Networking at conferences

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey OP - what about reaching out to the conference organizers and seeing if they need volunteers? For instance, maybe you could help man a check-in/registration table or set up/break down booths? They may be delighted to swap some help for a conference badge. Also - many conferences have government rates that are much lower than the advertised price. Good luck!

That is a REALLY good idea - and that way you won't feel purposeless, too; you will have a role, you will have a reason to talk to people. You can see how you feel about conferences!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The reason networking is useful is that it solves information problems. Someone is looking for someone with your skills and experiences and they think of you. But someone still has to be looking for your skills and experiences, and also, this is a long term project where you nurture relationships over time.

I don't think you should pay out for a conference without a more developed understanding of why this might help you.

I do my job well and am personable, I always jump to help people and love what I do. But I don’t have the aptitude for glad handing and as a working parent running around burying any relationships have suffered. So I am looking for ways to network now and people often recommend work gathering, which seem to all cost a lot of money.

I’m a lab scientist, and my work is more monitoring and testing than research hence why papers are not in my wheelhouse.

You are getting generic advice. No one can tell you what specific things to do for networking are going to be useful to you with your specific skills and field. Replace "networking" in your head with "finding people I can provide value to in contexts where we have a way to meet".

I have no idea where to meet people, like I could get a job at pharma, do i hang at coffee shops near Pfizer? I’m not in a customer or vendor facing role, as an IC I enjoyed excelling at my niche but not must scramble to “sell myself” - im a scientist not a marketer

There are plenty of personable scientists in the world who don't have social anxiety. I really think this is what is actually happening.

I am not anxious about meeting people. I just don’t know how to set up the meet-cute. A conference is a natural setting, or an industry meeting, but those all cost money (even industry meeting is hundreds in dues and some cash for attending). I just wanted to know if everyone is forking over this cash when Jon searching, since money is tight.

I really don’t believe people are accounting strangers in a coffee shop because they have a badge from a conference that you wish you could attend but can’t afford.

My ultimate problem was I optimized for my work to be a niche IC because I was a working parent with big work demands and a spouse whose job is very demanding. I just don’t interact with many people other than my office and no one leaves except to retire. So now I’m scrambling to find a venue where I can network, and coming up short on options that don’t blow our budget.

I wil circle back around to the paper and hope I get it out there before I’m laid off.

Project 2025 isn't taking effect on Monday. Also it's not a set of things that are definitely happening - it's a set of suggestions. It's not so easy to just go and dismantle an agency. You might turn out to be just fine. Hopefully!

[Anonymous]

Even if you don't lose your job soon, it is a good idea to at all times be employable. I think it's easy as a fed to feel like you have job security, but a) that's not perfect, and b) there are reasons why you might want to leave. It's worth it to put the time in as far as skill building and networking so that you're not scrambling next time.