By Sterling Green
When I rushed Alpha Kappa Psi, a focus point of the learning process was centered around the ability to network, interview actually, and pitch myself to potential employees and prospective medical school recruiters. The rush process taught me to always expect the unexpected, especially during the interview when you must think on your feet. As a pledge, I became comfortable with networking and writing professional emails. This brotherhood gives me the opportunity to surround myself with like-minded, ambitious individuals who keep me motivated and confident in pursuing my goals.
Initially, I never would have guessed that a business fraternity would help me with my goals in medicine. I didn’t realize the importance of being equipped for an interview and maintaining a pristine resume as Neuroscience major, but these are the very skills and tools that make the difference in getting that research opportunity or getting accepted into that medical school. This past semester I went through a rigorous interview process to be selected for a highly competitive summer internship. There were many interested pre-med students, all with impressive GPAs and extracurricular activities. I remember talking with some of the candidates in a waiting room, trying to catch a glance of their resumes to see how I’d stack up. After a long application process and several rounds of interviews, I was selected for the opportunity!
After a few weeks of working there, one of my bosses complimented my interview performance and my ability to keep calm under pressure. This was a surprise to me because public speaking is one of my weaker attributes. It was then when I realized AKPsi had given me a competitive advantage. The AKPsi interview helped me articulate how I should express myself in future interviews. I learned how to handle hard questions and became more familiar telling “my story” to strangers. Even though I don’t use finance or accounting day-to-day, the confidence I learned and the networking skills I gained have proved unbelievably valuable to my career search because business skills are universal.
