How To Network? And Get The One Connection That Matters?

I was attending a conference recently and thought to myself: “This is just an air-conditioned marketplace. Why am I even attending this? “

Till I joined my post-graduation, I didn’t know what a medical conference was. The initial conference was fun and happy tripping, which repeated every year, and it soon turned into repetitive speakers and sessions which never translated into a useful skill in career or life. I get to meet the same people over and over again, and some faculty members were so senior to me that it would take me at least 10 years of courage to approach them.

Why do some people go to conferences?

1. Food & alcohol (Someone renamed alcohol as fellowship)

2. Get-together with a gala dinner and dance

3. Travel and tourism

4. “My Professor made me”

5. Learning

6. Certificate collection (Pokémon cards)

Network is rare.

If you follow this strategy, it is going to take you at least 10 years to get something useful out of a scientific session. Consider the money, time and effort you are investing in a conference, especially if you are attending out of state. Investments include travel, accommodation, food, leaves & energy. Depending on where the conference is, it can easily go up to tens of thousands. Not to mention if it is international. If you are investing so much, then why are you only planning to come back with just a certificate.

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Once you have the list of whom to meet, then you have to prepare your entry intro.

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Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for?

For me, it would be something like

Hi, I am Dr Arun V J, a Transfusion Medicine specialist from South India. I work at the intersection of Transfusion, medicine, technology and process optimisation. I was hoping we could discuss collaboration on a project for equitable access to plasma medicines in Low-middle income countries.

When attending a session, ask questions, start conversations, be visible and be present.

If you have a poster or an oral presentation, then it is a jackpot.

Be a storyteller. Sure, your slides have data and information. But the same can be obtained on Google.

They should remember the person who did the research. Be a brave storyteller.

Before meeting a mentor or a senior, do your homework and be genuine.

Follow up within 48 hours.

Meeting just the right person can change the trajectory of your life. Fortune and luck favors those who are prepared. Rather than blindly following the crowd and attending the conference, follow this plan and be the one who stands out.

Don’t forget to take a small notepad with you to note any important points, ideas or speakers so that you can follow up after you return from the conference.

How was your conference experience? Share your tips and experience; I read every reply.

Share this within your colleagues’ groups; let them make the best out of it.

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