Graduate students of mental health often overlook or postpone (beyond their clinical studies) the many opportunities they have in graduate school to prepare for the eventual launch into their own businesses. Building key professional relationships is one of those opportunities that immediately comes to mind.
Last month I was hanging out on the American Counseling Association’s email discussion list when Vanessa Doran put out a call for a “Swag Swap” at ACA’s upcoming Conference and Expo. Now, I had no idea what a “Swag Swap” was but already I’m thinking that this gutsy gal had something valuable to share with other therapists-in-training so I introduced myself via email to inquire . . . .
Vanessa stated that her professors encouraged her and her peers to get to know each other because “networking would be beneficial” throughout their professional lives. As she shared her interests with me and her idea for the Swag Swap, she peppered the conversation with things like “Creating our professional network now, will only make us stronger as counselors in the future.” She characterized her peers as “resources” and “friends” and noted that being able to combine the two is “a skill that is vital to counselors.”
I’m looking at this email exchange that I’m having with this counselor-in-training and I’m thinking “WHOA! This gal has it going on!” I mean none of my professors talked about the wisdom of planting those networking seeds and building those professional relationships when I was in graduate school! And, frankly, I always knew I wanted to be in private practice but I was pretty clueless about how to attract my ideal clients and build effective reciprocal referring relationships back then!
That’s when I knew that there are lots of instructors and professors who hang out right here who need to know about cool and fun ways to integrate the business of private practice into their mental health curriculum; and there are lots more graduate students who can take this idea and run with it to their next class, their next conference . . . and start to build a net that works for their professional goals . . . starting with a Swag Swap!
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A Guest Post by Vanessa Doran
Networking at Conferences
Meeting other students in class is a great way for graduate students to network; it’s personal, intimate, and you get a chance to get to know someone face-to-face. Passing out business cards is one way for graduate students to network, but how personal is that? When I do that I’m giving someone my contact information on a small card that is easy to lose or misplace. After that, I have no further face-to-face contact with them; our only contact is through email, online networking sites, and/or phone calls.
Passing out business cards may be seen as professional, but it’s also a hassle. Let’s say you go to a conference, meet 50 new professionals, and collect business cards from most of them. Now you have a bunch of business cards to keep track of, you have to find a place to put the business cards, and you have to remember to contact those people when you have a question.
Will you remember what each person is an expert in without looking through all those business cards? Will those people remember you if you contact them in three months? It depends. If you met someone at a conference, they may have met dozens of other people at the same conference. Keeping track of everyone you have met in the past, without the help of social media sites, is very difficult. There has to be a better way to make a first impression besides handing someone a business card created, printed, and shipped from a website.
Clothespins, Ribbons, and Jewels – Oh, My!
When I was an undergraduate student at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), we attended leadership conferences where we would meet all sorts of people from different universities, organizations, and professions. What the students would do in order to network was called a “Swag Swap” where students would exchange handmade tokens of creativity that represented their schools.
At UNCC, we painted regular sized clothespins green with “UNCC” written in white on the tops; our school colors were green and white. Each person who attended the conference would receive a certain amount of clothespins to exchange, and we would be expected to trade them for other schools swag.
Other schools would create swag using ribbons, buttons, paper clips, whatever they could think of. A Swag Swap is a great way to show off creativity and to represent your university. Swag shows what you can do and makes a great first impression. Being the daughter of two artists, anytime I have the opportunity to be creative and look professional, I will take it!
Put Those Groups to Work
Making swag for a Swag Swap is fun, and you can make swag in a group! The more people the better, in my opinion. The more different styles, ideas, and abilities available the better your swag will look. For example, the swag I have for the 2015 American Counseling Association (ACA) Conference and Expo (in March) was created by my roommate and myself.
Our artistic styles differ greatly, and at first I wasn’t sure having her help make swag for my group would be a good idea. However, in the end, her ideas were a contrast to mine and made a great addition to my groups swag; her abstract art balanced out my clean cut lines. It is for this reason I suggest using more than one person to make swag for a Swag Swap. Not only do you get to practice self-care, but you can learn about other people in your group attending the conference.
Pass It On
When I registered for the 2015 ACA Conference and Expo, it was the first time I has registered for a national conference. I nervous and wasn’t sure what to expect. I aked my mentors on my presentation what usually happens at these conferences, and what I should expect at a meeting. I asked if there was a “Swag Swap” at these conferences between graduate students and/or professionals; naturally, they did not understand and had many questions for me.
After explaining what a “Swag Swap” is and how it works, my mentors said I should pose the question to other graduate students attending the ACA conference. I sent my initial an email on Thursday, January 22, 2015 and by the 23rd I had about six responses from other interested graduate students. I felt like such a trailblazer, and the fact that other people were interested in my idea was even more exciting!
The More Swag the Better!
What I’m hoping for is that graduate students and other counseling professionals will participate in the “Swag Swap” at the ACA conference in Orlando. Not only will I enjoy meeting other graduate students and professionals, but also I will be interested to see the different types of swag that have been created.
If you would like to get more information about the Swag Swap at the American Counseling Association’s 2015 conference or how to set up your own Swag Swap for a difference conference, you can reach me by email at vd0003@bravemail.uncp.edu.
And, if you have other conference networking ideas for graduate students and professionals, I hope you’ll leave them below!
I look forward to meeting all sorts of different people, and displaying as many different types of swag at the conference on my name tag as possible. Hope to see you there!
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About the Author: Vanessa Doran is completing her second year of graduate school at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She is studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Upon graduation, she plans to integrate pet therapy into her work with college / university students.
I love this idea! It reminds me of when my daughter was a Girl Scout. The troops would make “swaps” and they would trade them with members of other troops at camp each summer.
I like to make crafts and in the past have made trading cards to swap with other crafters.
I’m thinking art therapists utilize swaps as well.
A swag swap is a great networking concept and I’m grateful that you shared it Vanessa.
Swap on!
Oh, I hadn’t thought about Girl Scout swaps! But, like you, I’m thinking what a great ice breaker at any networking event!
Thanks for dropping in to chat, Pam!
Thank you Pam! I look forward to the ACA conference, and I’m hoping other graduate students participate. I appreciate the support!
Tamara and Vanessa,
Thank you for sharing! I look forward to meeting you at the conference, as a graduate student seeking new connections this was such a great and inspiring read. I am usually just an observer on Tamara wonderful blog keeping up to date with different topics and trends but this is the first article that related to me and my struggles. Thank you both.
Ashley! It’s great to find your voice here and I hope you’ll keep reading and let me know what are your struggles! There’s no better time to prepare for private practice than while you are still in graduate school and I’m happy to help you do just that!
Fantastic Ashley! All of us counseling graduate students are in this together, and I figure we will need to practice self-care before the conference. Why not do so while creating something fun? I can’t wait to see you (and your swag) in Orlando!
Like Ashley, I’m a first year student and was blown away by this idea! I won’t be at the ACA conference this year, but hope to go soon. I’d love to meet other grad students as well, and this makes it both fun and memorable. Thanks, Vanessa!
You’re more than welcome Sandhya! I know in my undergraduate years, trading swag was a great conversation starter; and it was fun to make! I look forward to seeing you at future conferences!