3 Habits of Highly Effective Conference Attendees

3 Habits of Highly Effective Conference Attendees Share Share via TwitterShare via FacebookShare via Google PlusShare via LinkedInShare via E-mail Networking is an important part of your job search preparation, whether you are staying in academia or transitioning to industry, and conferences are a good way to add contacts to your personal network Attending an academic conference can be intimidating, but these tips will help you get the most out of your meeting.Carry geschftsleben cards.Include your institutions logo, department and status, and your name and contact information. Business cards give new contacts an easy way to remember and get in touch with you after the meeting. You can order business cards online from specialized printers, or buy kits at any office store to DIY, but either way a neat, simple business card is inexpensive and a great investment.Plan your meeting.Who do you want an opportunity to meet? What paper sessions or panels are most likely to give you t he opportunity to find and chat with other scholars in your subfield? Look through the meeting schedule and mark the presentations of scholars youd like to meet as well as papers or general sessions that are likely to put you in proximity to interesting and useful scholars. Make it a point to strike up conversations with these people as time and politeness allow. (If you cant think of anything else to say, How is your meeting going? is the Old Faithful of conversation openers)Increase your participation over time.If you attended the meeting last year, submit a paper this year. Propose a panel. Join a caucus or committee. Attend business meetings when they are open to general membership. Increasing your participation yields more lines on your CV as well as the opportunity to meet more people in your discipline.Happyconferencing, CUCategoriesGraduate StudentsTagsCareers in Academia