This was written today for young, aspiring students. But I also felt tempted to share here on FB: As I sit on the most beautiful beach in Florida, I want someone to pinch me. I chose the best career in the world that has opened more doors than I ever thought possible - I am a writer, a public speaker, a well-respected specialist in dietary cholesterol management with hundreds of amazing colleagues and friends. I spend some of my days working one-on-one with the most fascinating characters in my office and others traveling the country meeting random strangers who are all interested in the same goal - leading a healthier lifestyle. It hasnt always been this glorious. When I first decided on Clinical Nutrition as my career path, my parents thought Ive lost my mind. Few people grasped the concept of what it meant to be a dietitian or a nutritionist. I had to diligently work through school believing in my own dream as very few others did. With private practice as my goal, I obtained my National Academy of Sports Medicine personal trainer certification and started a website while still studying at NYU. Gradually building a client base and getting my name recognized in the community provided for a smooth transition into private practice upon graduation. The secrets to my success since then can be attributed to an amazing mentor and one of the greatest dietitians in this field - Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN, who kindly shared her wisdom at the NYU roundtable event I attended years ago: the top of our profession is not saturated - there is no need to engage in mean competition, we can all succeed and there will still be enough people in need of our help be kind to everyone around you - send hand written thank you cards to every person who helps you along the way, express your verbal gratitude do not be afraid to work for free, especially in the beginning - getting out of the office and doing a few free events may give you exposure to large groups of people that will ultimately help propel your career to the next level at the same time, do not give discounts for individual consultations - a set rate applies to all and not one person should feel cheated Joy - if I got any, or all, of these wrong - please accept my sincere apologies! With all the pros of my chosen career path also come the obvious cons - unpredictable cash flow, long hours, and lack of paid benefits such as vacation time and health insurance. To be an entrepreneur, you need to be comfortable being very uncomfortable. You need to be excited seeing negative amounts in your bank accounts using them as a catalyst for growth and learn to budget carefully during the profitable months for the low points of the year. As you dont have a boss, broken chairs, printers, shredders and vacuum cleaners become your responsibility. On any given day, you may see 10-12 hours worth of patients, meet with your accountant and lawyer, fix a crashing website, submit claims for billing to get paid and possibly fall asleep on your office couch for a few hours before starting again a few hours later with a huge smile on your face because you are happy to run your own business. Right now, you have a huge advantage! Most professionals will answer questions and be willing to teach you things that will not be accessible to you upon graduation. Shadow, volunteer, observe - we are here for you. Feel free to reach me any time with additional questions at balance@topbalancenutrition or visit our website at topbalancenutrition. Follow me on twitter @DietitianNYC and like our FB page facebook/DietitianNYC
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:53:55 +0000
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