I joined Digital Mettle 3 years ago. My impression was that having a background as a research scientist (technical) and then as a dental practice manager (compliance and management), would hold me in good stead to assume a role at a technology consultancy company.
While the idea of a technology company was intellectually familiar, I did not imagine that there would be this wide chasm, in order to understand the intricacies of the work being performed at the firm. As my background was in the Life Sciences, and the company had an interest in the same, I tried to leverage previous contacts by networking. While I am somewhat of an extrovert, and consider myself to be able to easily talk to people, this was an area that has challenged me. I attended LaunchBio events, DHIT meetups, Triangle BABCNC and read tech newsletters like “Grepbeat”. Attending these events continue to challenge me and make me feel something like a “fish out of water”.
While the truth is that most people would also rather do almost anything else than make small talk with a room full of strangers, networking is vital to gaining exposure, making connections and most importantly, relationship building. Most of the events that I attended were because I wanted to hear or meet a certain speaker. I loved hearing insights from Joe and Terry Graedon on healthcare and medicines, NC house representatives on healthcare policy and much more. From attending these sessions, I was able to make new introductions to Digital Mettle.
Of course, the more I attend these types of events, the easier it will become to approach, connect and help build relationships.
– Olivia Delahaye
Olivia Delahaye and Kathryn Dunn attending AENC Winter Conference