Attending a conference can contribute significantly to an engineer’s career. I have previously worked at companies that were unwilling to invest funds to allow younger engineers like me to attend conferences. Two years ago, I got serious about working on myself professionally. The first phase of this effort involved reading books and listening to podcasts that gave me some tools to sharpen my “soft skills.” It quickly became obvious that expanding my professional network was going to be a crucial part of my growth. Although there are many ways to network, it became clear that attending a conference would be a great way to expand my technical knowledge and network at the same time. So I took a big step. I paid for a conference myself. It was expensive ($700), but I realized that it was my responsibility (not my boss’s) to seek out opportunities to grow. I was investing in myself, which takes money. Because I paid so much for the conference, I did something that I had never done before – I trained for it. I read books and developed a strategy to rock it at the conference. In the following blog post, I will discuss what I have learned from training for and attending a conference.
1. Set a goal for the conference
Setting a goal for the conference will ensure that you use your time wisely. Your goal may be to meet three (3) new people or ask at least one (1) question during a presentation/talk. When you are working towards a particular goal, it is easier to structure your preparation to ensure that you will accomplish what you want during the conference.
2. Prioritize networking over technical presentations
During a conference, networking is more important than the technical presentations. This is especially true if recordings of the presentations are going to be available after the conference. I am not suggesting that you should completely ignore/abandon the technical presentations. However, I am suggesting that it is more important to make sure you are meeting other people in your field because these opportunities are not available all the time. You can
3. Work on your elevator pitch
Before the conference, develop a brief “elevator pitch” to introduce yourself to others during the conference. Your elevator pitch should sound less formal than an answer to an interview question. This elevator pitch should include a general statement about your expertise, your employer, and a brief overview of what projects you are working on at the moment.
4. Understand business card etiquette
Believe it or not, etiquette is associated with giving and receiving business cards. When handing your business card to somebody, make sure you are facing the person receiving the card. When receiving the business card, take a moment to look over the card and then thank the person who gave it to you. Do not write on the card unless the person giving you the card directs you to do so (at least not in front of them). It is also important to resist the urge to bend or play with the card. This comes across as disrespectful, especially if somebody has taken them to print their business cards on high-quality paper.
5. Do your homework before the conference
Before the conference, take a few minutes to plan out what events and presentations you would like to attend. You can always change your mind, but coming into the conference with a plan will help you feel more at ease, confident, and less frazzled.
6. Follow-up is key
What you do after a conference might matter more than what you do during the conference itself. After all, one could argue that networking at a conference means almost nothing if you do not make the effort to nurture those relationships. At a minimum, I recommend connecting with the people you met on LinkedIn. Make sure you remind the person where you met and the nature of your conversation (notes make this exercise a lot easier). Connecting with people on LinkedIn will help you remember who you met and help other people remember you. If you go to the same conference each year, it can be useful to go back to your LinkedIn messages to remind yourself who you met the previous year.
7. Don’t retreat to your room too early
Conferences can be exhausting, especially if you are not accustomed to talking with people all day long. This is especially true for people who tend to be more introverted. However, I would urge you to avoid the temptation to retreat to your room right after dinner. You will get more out of the conference if you maximize the networking opportunities available. After all, you never know who you will meet. You could meet someone who becomes a lifelong friend or will eventually present you with an opportunity to level up in your career. While I would not recommend putting that much pressure on a particular situation, those who continuously “put themselves out there” seem to be the ones who meet people who enrich some aspect of their lives.
8. Put away the phone
If possible, I recommend leaving your cell phone in your room or safely tucked away in your car during the conference. This will allow you to fully engage in the conference subject matter and help you avoid the temptation to use the cell phone as a distraction when you are uncomfortable. It is very easy to get sucked into the cell phone vortex even if your intention is only to quickly check an email. Studies have shown that even the presence of a cell phone negatively impacts our cognitive abilities and mental performance. Speakers may also be offended if you are using a cell phone during their presentation. If your family or work situation requires that you have access to a cell phone throughout the day, try to make a plan of when you will check your cell phone – maybe during lunch and breaks.
9. Prioritize sleep before the conference
If your goal is to be fully present during a conference, there is a strong chance you will have a lot on your plate leading up to the conference. It may be tempting to “burn the midnight oil” by completing tasks before the conference. I strongly urge you to prioritize sleep in the week leading up to the conference. There are a couple of reasons for this recommendation. The first one is that you will likely be around many people during the event, and sleep will ensure your immune system is as strong as possible to avoid getting sick. The second reason is that you may find sleeping difficult during the conference. Many people find it difficult to sleep well in a new environment such as a hotel and you may find it difficult to sleep as you process the information you are learning and the social interactions of the day. If you go into the conference well-rested, the fatigue from not sleeping well will not hit you as hard as it would otherwise. In the same vein, it is important to eat well during the conference. If at all possible, prioritize meal options that will give you energy and lift you rather than grabbing junky food.
10. Get into the conference mindset
Before the conference, take some time to get into the conference mindset. In the same way, athletes must mentally prepare before a competition, it is important to prepare your mind for a conference. This is especially true if you are attending a conference for multiple days. Many engineers are accustomed to working independently much of the time. It can be exhausting or even jarring to suddenly find yourself in a situation where you talk to people all day long. Getting into the conference mindset will help you prepare for this kind of situation.
Visualization is a technique that works well for me. Visualizing yourself successfully meeting new people, developing professional relationships, and building your network. This will help you immerse yourself in the experience. When I ran high school cross country, my coach would have each of us write out a race plan a couple of days before a race. This was a visualization exercise. We were to imagine how we would feel at key points throughout the race and how we would approach the inevitable physical discomfort associated. This helped me because I was not afraid of fatigue and discomfort during the race. I had planned for it and was ready to face it in full force. In the same way, visualizing yourself successfully navigating situations out of your comfort zone (like networking) will help you get the most out of the experience.
Preparation also helps you get into the conference mindset. Being prepared and knowing what you want to accomplish during the conference, who you want to meet, and what you are going to say alleviates some of the pressure of constantly trying to figure out what you are going to say during the conference.