Weekly Report 4

This week, we put the finishing touches on our resumes. I received feedback from my peers as well as from Mr. Wysong, and made a few adjustments in order to make my resume appear as professional, organized, and straightforward as possible.  During class, we discussed the supplies necessary for our portfolios, which we will begin assembling in the coming week. The majority of our class time left for us to work independently, setting up research interviews, finalizing our resumes, and preparing to present ourselves professionally.

This week, students in ISM also participated in organizing a teacher breakfast at Liberty, and I introduced myself to the principal and assistant principals at the school. This not only allowed the administrators to get to know the ISM students, but it also gave me the opportunity to practice introducing myself like I would need to at business symposium and interviews.

As I began contacting professionals in my field to request research interviews, I realized that there are more forensic psychologists in the area than I’d initially thought.  There are many psychologists of various specialties in the DFW area, but there’s also a surprisingly large number of forensic psychologists who have experience in family law and child custody cases.  So far, I have contacted a number of professionals and started to set up my first research interviews.

Research Assessment 2

view RA 2

Weekly Report 3

As we prepared to set up our first research interviews, we spent a lot of time in class discussing how to display professionalism over the phone. We used time in class to practice our phone etiquette, receiving feedback from our partners. I need to work on thinking before I speak instead of using filler words, such as "like" or "um." We also completed rough drafts of our resumes, and reviewed them with partners and in groups in order to see how we could edit them to be more thorough, better organized, and more focused on our field.

On Wednesday, we practiced dressing professionally and used the rough drafts of our resumes to conduct mock interviews. We began each interview with a handshake, and throughout the interview, we worked to maintain good eye contact, posture, and body language, in addition to rehearsing our verbal responses. I feel like these interviews were extremely beneficial to preparing me for business symposium as well as for our research interviews, because they gave me a better idea of what to expect. Now I have practice answering questions similar to those that will be asked in these interviews, and I feel more relaxed when forming my answers.

Research Assessment 1

veiw RA 1

Weekly Report 2

This week in class, we continued to focus on professionalism and body language, particularly the correct way to introduce oneself for an interview. Confidence should be communicated through posture, expression, and diction, and interest in the other person should also be evident through body positioning. We also reviewed professional dress rules, so that we would know what attire would be appropriate at research interviews and presentations. 

In addition, I had the opportunity to practice some of my interview skills as we rehearsed introductions with our classmates, starting with a handshake and a few basic questions about our fields of study and the ISM program. I didn’t realize how important a good handshake was to a first impression, but a firm handshake expresses many positive character attributes to a new acquaintance.

I also prepared to conduct research interviews by compiling a list of contacts who work in the field of forensic psychology, and I conducted additional research in my field by reading an article published on the topic and beginning my first research assessment. I find it fascinating how many different specialties there are within forensic psychology, as well as within psychology as a whole. I want to focus on child forensic psychology, or cases involving family law, but it’s been a great experience to see how many different career options are available.

Weekly Report 1

In order to keep track of my progress in ISM, I'll posting a weekly report each week detailing what I've accomplished.

During the first two weeks of school, the class was focused on professionalism and body language. We learned how to introduce ourselves in a professional manner, as well as what the nonverbal aspects of our communication say to those around us. Body language is extremely important in a professional setting, because it often conveys more about one's thoughts and attitudes than spoken words. I also had an opportunity within the first week of the school year to practice my public speaking skills and find out which areas need the most work.

In addition, I have done research specifically in the field of forensic psychology practiced in family courts. I've discovered the services that a forensic psychologist might offer, the different organizations that might employ a forensic psychologist, basic terminology associated with family court cases, and other careers that utilize similar skill sets or involve similar interests. This research has not only helped me gain a better understanding of the field, but it has also created more questions that I hope to answer throughout the year in ISM. I selected a quote and a mission statement to help focus my journey, and I look forward to the opportunities that this year will bring.