Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Networking and Professional Growth At UPNEXT

On July 28th, UPNEXT partnered with Christie's to host an event on networking, interview preparation and professional growth. 

The event kicked off with volunteers helping our fathers to develop their elevator pitches. This was a challenge for many of our fathers, as many of them lacked experience in succinctly introducing themselves and their skills. But while some of our guys showed hesitation, others were filled with excitement. After a few minutes of preparation and practice, our fathers were all ready to present their pitches. The presentations were great, and the fathers all received constructive  feedback from the volunteers. 


In the next activity, each father was asked to participate in a simulated panel interview with three volunteers.  Our fathers' strengths and weaknesses were highlighted by the volunteers. At the end of the panel interviews, our fathers were given notes with tips on mastering key interviewing skills such as posture, presentation, tone and content. 

After the exercises concluded, the fathers, staff and participants all gathered to enjoy delicious pizza. 
The fathers expressed their appreciation for the lessons learned, and many commented on how the event had inspired them to continue improving their approach to interviewing and networking.