BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM

It was my first time experiencing what it's like to be interviewed by a real world professional...

On October 3rd, ISM students from Heritage, Independence, Memorial, Liberty, and Frisco High School attended the Business Symposium held at Independence High School. In the beginning, we walked around and socialized with students from the other high schools to learn about their topic of study and their journey so far. Then, we followed a schedule that guided us on which sessions we would attend at what times based on the color sticker on our name tag. I was part of the group with orange stickers. We first went to the library to network with professionals. I talked to a professional who manages the software aspect in ATMs, finance and other areas of banking in Bank of America about my decision to study a medical career in ISM but selecting an engineering major as my first choice as I complete college apps and my reason to do so. He told me that my decision is best because it's smart to explore now than to waste time and money in college. His insight is very valuable since he has experienced the same crossroad with his son, who is double majoring in Neuroscience and Computer Science and plans to attend medical school after graduation. Furthermore, he provided his judgment on my resume, with which he was so impressed by that he requested to keep a copy. The fact that my first interaction with a professional ended successfully made me less nervous to be interviewed later in the event.

Afterward, we went to the flex lab where guest speaker, Brian Wysong, a former ISM teacher at Liberty High School and founder of Tumbleweed TexStyles, spoke about his journey from being the ISM teacher to creating a million dollar company through his love for entrepreneurship. His words were so motivating that it sparked a drive to search for the career that I would enjoy for the rest of my life rather than falling under pressure. Next, we met with ISM Alumni, who spoke about their experiences in ISM and answered any questions. One interesting fact I learned from them is that students in ISM already seem outstanding to professionals in the real world, as there are still people today that still struggle with professionality.

Later on, I attended my first mock interview by a lady who works for Credit Union. She was very approachable, and her feedback about my resume pointed out the areas I should fix before I print a new final copy. She was impressed by my acceptance of rejection, which many people today cannot handle positively. In my second interview, I felt a little more intimidated since I approached a retired man whose questions were challenging and his reactions made me feel like I had spoken wrong. A few times, I had accidentally interrupted as he spoke because it seemed as if he was done talking, which made me more nervous but I was able to hide it by smiling. I received a few constructive comments about my resume and suggestions to sit with my English teacher to grow as a writer since I confessed that writing is my least favorite aspect. I thanked him for his time and moved on to my next interview, which was with an ISM II student. With her, I asked about her journey through two years of the program, what my topic of study is and my decision behind choosing it and received more feedback on my resume.

At the end of the event, all of us ISM students from Independence met at the auditorium to take group pictures and headshots for professional presence on social media. This experience very valuable and the next step in my pursuit to find the career I want to pursue for the rest of my life.