10 Tips for Networking at Conferences

Jason Eiseman has compiled a great list of tips for networking at conferences. Although his list specifically mentions the CALI and AALL conferences, his suggestions certainly apply much more broadly. Here’s the basic list – see Jason’s full post for annotations.

1. Be yourself 2. You have something very important to say 3. Have an elevator pitch 4. You are not a “dream maker.” 5. You’re probably not that funny 6. Don’t pretend you remember me 7. Don’t be offended but I may walk away from you 8. Don’t do me any favors 9. You don’t have to exchange business cards with everyone: use social networking too 10. If you see me, say hello.

This is an awesome list – both funny and wise. I particularly like #2: “You have something very important to say.” But I think it goes well beyond conferences–it’s true of your professional life as a whole. This has been a particularly personal lesson for me. As a young person, I was extremely shy and had fairly low self esteem – the kind of student that never, ever spoke up in class because I felt that I had nothing important to offer. Fortunately, I got over it. It took some serious encouragement from a wonderful mentor who coached me through writing and eventually publishing my senior thesis. For me, it was that experience of having a published article that made me realize that I actually did have something valuable to say. I’ve written a lot since then and presented many times, but it still sometimes amazes me that people think I’ve got something worthwhile to offer. I continue to struggle with my shyness but that little voice in my head that says “yes, I do have something important to say” keeps me talking.