Weekly Blog #7

This week I have had the opportunity to learn a variety of new skills related to professionalism. Recently, I have focused on writing a series of handwritten thank you notes to professional attorneys in my field of study, whom I have conducted interviews with. In addition, I have focused on creating handwritten thank you cards for professionals who took time out of their busy schedules to attend the ISM Business Symposium. I feel that it is important to recognize their kindness and selflessness in donating their valuable time to help give ISM students insight into professional communication and networking skills. I also feel that it is essential to provide a thank you card to those who have donated time from their busy schedules to conduct informational interviews with me and help guide me in my learning process.

From these thank you cards, I have gained practice in writing professionally, and with eloquent language, which will be essential in my future career as an international human rights attorney. From this experience, I have also learned how to respectfully and professionally address handwritten mail, which is a valuable tool I will carry with me my entire life.

This week I have also gained extensive practice in making continuous calls and sending multiple emails to professionals in hopes of setting up more informational interviews. However, I have noticed that it is common for attorneys to have a very busy schedule throughout the entire week, which limits their availability and makes it challenging to set up interviews. Although, I feel that it is an important life skill to have perseverance in attaining goals and resilience when faced with obstacles. I especially believe this is true for those pursuing a career in the human rights field.