A professor from my first choice graduate school came to Michigan to talk to students about their program. It was awesome. For sure the most intimidating presentation I've ever sat through, but definitely awesome. I needed a way into this program, and because the spots are limited to about 40 students (out of 1,500 that apply...) I needed to stand out.
At the end of the presentation, I wanted to approach the professor. Introduce myself, thank her for coming... but I was awkward and intimidated, plus the timing never seemed right. As she walked out of the lecture hall, I felt disappointed, like I had lost an opportunity.
So, I recreated an opportunity.
I looked up the professor's email and started a draft. "Dear Professor _______, thank you for coming to U of M to share the benefits of your program..." I probably composed four different drafts trying to think of how to thank this professor in the least awkward way. I wasn't even sure if what I was doing was super weird or totally appropriate, but I knew I had to do something to be unique.
I had a good start, but then I got to thinking...
"I was wondering if I could meet with you to discuss my transcript and resume to see what I need to do to fit the criteria of an ideal applicant to your program."
BOOM. Done. I put myself totally and completely out there.
In the end, I met with the professor and she said she appreciated my "gutsy" move of meeting with her. Yes, I was nervous, and no, I had no idea how she was going to respond to my email. But in the end, you have to put yourself out there to make things happen. As we get older, we are going to face more and more situations where we need to make an impression on others - a good, lasting impression. Don't let external factors determine how you seem as a person. Take control of any situation and make sure you get yourself where you want to be. People aren't going to hand you opportunities, you have to create them yourself.
Randee,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post because like you said, you have to create your own opportunities if you want to excel in life. I am so impressed that you emailed the professor (very courageous) but you also showed that you have to take chances, and sometimes with those chances comes rejection, but in your situation, sometimes comes great opportunities.
Great post Randee,
ReplyDeleteIt's always that first step that's the most difficult. It's very hard to get your foot in the door, but once you're in, you're set. Perfect message for any college student like myself nervous to send that cover letter or email to help me in the future.
Definitely relate to the fear surrounding putting yourself out there when it comes to "creating" your own opportunities. Right now I'm on the verge of "creating" my own ideal internship opportunity but it's so intimidating and honestly scary to go through the process that will get me there. I commend your guts in emailing the professor…it's a great reminder that we all have the potential to put ourselves out there and make things happen. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI genuinely liked how you began your story explaining how had "lost an opportunity" with the professor the first time at the lecture. I think it is refreshing to hear how little chances like those are missed by so many people, including myself, all the time because it is so hard to put yourself out there and perhaps get rejected. I feel like most people have at least once had the idea to go talk to someone about something important, but you keep finding little excuses as to why it's not the right moment until the moments are all gone, and then you just look back wishing you had just done it. But it's natural to feel that way! And you did exactly the right thing which was to create your own opportunity and not let yourself "get beat." Putting yourself out there is a tremendous part of the college experience and this is a perfect example of how true and how rewarding it can be to just take a small leap of faith. Good stuff Rands
ReplyDeleteRandee, what an inspiring post! I have yet to be in such a situation, but you have definitely given me the confident to 'go for it' when the opportunity arises. I think people are often afraid to put themselves out there knowing that if they fail the opportunity they were willing to take it will not longer exist as an opportunity. It's all about breaking up the playing field and making yourself standout in a new way that is unexpected and unique. Congrats on seizing the opportunity and going for it! Good luck in your application!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!! Putting yourself out there can be intimidating, especially when you're competing with all of the smart students that go to this school. It's disappointing when you don't take advantage of an opportunity that you know you should have, because it is intimidating. But it is awesome that you reached out to the professor, and shows that redemption is possible.
ReplyDeleteNice post, Randee! I think it's really impressive that you seized that opportunity when you saw it. I agree that there can be surprisingly good results when we really "go for it," but often it's difficult to take that leap of faith. I think I sometimes need to remind myself, "What's the worst that could happen?"
ReplyDeleteGreat post Randee! As someone who has always been introverted and shy I've definitely dealt with situations like these. Being confident and outgoing is a necessary trait in the business world and having the confidence to go outside your comfort zone and approach people who intimidate you will prove beneficial for future success. I've tried really hard to put myself out there more and fight hard against my instinct to shy away from a scary situation. I know moving forward I'll continue to work hard to be more outgoing and your post presents a really inspiring and promising message for people who have always been scared to take that leap of faith.
ReplyDeleteNice post Randee! It's amazing how one email, or one moment of making yourself stand out, no matter how nervous you may be, can pay off so much! I'm glad you went for it because really a lot of times we have nothing to lose! It can be so easy to create an opportunity, you just have to go after it sometimes, and I think putting yourself out there like that will always be worth it in the long run
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post and the final message you give at the end. I think it is really important for people to seize the day, and take chances when given the proper opportunity. I have used this mentality a lot in my freshman year of college, and it has allowed me to join new clubs and obtain an internship for the summer that I would have never thought I was qualified for in the past. Being confident and taking control of the situation at hand seems to be half the battle.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Randee! I am super impressed by your boldness and your determination to put yourself out there to make those connections, even though it might not be second nature. It's awesome to see how you used concepts from class and turned them into a reality. I'm glad your put yourself out there for an opportunity that you really wanted, and I hope you keep us all posted!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Randee! And good luck with the application. This is such an inspiring post, and something that I personally struggle with. Sometimes it's hard to know when and how to reach out, or how far to go. I think that putting yourself out there and suggesting to meet up was gutsy, but absolutely a great way to go about it.
ReplyDeleteGood post! Similar to Corina's post, it can definitely be hard to put yourself out there; the bigger the environment, the harder it is, so I can imagine that competing with 1500 other students would definitely be intimidating! Often times, people say the biggest risks yield the biggest rewards, but I think this is a great case in which the risk seemed big, but really wasn't, and still yielded a rewarding experience. I think a lot of times we psych ourselves out about putting ourselves out there, when in reality there's not often any real consequences for doing so, so it's great to see that you overcame that, and I hope it pays off.
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