Last week, I had the opportunity to attend NSBE 41: Innovation & Excellence: Reimagining Your Future in Anaheim, CA to recruit for the iSchool! This year was a different in a few ways; I didn’t have to look for a job, and I had another student recruiter with me! I had a great time meeting students from all over the country and talking to them about their aspirations. I even talked to a high school student about college and going to med school! I also reconnected with SO many people from my old NSBE chapter at UMCP. It was really beautiful *tear*.
This convention was more about me transitioning into my professional life (and sightseeing Cali, of course). So, most of what I did involved a lot of networking, including meeting my future colleagues at Accenture. Can I just say they’re a great group of people in every part of the country?! I’m glad I got to hear tips from working people before I get there. It makes the future seem a little brighter!
But, yeah….sightseeing. I LOVE CALIFORNIA!!! It was gorgeous and soooooooooo warm (it was snowing in Pittsburgh at the time). I really reconsidered returning to the east coast. Well….I did and then I remembered the cost of living and started packing my bags, haha. But, having a friend with me (and many more recruiting in other schools) gave me the opportunity to be a tourist. I got to see how the locals live and connected with a couple of new, awesome acquaintances on the west coast!
I definitely had an amazing time! As this is my last conference in school, I must stress how IMPORTANT it is to go to one (several). They’re absolutely great for networking and obtaining employment/academic opportunities. You also get to see a part of the world that you haven’t seen before (a friend went to BERLIN once). Worried about funding?! Look for some! The University of Pittsburgh offers traveling funds, especially to those who are participating as an exhibitor at the conference. If you’re interested in being an MSIS/MST Commonwealth Scholar, recruiting comes with the job 😉 There are also tons of external programs and scholarships. Don’t lose the opportunity! You won’t regret it!
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