Lead with Intention: Networking, Wellness, and the Case for Self-Advocacy

Embracing topics such as networking, mental wellness, and self-advocacy are pivotal to setting yourself up for success as a student. While these topics can be scary, there are many resources out there to help you address any concerns you may have. And hopefully, the following tips will help you feel more confident in your own networking, mental wellness, and self-advocacy skills.

Networking

Let’s start with something light hearted, “tips for networking socially and professionally”. I completely understand that everyone is not a social butterfly, so in a small field like audiology, how are you expected to network if you’re not an extrovert? Even if you are an extrovert, where do you even start? Here are some things I recommend that help me network with others!

LinkedIn is a great place to start. From future employers, to potential collaborators and influential mentors, LinkedIn can help you connect with other audiologists and audiology students as well as keeping up with advancements in our profession. In the event that someone doesn’t have a LinkedIn profile, email can be a great way to connect with others. If you need help figuring out where to begin, below is an email template to get you started.

“Good afternoon! My name is___ and I’m an audiology student at ___. I’m really interested in your work and would love to ask you more questions about it. Do you have time to email or set up a zoom call to chat? Thanks for your time.”

Most audiologists and researchers are excited to talk about their work or connect with students. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and reach out. However, if cold emailing isn’t your thing, attending local and national conferences can be a great opportunity for networking. Using that same line at conferences can help you have conversations with the superheroes and inspiring figures in our profession. I also recommend reaching out to your academic circle. Whether a faculty member at your university or another student in your cohort, there’s a really good chance someone might know the person you want to talk to and can set up an introduction for you.

Mental Wellness

Even though everyone’s struggles with mental wellness are unique, I want to share a few things that have helped me thus far in grad school. I highly recommend finding hobbies outside of audiology. As much as we work so tirelessly to establish ourselves and our careers in this profession, having an outlet that helps pick us up when we’ve had a hard clinic day or just helps us create an identity outside of “audiology student” really does help balance your mentality throughout the school year.

Next is finding your group! Even though the profession is small, having or establishing your own personal network will help you excel. Think of this group as your dream team. Ideally it should consist of people in all walks of their career: mentors, students, friends and other new professionals. This is a group you can call on for clinic advice or life advice. (Extra points if you have professionals in other fields to help guide you as well.)

Lastly, knowing where to go for help before there is a problem. This could be communicating with your peers or professors or even making an appointment at your university’s counseling center. Being proactive and having a plan will avoid extra stress down the line if something were to come up.

If you find that my tips don’t resonate with you, don’t give up! Check out what other people have written about mental wellness and additional resources on the national SAA website under the Professional Mindfulness header.

Self-Advocacy

Finding your voice at this point in your life can be difficult. We’re taught to use our “clinic voice”, but rarely taught how to professionally address inappropriate comments made by patients during an appointment, deliver hard news to a patient with empathy, or communicate how you best receive feedback from a supervisor. Although each of these situations provoke strong emotions and can be difficult to navigate, at its root it is a conversation between you and another person. The most important thing I recommend is regulating and controlling your emotions. It’s really easy to allow unfiltered reactions when your judgement is clouded by emotion. Learning how to pause, collect your thoughts, and respond instead of immediately reacting helps us stay active and engaged in the conversation.

To start to develop these skills, try practicing! Whether with a stranger, or entrusted colleague, figure out how you would respond when prompted with difficult topics. Being proactive about your response allows you to feel more familiar when you’re in those situations. Don’t overthink it and ask for clarification. Sometimes things aren’t always received as they were intended to be delivered. You can learn a lot from just asking “what did you mean by that?” or “I might be misunderstanding, could you elaborate?”

I wouldn’t be able to give any of this advice without the mentors I’ve had throughout my life. As always, if there is an audiology resource related to any of these topics that you believe would be helpful for you and other students, please let me know by sending me an email.

Hector Sanchez
2025-2026 National SAA President