I have never been great at conferences. People don’t believe me but I am painfully shy and far too worried about what people think of me. This can be a pain it conferences. In ‘An introvert’s guide to conferencing for nerds – top 10 tips’ I shared my insights into how those of us who tend towards the introverted, geeky and/or nerdy persona can get the most out of conference situations. Conferences represent an opportunity to make an impression. As such, they form an important part of your career development if you are a STEM professional (or an aspiring one), irrespective of whether you work in academia, government or industry.
I always say “do as I say and not as I do,” so despite my best advice I still often hide in darkened lecture theatres, 'learning' rather than mingling, while I wait nervously to give my presentation. If you followed my advice you will have applied a new verve to your conference attendance. No longer are you seen cowering in the corner, plate in hand, hoping that someone will come and speak to you. Using the techniques described you should be making the most of these unmissable opportunities to extend your network, progress your career and learn what’s new in your industry. I’m not suggesting that you will yet have overcome your shyness or introversion, rather I expect that you have managed to navigate around the debilitation, making the whole exercise less stressful.
If you, like me, still find it difficult to overcome your inhibitions then you may be delighted to hear about the findings from some recent research that concluded that ‘serendipitously’ seeing a talk at a conference impacts on later citations. Effectively the research shows that talks that conference attendees could see in person are more likely to be cited than talks they most likely missed [1]. The study was posted on the arXiv preprint server on 5 May. It has not yet been peer reviewed. The researchers have held an interest in where scientists get their ideas. Obviously, this is almost impossible to measure but the introduction of mapping tools to plan your conference have introduced a new angle to getting feedback on almost every aspect of a conference.
Armed with this new information you will now (hopefully) approach every conference as an occasion to apply your awesome planning skills run like a military operation, announcing your attendance and networking before the event, allowing you to line up people to meet and talk with. By now you will have developed, rehearsed and polished (through real life testing) your opening script. You will have mastered the easy-win behaviours:
- Sit near the front, listen carefully to presentations, take notes and ask questions at the end. Remembering to clearly state your name and place of work when you do so.
- Attend at least one session you wouldn’t normally. Ask the person next to you whether they can explain a point, explaining that the focus of the presentation isn’t your area of expertise.
- Arrive early to take advantage of any pre-meeting hospitality, become comfortable with the environment and plan your use of the space.
- Submit an abstract of your work for presentation as a poster or talk. Investigate the potential for encore submissions If you have nothing new to present.
- Return to previous meetings where you feel more ‘at ease’ and are less likely to look uncomfortable or unapproachable.
So how do we now transition to conference superhero? Here are three tips:
Attend the networking reception: However well you master the basics, we all struggle with where to start a conversation. Best therefore to attend the event intended to foster interactions, where attendees are expecting to speak to new people (as well as old friends). Sometimes these occur before a presentation or session and sometimes after. People may even approach you - amazing. Use the opening lines suggested previously. Things get a lot easier once you break the ice, and you’ll be surprised how much less intimidating every one seems.
Post on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Linked in, Instagram – whatever your tipple. Not only does posting on social media help those friends and colleagues who follow you to gain insights from the conference, it also gives you a chance to build connections. Posting, liking and sharing, particularly if there are established event hashtags, is a great way to network. Often you get access to people you might not meet – posters may themselves be socially awkward (something I think we can assume if they are glued to their smartphones).
Pod crash: People at conferences tend to gravitate into pods, groups of three to five people. The thought of breaking into them can be intimidating. It is tempting to hover at the edges hoping to be invited into the group. The longer you hover the more intimidating entry and acceptance becomes. Instead, spot a gap in the group, build up momentum and step in. These four words are your passport, ‘Room for a small one?’ I give you permission to ask me for a refund if this doesn’t get you welcomed in.
As a conference superhero you don’t need to be told to have your name badge facing in the correct direction and business cards at the ready, clearly announcing your name and company when shaking hands with your new friends (looking them in the eye when doing so). But you might need to be reminded to smile at everyone you meet (practice now) and show a genuine interest in others, listening carefully to what they have to say. Don’t forget to follow-up with everyone when you get home, thanking them for their useful insights and warm reception. It is a small world and they may be at the next conference you attend.
So, tomorrow I fly out to Berlin for the 2023 EUFEMED conference. I have yet to decide on which conference persona I am going to be (see Linked in post Ghost, Zombie, Vampire or Werewolf). However, as the outgoing President, I doubt I will be allowed to hide in the corner.
Shhh! I'm learning.
References
- Teplitskiy, M., Park, S., Thompson, N. & Karger, D. Preprint at https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.01175 (2023)
