Sealing the Deal: The Rockefeller Professional Preparation Program

Participants in the second session of the 18S Rockefeller Professional Preparation Program (RP3) discovered what it meant to connect with others in a professional setting in order to seal the deal. Eric Eisendrath, Assistant Director at Dartmouth’s Center for Professional Development, led participants to reflect on how we understand ourselves and how we can use this understanding to guide our paths as leaders and open doors professionally.

At the beginning of the session, participants shared what they learned about their partner from just a very short conversation, describing to each other what people knew about them. It was not surprising to see that people mimicked the types of things their partner told them, which helped the group understand what it truly means to pitch yourself in order to stand out.

After participants assessed their emotional intelligence through a short quiz, Eisendrath helped facilitate a discussion on how strong or weak participants saw themselves in four categories: self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management. After reflecting on where participants could improve their emotional intelligence, Eisendrath helped shift the thought flow to how people brand themselves and what that means in interviewing. The session went even deeper to allow participants to consider how their goals and values align with their work. One student noted that “you achieve goals through your standard of values,” as participants shared their thoughts in small and large groups.

As the session wrapped up, Eisendrath encouraged participants to headline themselves in a few words, namely how they would seal the deal with their personal brand and support it through their past experiences. Overall, participants left the session with the ability to understand how to draw a picture of themselves as leaders ready to enter the professional world.   

Written by Bethany Malzman ’19, Student Program Assistant for Communications