Jeff Oxendine, the President and one of the founders of Health Career Connection (HCC) led a workshop at the HCC Mid-Summer Conference that I attended from July 21-22nd, 2016. The workshop was on Life and Career Planning. This workshop greatly benefited me because I am in a stage in my life that revolves around making decisions that shape my future. Jeff Oxendine went through several activities that challenged my current thoughts on how to approach setting goals and making future plans. I will be graduating in May of 2017. I plan to take a year off in order to obtain work experience in my field before going to graduate school.
One of the pieces of advice that Jeff gave for interns planning on going into the field of public health was to take time off before going to graduate school. He encouraged taking a year or more off and urged everyone to strongly consider taking a gap year. Gaining work experience post undergrad will help to make a more informed decision regarding the graduate program as well as help with getting into a more competitive program. He brought awareness to the fact that graduate programs take work experience into consideration when making admissions decisions as well as some programs have made it a requirement. This part of the workshop solidified what I had already planned to do in the near future. Coming from someone who has worked in hospital administration, I truly valued his words of wisdom because he has already traveled my desired career path.
Another piece of advice that Jeff shared during this workshop was the importance of thinking far in advance of what you want out of life. Some of the questions included Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? These questions challenged my thinking and drove me toward finding the answers for my own life. In 5 years, I plan to have a Master’s degree in Health Administration & Policy and helping to manage a hospital or other health care organization. I plan to utilize my education for the greater good and truly make a difference in people’s lives. The Life & Career Planning Workshop helped me to see that I am on the right track and although I may not have everything figured out, that’s okay. Through this workshop, I had the opportunity to learn more about the necessary steps that I must take to accomplish my goals.
Lastly, one vital part of this workshop was the emphasis on networking. One quote Jeff said that resonated with me was “Network or not work”. Many people have told me that it is important to network but it was communicated to me in a different way at this workshop. Jeff offered practical advice for networking such as scheduling informational interviews with employers, keeping in touch with people who may be able to make a good reference or recommendation, and using all of your resources and access to networks such as internships, universities, and LinkedIn.
After attending the Life & Career Planning workshop led by Jeff Oxendine I feel more prepared than I did before for the next steps as I enter my senior year of college. Interning at the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research through Health Career Connection has provided me with the tools that I need to accomplish my academic and career goals. After completing this summer internship experience, I am more confident, have stronger skills, and am eager to embark on the next phase of my journey towards becoming a hospital administrator. I am truly appreciative of all of the opportunities that have allowed me to grow and further develop as a healthcare professional.
