Conclave: Get in the fast lane for your career!

As you may know, AOTA headquarters are in Bethesda, MD, which is a mere two mile walk to the Washington D.C. line. One of the not-so-fabulous parts of living in the D.C. metro area is the traffic, particularly the interstates. If you’ve ever lived or traveled in the area, you probably know about the beltway and I-270, and you probably would nod your head with approval when I describe driving on them during rush hour as “dreaded.”

One way to ease the pain is to take along a friend (or two or three) and get in the HOV lane (high occupancy vehicle). And while driving in the HOV lane doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll completely avoid traffic, it does usually mean that you will make it to your destination faster than those lonesome drivers on the usual clogged lanes.

It is pretty easy to draw a parallel from the HOV lane to your career. Think of the HOV lane as networking with your peers. The more people you network with and take along for the ride, the faster you’ll get to your career destination. This year’s Student Conclave is the perfect opportunity to network with your peers from around the country and to make connections with the leaders of your profession and of AOTA. Who knows, maybe the connections you make from networking at Conclave will open the door to a career opportunity that you never could have imagined.

Another advantage of carpooling in the HOV lane is that you can save on gas money because you won’t be behind the wheel every day. While we won’t be giving away gas cards at Conclave, there are definitely opportunities for saving you money down the road. If you attend a study session for the NBCOT exam, it may help you pass the test the first time and not have to pay and take the test again.

Are you ready to take along a few friends and head in the HOV lane to Baltimore this November?

Also, why not start the networking now! Comment on this blog and let’s get to know each other before Conclave.