The First Step of My Thousand Mile ISM Journey

Blog #1 Sept 28, 2020

Although I am only about six weeks into my Independent Study and Mentorship Journey, I have never had such clarity as to my future, and specifically, my career. Through several Research Assessments and interview preparation work, I gained valuable insight into not only the field of corporate law, but the role I envision for myself down the road as well.

In addition to uncovering information about my chosen topic of study, I have also picked up skills and habits that are essential for a career in the corporate workforce. Among these skills are how to present yourself in a professional manner.

Additionally, I learned how critical professionalism is when meeting someone for the first time and the role it can play in leaving a good first impression. First impressions are made within the first seven to twenty seconds of meeting someone and are formed largely off the following criteria: attire, eye contact, tone of voice, facial expressions, and posture. Of the five I believe my weakest area remains my eye contact. I never know when to make eye contact and when to look away; this confusion leads to a raging debate inside my head in which I overthink my every action, finally this leads to my mind losing focus in the conversation at hand.

This is an important skill to have as an aspiring attorney because in addition to being a powerful factor in first impressions, effective eye contact can also serve as a persuasive technique. When I am in a trial setting or even a settlement meeting or any circumstance that requires persuasion, eye contact can either serve as a very powerful tool in my arsenal or a major detracting factor from my overall argument.

In order to address this weakness, I plan on practicing my interview skills both with myself while looking into a mirror and with my peers who will be able to give me feedback.