Health and Human Services Professional Development

What are You Looking At?: The Importance of Balanced Eye Contact by   Jill Bowers   on   July 22, 2013   What are you looking at?! Hopefully ME if you are talking to me.   But what if I’m judging you? What am I thinking about you? Do I make you nervous when I’m staring back at you? For these reasons, maintaining eye contact can be tough.   Yet, in many cultures and settings (i.e., in the United States), eye contact can help you to convey that you are trustworthy, respectful, and sincere. Eye contact can help you to influence others or establish an emotional connection.  It allows you to give some feedback to the individual you are interacting with, and it provides opportunities for you to see if they are understanding the meaning of the message you are trying to relay. Thus,   maintaining balanced eye contact can be critical to your accomplishments in personal and professional relationships. But what is meaningful, balanced eye con...

What are Social Skills? by   Jill Bowers   on   June 3, 2013 Social skills involve picking up on social cues, interpreting the behavior of others, and interacting with others in positive ways.  Examples of social skills may include self-confidence, problem-solving, being flexible and adaptable, displaying empathy, dealing with conflict, smiling, being polite, showing interest, actively listening, and many more. Necessary social skills can vary based on the social norms of a given culture or setting. Some social skills may be innate, but many can be learned. As Daniel Goleman noted in his book,  Social Intelligence , a crucial component to acting wisely in relationships is to develop an understanding of how our moods or reactions are influenced by our interactions (past and present) with others and equally important, how our actions, words, and nonverbal behaviors make others feel and react to us. Example of good social skills: Maintaining eye contact ...

Communicating with Professors, Employers, or Potential Employers by   Jill Bowers   on   June 3, 2013 Communication is a social or personal skill that when done right, plays a role in your success in college, on the job market, and in work settings. Here are some basic tips to consider when communicating (written, oral, or nonverbal) with others in professional settings. Written or electronic communication Written or electronic communication may be one of the first contacts that you make with a professional. First impressions are critical. Address professors, employers, or potential employers with proper salutations. Although you may hear someone else call that person by their first name, do not take it upon yourself to consider it okay to do the same unless that person offers (e.g., “You can call me ‘Justin’ rather than Dr. Smith.” For those that have PhDs or MDs, addressing them as “Dr. X” is appropriate. If it is a professor and you are unsure, you can always ...