Nutrition Panel: Tips on Succeeding to become a Registered Dietitian

I would like to thank the Food and Nutrition (FAN Club)  (especially the president and vice president) for organizing the Nutrition Panel that I was fortunate to attend Thursday night. I really enjoyed all of the Registered Dietitians had to say.

Most of these health care professionals talked about what skills we would need in order to succeed in this career. Here are a few things they said.

1. Be punctual (they joked around about this a lot). Being punctual shows that you are serious about your job. This topic started because the first speaker said that she learned that punctuality was and is important (she learned the hard way!) 
2. Be open-minded. You're going to come across many types of people. Be open-minded to what they have to say. 
3. Learn a second or third language. It really helps with communication with your patients and with others. 
4. Get experience. Experience is key in dietetics. Volunteer, do internships, take jobs that don't necessarily sound good but are still in the field of nutrition and food. Having the experience makes you grow as a person and gives your more knowledge and experience. That is one of things they look for in dietetic interns as well as jobs! 
5. Be non-judgmental. This is very important, especially if you want to establish a stable relationship with your patient. They don't want to be judged. They want to be helped. 
6.  Learn how to use technology well. The use of technology is important. One example is learning how to use Powerpoint. It can help with giving professional presentations! 
7. Be flexible. You never know what may come up during while you are working. There may be an unexpected emergency. 
8. Have a desire for knowledge. Dietetics is a new and growing field. Information is always changing due to new information and research. 

Do you guys have any more tips you want to add (it can be about succeeding in any career besides this)? 

Do you find panels/talks helpful and informative?