in my hands. Ultimately, this information will allow me to not have to make the mistakes that someone else did.