Show Notes
Last time we started a conversation about networking, including what the benefits are and some specific strategies. Today’s episode is about a specific networking case in the context of professional conferences.
As engineers we often have opportunities to attend conferences or similar events. Professional society conferences are a common example. Other similar events might be technical summits, interest group meet-ups, or expositions and shows.
I’m referring to any conference-type gathering with large groups of people, including people outside of where you work.
The timing of this episode is good because WE21 The World’s Largest Conference for Women in Engineering and Technology is coming up in October in Indianapolis. This annual conference is hosted by the Society of Women Engineers. And it’s a great networking opportunity for you.
It’s also great for learning and leadership opportunities. I’ll be presenting a session at the WE21 conference, and I’ll tell you more about that in an upcoming episode of Her Engineering Career Podcast.
No matter what the topic or objective is, conferences offer the benefit of interacting with others in the same or similar field as you. These interactions provide tremendous advantages beyond just the technical learning.
Once I learned how to network at conferences, they helped me make some of the most important connections in my career. They exposed me to new thinking, introduced me to what others were doing, and taught me who’s who in the field.
Networking at conferences enabled me to:
- meet experts from across the globe,
- discuss common issues and share ideas,
- discover new research or new technology applications,
- find collaborators, and
- meet others who shared my interests.
Face-to-face encounters and real-time discussions at these events enhance your learning and propel your career forward, so you’ll want to take advantage of these networking opportunities whenever you can.
Remember, every new connection you add to your network has the potential to help you in the future. (We talked about that in Episode 12.)
At first, going to conferences is daunting. Large conferences have so much going on – usually with overlapping agendas – that it’s hard to know where to start and how to navigate.
But once you learn a good networking approach, conferences become a useful tool for your engineering career. And you’ll look forward to attending them.
Here is a 7-step guide to help you create an effective approach to networking at a conference. It’s a general strategy that you can tailor for yourself. After a while you’ll develop your own networking approach to get the most out of each conference.
A Woman Engineer’s Guide for Networking a Conference
- Plan ahead. Set a few goals for the event that specify what you want to get out of it. Think about how the conference sessions, attendees, presenters, and activities are going to help you in your current job and in your career.
Planning ahead will allow you to make the most of your time at the conference. If you just show up, you’ll likely be overwhelmed and not make as many relevant connections.
- Make a list of the people you want to see and why. For example, you may want to make connections to people in your area of specialty, to people in certain positions or jobs, to potential collaborators, to people you admire, or to people you want to make aware of your work.
- Scope out the agenda, determine which sessions resonate most with you and target some with good networking potential. Select those session presenters that you would especially like to meet and plan to introduce yourself after their presentations.
If you are unfamiliar with the community, this is a great way to begin working your way in. It’s also a great way to practice introducing yourself and connecting one-on-one.
- Prioritize your list of people and your targeted sessions. Allocate your time to meet people and attend sessions accordingly. This way you’ll be sure to connect with at least one or two people you most want to meet.
[Up to this point all of these steps are prep work to do before the conference even starts.]
- Once you are at the conference, carry out your plan by attending the sessions on your list and honing your networking skills in the process.
Here’s what I mean by honing your networking skills:
Practice approaching people, looking them in the eye, introducing yourself, listening, and finding common ground. Share your contact information, schedule a follow-up… and say thank you.
- Toward the end of the conference, assess how you did against your goals. Compile your action items in response to all your networking encounters. Consider how you will improve your networking approach at future events.
- After the conference, follow up on your action items. Maybe you owe people information or you’re following up on an idea or planning to meet up again.
This is an obvious step, but it often gets overlooked as you transition back to the office. Make sure you add these actions to your to-do list and prioritize them appropriately.
I think you’ll find this strategy to be very effective. It’s the difference between just attending to observe and participating to maximize connection and impact. This is how you’ll get a significant career return on your investment of time, registration fees and travel cost.
If you want more help with any of these steps – like, how to initiate a connection, how to maintain professional relationships, or ways to follow up after a conference – we can easily cover such a topic in a strategy session. Learn more about that here.
Bonus! More Conference Networking Tips
- If you’re new at attending conferences and the whole thing seems overwhelming, simplify your plan. Take small steps toward expanding your network, and celebrate small wins. You’ll be able to do a little more each time.
- If you’re more experienced at attending conferences, use the guide to focus in on people in your area of expertise and impact. Become more involved in conference events to increase your exposure and have more influence in your technical community.
- If you’re an introvert, you may be tempted to avoid all the social activities at the conference. This would be a mistake.
Skipping these events denies you the opportunity to strengthen your network by becoming more integrated with the community and getting to know people on a more casual level.
Instead, plan to attend at least one social event, and set a goal to meet two or three new people.
- If you’re a woman attending an engineering conference, you may be one of only a few. Be confident and professional in your networking practice. Consider seeking out other women to include in your network so that you can support and encourage each other.
Recap: Today’s episode is focused on a special networking case, that is, how to network at conferences. First we discussed the ways that networking at conferences can benefit your engineering career.
Then I presented a 7-step guide that walks you through how to set up your own conference networking approach. Finally we closed with a few bonus tips to assist you further in your networking journey.
Next time on Her Engineering Career Podcast, I’ll provide some tips and tricks for mastering meetings. Join in next time for Episode 14.