Scholars Conversations – Jonathon Carapetis
Professor JONATHON CARAPETIS describes himself as a dad, husband, doctor, paediatrician, manager and bloke. His achievements and capacity to influence are extraordinary and the UWA Fogarty Scholars were fortunate to have an exclusive opportunity to have a Conversation with Professor Carapitis – the Director of the Telethon Kids Institue – and discover so much more…
The UWA Fogarty Scholars were inspired as they heard insights from Prof Jonathon Carapetis, the Head of the Telethon Kids Institute, during a recent Scholars Conversation, held at the Harry Perkins Institute.
Professor Carapetis shared his passion for making a difference in his field of child health and told of how his experiences, as a student and practitioner, shaped him as a successful medical practitioner, researcher and leader. While being named as one of Australia’s top 100 brains, he was able to clearly articulate how taking opportunities and seeking to emulate successful and respected leaders shaped his career.
Although his background has been in the health field, the lessons he passed on were relevant to all. Here is what some of the scholars had to say:
“I was inspired to do medical research, to be guided by my values and to dedicate myself to a limited number of things rather than try to do everything and be mediocre at them all.”
“Don’t be afraid of asking for mentorship and to not expect to be the best at everything. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.”
“To be the difference and to not be afraid to sway from the norm.”
“To actively seek out mentors and to work out my raison-d’etre, or my driving reason for doing what I do.”
“Approach people to be mentors”
“So many things were said that were relevant to me, as I am studying medical sciences at the moment. The importance of research as a gateway to leadership in medicine was an interesting takeaway from the night. Having mentors, staying true to one’s values, and maintaining work-life balance were also key themes from the night.”
“It was an exceptional talk.”
In May, we hosted a workshop led by the WA State Director of CEDA, Paula Rogers. She has vast experience in networking and communication. These ‘soft’ skills are incredibly important in today’s world of work. Check out some of the highlights…
As part of the Leader Series Program, the UWA Fogarty Scholars got some valuable insights about ‘Personal Branding’ from Paula Rogers at a recent workshop. Paula is the CEDA WA State Director and has considerable experience in marketing, communication and creating effective networks.
As identified by the scholars, here are Paula’s top 5 tips on creating a LinkedIn profile that aids the development of your personal brand and other networking advice.
1) Profile – It’s better to have no profile than one which is unprofessional or one that doesn’t do you justice.
2) Photo – It is important to remember that LinkedIn is a professional networking website and many people will base their first impression of you on that photo. With this being said, Paula suggests that when you choose your photo you should ask friends or family what picture they prefer and why, so you can better understand what your picture is saying about you!
3) Summary – The summary section in your LinkedIn profile is where you can summarize who you are, what you do, what you’re passionate about, what drives you and so on. Although many people on LinkedIn write their summaries in third person, Paula suggests that it is better to have your summary in first person.
4) Stay Active – Remember to keep your profile active and hence if you read an interesting article, feel free to share it on your LinkedIn profile. Note: Articles you share will be seen by others viewing your profile and hence you should consider if sharing said article will impact your image.
5) Networking – Don’t be afraid to message people you haven’t met before to ask them to talk or grab a coffee. As NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky wisely said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” and hence you having nothing to lose by sending a message to someone you might be inspired to work with or learn from.