How to Get the Most out of a Conference
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Regardless of what your favorite model organism, pet-molecule, or area of study is, there are unspoken and universal ways to get the most out of a conference. Although I have always thought of myself as an intelligent person, it took me no less than five conferences to finally figure out a strategy or two that could help me get what I want.
Here are a few ways I am now using to get the most out of each and every conference:
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1. Identify your goals
It seems like a rather simple concept to just identify your goals and the rest will follow. Somehow, most people don’t really bother with this simple step, maybe because they feel their goals are already implied. For example, isn’t it every graduate student’s goal to learn what is being researched in their field and identify possible post doc supervisors? These are pretty vague goals. You need something more measurable and more concrete to really be, and feel, productive at your next conference. First identify your main goal. If you are trying to finish a degree within a year, learning about new research tangents is not as useful as getting more insight into possible careers or career strategies. You may want to talk to others in your field, but perhaps you really want to brush shoulders with journal editors to get a few publishing tips or to figure out if an editorial job is something you would be interested in after you graduate.
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2. Talk to people and follow up
Try to identify people who could become mentors to you. Talk to PIs, post docs, and senior PhD students. If you exchange business cards, follow up with them and see if any would be open to having coffee or dinner with you. People tend to like talking about themselves, so showing an interest in their work and career path is always a great strategy.
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3. Don’t be shy
Although this might look like it fits into the previous point, it deserves its own mention. Don’t just assume an idea you have is silly, or someone wouldn’t be able to help you along with it. Anyone who has a few more years of experience than you do generally also knows a few more other people. At my last conference I blurted out a ‘crazy thought’ to fill time while I was thinking about what else to ask my new connection. Turns out my connection didn’t think my thought was crazy, and was able to connect me to one of her friends who had followed that exact same career path I was considering. Had I not blurted out what previously was a vague idea, I never would have met a key person who was in a unique position to give me advice, right there at the same conference. Go figure! To some saying whatever is on their mind might be easier than for others. To illustrate how unusual it is for me to speak up about vague plans stems from a cultural nuance in my upbringing. In my culture, telling others what you might want to do before it materializes brings bad luck. I found out that when it comes to career advancement, spilling the beans can be a very productive and ‘lucky’ thing to do.
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4. Never underestimate the power of a connection
In my most recent efforts to network, I booked almost overlapping meetings and I decided to cancel one of them. I thought the person wouldn’t really be that useful, and I gambled on the second person I had made an appointment with being far better to meet. My first connection insisted on finding a time that would work for both of us, and it turned out he too had another commitment shortly after the time we agreed to meet, so our meeting would be moved up a little bit and kept short. Because I didn’t want to be rude and burn a bridge, I agreed to meet at a slightly revised time. To make a long story short, this connection proved to be incredibly valuable. He also introduced me to another key person who might in the future be in a position to offer me a job. Had he not insisted on meeting with me, I would have passed up this opportunity just so my schedule would be slightly less hectic. It’s shameful and I am not proud of this. What saved me from eventually missing out was simply being honest about having another commitment. Instead of saying I didn’t have time, I said I appreciated him taking the time to meet with me and I wouldn’t want to cut it short, this led to the offer of meeting slightly earlier and having a short but very productive meeting nonetheless.
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My key take-to-a-conference strategies are:
- Know what you want. If hearing about someone’s obscure pet-molecule will not immediately benefit you, perhaps choose to go to that career talk scheduled in the same timeslot instead,
- Talk to people, and then invite them to talk some more so you can stay in touch and expand your network.
- Don’t be shy about what you are thinking of doing, your thoughts may not be as crazy as you think they are.
- Never cancel, or say no to, meeting with someone. You never know who that person can introduce you to, or what insights they might have!
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And…. If you have the time… get out and have some fun too!
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Christine is a PhD student at the University of Toronto. She studies drug-induced behavior, development of social behavior and neurochemistry. When she isn’t with her fish, she enjoys running, art, travel, and often finds herself behind her computer writing (sometimes, about zebrafish).
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Related articles you may find helpful:
How to Craft an Elevator Pitch
Having a Business Card Doesn’t Make You a Douchebag
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