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.
