CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERIES – Real Talk, Real Growth: Fostering Professionalism Without Perfectionism

For the 2025-2026 school year, SOCHE will host a special Career Development Series of virtual presentations that is designed to support higher education personnel as they help develop the Workforce of Tomorrow.

The fourth session of the SOCHE Career Development Series will be “Real Talk, Real Growth: Fostering Professionalism Without Perfectionism,” hosted on Tuesday, March 10, from 12-1 p.m. ET via Zoom. Sarah Brandell, Academic Director for the Physician Assistant Program at Kettering College, will be presenting.

Professionalism is a crucial, yet often misunderstood, expectation for students entering the workforce. For many traditional-aged college students, the leap from classroom behavior to workplace culture feels overwhelming, especially in an era where perfectionism, fear of failure, and social anxiety run high.

At the same time, faculty and employers often expect students to demonstrate flawless professionalism from the start, with little room for missteps. Too often, professionalism concerns are met with punitive responses rather than support and coaching.

This interactive session provides real-world insight on building professionalism without the unrealistic expectation of being perfect. We’ll explore how developing authentic communication, accountability, and self-awareness can create career opportunities rather than roadblocks.

The session also will introduce a practical, multilayered remediation framework used successfully in graduate education to help students address professionalism concerns, build essential interaction skills, and grow through mistakes. Participants will gain tangible strategies to navigate human interaction challenges, manage missteps with grace, and grow into confident, capable professionals.

Learning Goals

• By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Define professionalism in the context of early career development and higher education.
• Recognize how perfectionism and fear of failure can undermine professional growth.
• Explain the common faculty and employer expectations surrounding professionalism, and how unrealistic expectations can hinder development.
• Apply a supportive, layered approach to addressing professionalism concerns, emphasizing remediation and coaching over punishment.
• Identify practical strategies to help students and early career professionals build human interaction skills, manage mistakes with accountability, and grow into confident, capable professionals

Join us for a webinar that emphasizes growth over perfection, helping students and those who mentor them create an environment where professionalism is learned, not assumed.

Registration for this event will close on Wednesday, March 4. Click here to register now.

[If you are unable to attend live, a recording link will be sent to all registrants.]

When: Tuesday, March 10, from 12-1 p.m. ET [if you are unable to attend live, a recording link will be sent to all registrants]

Where: SOCHE Zoom platform (link sent at least 24 hours prior to event)

Cost:   

• Personnel from SOCHE member schools: $5
• Personnel from NON-member schools/organizations: $10
• Students: FREE

Questions? Contact Mindy Claggett at SOCHE

Student Registration Fee Policy

Registration Cancellation Policy

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT WILL CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4