When you hear building blocks hopefully something that comes to mind is the metaphor in which building blocks are synonymous with the foundations being laid for further work..... but Legos are super important too so don't worry if thats what you thought of first. There are lots of building blocks that are foundational to the work of a Child Life Specialist; developmental theory, play, and hospital knowledge are just a few. But, there are also building blocks to professionalism and these require an entirely different type of acumen. One must have professional boundaries, display ethical conduct, understand how to use available resources, and a myriad of many other things that go into being a professional in any field. One of the greatest building blocks of professionalism, in my opinion, is networking.
This is a topic that is highly apt considering that the ACLP National Conference is one month away. It is the annual gathering of Child Life Specialists from across the country and even across the globe, talk about the potential for great networking. When I was a student though.... attending something like national conference was not in the cards for me, also not something my student wallet could afford. Know what is really great about the field of child life though? You can network in SO many other ways besides the national conference, below are some that I utilized while I was first starting out.
1.) Local conferences: If you are dead set on going to a conference but can't afford the travel and hotel cost that comes with attending the national one, GO LOCAL! Not only are there child life groups all across the country, but most of them are really affordable. On the plus side, you can network with people you have a greater chance with actually working with. To see the list of regional child life groups in your area please click here.
2.) Get involved: Your network doesn't have to specifically be in child life, so don't pinhole yourself. I went a little crazy with volunteering while in school, but the connections I made have helped me ten-fold now that I have launched my professional career. Ronald McDonald House Charities, local hospice groups, grief camps, Make-A-Wish or other wish granting organizations, hospital volunteerism (even in a non-pediatrics setting), school programing, centers for those with special needs.... the possibilities are endless.
3.) Social media: It sounds super cliche to say it, but your online presence today really does make an impact networking wise. Your vibe literally does attract you tribe, as the saying goes. Have you ever just typed in 'childlife' into your insta search bar? TONS of posts and people come up. It's really fun to find a couple of people or blogs you jive with and follow them. It's a great way to learn and share information while at the same time networking with those you would never otherwise meet.
Don't pigeonhole yourself into some small corner of the child life universe. By working together we build a better community that can influence the way children and their families are supported, teamwork really does make the dream work.
-K
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