Last September I attended SEAK’s Non-Clinical Careers Conference, but missed the workshop, How to Find and Land High-Paying Non-Clinical Jobs. I remember talking to one of the attendees about this workshop, and he felt it had been one of the most valuable parts of the entire program. The main conference is over a weekend, and there are optional daylong workshops on the preceding 2 days.
So this year I decided to attend the workshop, How to Find and Land High-Paying Non-Clinical Jobs, and see if this was something I would recommend to my clients and others.
My recommendation?
YES! And make that a double YES!
Within the first 10 minutes of this highly interactive program, it was obvious that this was going to be a great learning experience.
And the learning was not going to stop at the end of the day – we were each given a hefty manual (332 pages) filled with a wealth of supporting information and resources.
Four faculty members, two of whom are the co-founders of SEAK, offered their various areas of expertise, covering topics such as:
Non-clinical career opportunities
Interviewing and networking skills
Articulating strengths and abilities
Determining best career fit for personality type
Creating an Action Plan
Making it happen
A highlight of the conference was when SEAK co-founder Steve Babitsky, Esq., a former trial lawyer, had volunteer participants practice their interviewing skills with him. This live role-playing powerfully illustrated the importance of knowing how to make a positive and lasting impression – in less than one minute!
As a real-life example of a successful transition, faculty member Dr. Michael McLaughlin, a former hand surgeon, shared his story about how he left practice and within a few years became owner of his own medical communications company.
Robert Priddy, career consultant and owner of third Evolution, gave an overview of the Birkman Preview assessment that each participant had taken in advance. This assessment tool helps individuals match their personality to potential career directions.
Through humorous anecdotes and stories, James Mangraviti, Jr., Esq, co-founder of SEAK, gave lots of advice and encouragement to everyone on how to stay persistent and actually make the transition happen.
After the conference, I asked some of my fellow participants about their experience and the value of this particular workshop. The responses were overwhelmingly positive:
“I appreciated that they emphasized it was normal not to know where I was headed at this point in my career and that they focused on giving me tools to figure out my new direction.”
“This was my first time at any of the SEAK courses, and I found it exceeded my expectations. One topic that energized me and gave me the feeling of being passionate about something was when they brought up the possibility of being an expert witness. “
“This seminar was probably one of the best things at the conference. It was worth the money and time. I learned things there about interviewing that no one had told me.”
This course offers an excellent starting point for those considering a non-clinical career. I recommend attending this pre-conference workshop in addition to the annual Non-Clinical Careers Conference, as it provides a great foundation for making a career transition. The next conference will be in the Fall of 2012 in Chicago.
Disclaimer: I have no financial affiliations with SEAK.
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