Build Your Network through Conferences and Professional Organizations

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SIRE: WELCOME BACK TO GRAD PREP TALK. A PODCAST BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. THIS PODCAST IS WHERE WE DETAILED STUDENT AND EXPERT STRATEGIES FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL PREPARATION. MY NAME IS Sire Kassama AND I’M A GRADUATE SCHOOL PREPARATION PEER ADVISOR FOR THE ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT PROGRAMS OR AAP AND THIS EPISODE WE ARE TALKING TO Stephanie Castelin ABOUT THE ART OF ATTENDING CONFERENCES.

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SIRE: CONFERENCES ARE A WELLSPRING OF OPPORTUNITIES TO NETWORK, FIND INTERNSHIPS AND OFTEN TO PRESENT RESEARCH PROJECTS. CONFERENCES CAN RANGE FROM A ONE-DAY POSTER PRESENTATION WITH VARIOUS SPEAKERS UP TO FIVE DAYS OR MORE, INCLUDING WORKSHOPS, LUNCHES, AND INTERACTIVE SEMINARS. IN EITHER CASE, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT TO BRING, WHAT SEMINARS TO PRIORITIZE, AND EVEN WHEN I HAVE DOWNTIME. THE PROCESS TO PREPARE FOR CONFERENCES ISN’T AS HARD AS IT SEEMS. IT OFTEN REQUIRES SIMPLY PLANNING YOUR SCHEDULE AND PRIORITIZING A FEW SEMINARS TO FEEL READY TO JUMP RIGHT IN TO THE CHALLENGE OF NETWORKING AND THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CONFERENCE. STUDENTS CAN EASILY GET BOGGED DOWN BY THE POSSIBILITIES. LISTEN TO STEPHANIE, A JUNIOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR WHO EXPERIENCED HER FIRST CONFERENCE NOT LONG AGO AND LEARNED TO DIVE IN TO THE MANY INTRICACIES OF THE ART OF ATTENDING CONFERENCES.

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SIRE: HI, I’M HERE TODAY WITH Stephanie Castelin AND MY NAME IS Sire Kassama. TODAY WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE ART OF ATTENDING CONFERENCES AND THIS IS A REALLY FUN TOPIC AND SOMETHING CLOSE TO MY HEART. I HAVE BEEN TO MANY CONFERENCES BUT THE EXPERTISE OF STEPHANIE I FEEL WILL BE A MUCH MORE ENGAGING CONVERSATION. AND Stephanie WELCOME, WELCOME.

STEPHANIE: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME

SIRE: SO, YOU MIND TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? 

STEPHANIE: YEAH, SURE. SO I MY NAME IS Stephanie Castelin AND I’M A SENIOR AT UCF AND I’M MAJORING IN PSYCHOLOGY. SO JUST A FEW OF MY INVOLVEMENTS. UM, I’M IN THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM AN IN THAT PROGRAM IS WHERE I’VE GOTTEN REALLY INVOLVED IN RESEARCH. I MEAN TWO RESEARCH PROJECTS. ONE, I WORK IN THE NEUROLINGUISTICS LAB WHERE WE INVESTIGATE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MONOLINGUALS AND BILINGUALS. AND THEN I’M ALSO IN THE HONORS IN THE MAJOR PROGRAM WHERE I’M DOING MY THESIS ON THE STRONG BLACK WOMAN SCHEMAS EFFECT ON MENTAL HEALTH.

SIRE: HOW COOL! SOUNDS VERY FANCY. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THAT WORK?

STEPHANIE: I’VE BEEN IN THE NEUROLINGUISTICS LAB FOR OVER 2 YEARS. I’M ACTUALLY A CO-LEAD ON THAT PROJECT NOW AND WITH MY THESIS I STARTED THAT LAST FALL AND I’LL BE DEFENDING IN ABOUT A WEEK.

SIRE: CONGRATS, CONGRATS. THAT IS A BIG DEAL. THAT’S WAS REALLY BIG! SO WHAT CAN YOU WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES WHEN ATTENDING CONFERENCES? HOW MANY CONFERENCES HAVE YOU ATTENDED? WHAT’S THAT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?

STEPHANIE: YEAH! SO I ATTENDED MY FIRST CONFERENCE. THE FLORIDA UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE AKA FURC LAST YEAR WITH THE PSY CHI BECAUSE I WAS AN OFFICER IN PSY CHI LAST YEAR AND BASICALLY THE CLUB ORGANIZED THIS OPPORTUNITY THROUGH SGA. FOR US IT’S IN THE CONFERENCE FOR FREE AND I WASN’T PRESENTING, BUT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD WAY FOR ME TO GET TO LEARN LIKE WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO THE CONFERENCE AND SEE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESEARCH THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ME SINCE IT WAS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE. AFTER THAT THIS YEAR I’VE BEEN ATTENDING MORE CONFERENCES.SO I ATTENDED THE DIVERSIFYING CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY NETWORKING OF IT AND JANUARY AND THERE I WAS ABLE TO KIND OF NETWORK WITH PROFESSORS ‘CAUSE IT WAS REALLY JUST CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS THAT WERE THERE AND KIND OF SHARE MY RESEARCH AND REALLY GET A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH, YOU KNOW, MEETING PROFESSORS AND NETWORKING. AND YEAH, I ACTUALLY MET,THE CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR THE SCHOOL THAT I WANT TO GO TO NORTHWESTERN. SO THAT WAS PRETTY COOL BECAUSE I’M ACTUALLY GOING TO SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM THERE THIS SUMMER AND I THINK IT DEFINITELY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH ME NOT WORKING WITH HIM. SO AFTER THE DIVERSIFYING CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY EVENT IN JANUARY, I’VE ATTENDED THE FLORIDA UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE AGAIN AND THIS TIME I WAS ABLE TO PRESENT FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE, SO THAT WAS ALSO REALLY COOL. I GOT SOME GREAT FEEDBACK. THEN I ATTENED THE SPAC CONFERENCE, WHICH IS THE SOUTHEASTERN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE. SO IT’S DEFINITELY THE BIGGEST CONFERENCE THAT I ATTENDED, AND I THINK IT WAS A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE. JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE HOW CONFERENCES CAN RANGE IN TERMS OF HOW BIG OR SMALL THEY ARE THEY. THEY’RE REALLY DIFFERENT THAN I THINK. IT’S GOOD TO GET THAT EXPERIENCE.

SIRE: FURC. THE FLORIDA UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE LAST YEAR, THAT WAS THE FIRST CONFERENCE YOU ATTENDED. DID YOU KNOW WHAT TO PACK? DID YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU GOT THERE? HAD PEOPLE TOLD YOU, HEY, BRING YOUR RESUME? BRING BUSINESS CARDS. DID YOU KNOW WHAT TO WEAR EVEN?

STEPHANIE: WELL, I THINK. SO OK, SO I NEVER ATTENDED A CONFERENCE, SO I DIDN’T OFFICIALLY KNOW BY EXPERIENCE, BUT I’M IN A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS AND DIFFERENT INVOLVEMENTS THAT WERE ABLE TO GIVE ME THAT INFORMATION AND PREPARE ME FOR THOSE EXPERIENCES. SO, FOR MCNAIR, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM AT UCF IS BASICALLY A PROGRAM TO HELP UNDER-REPRESENTED AND FIRST GEN, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS GET THEIR PHD IN WHATEVER FIELD THEY WANT, SO THAT PROGRAM ALLOWED ME TO ATTEND WORKSHOPS AND TEACH ME WHAT TO WEAR AND THAT PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDED ME WITH BUSINESS CARDS AND A PADFOLIO TO CARRY TO THAT EVENT. SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY HELPFUL, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE ARE DEFINITELY A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE FREE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT UCF WHERE YOU CAN GET THAT SORT OF INFORMATION. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AKA OUR HAS A LOT OF WORKSHOPS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO PREPARING A POSTER PRESENTATION OR HOW TO DRESS AT A CONFERENCE, WHAT TO EXPECT, AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT. AS WELL AS THE CLUB THAT I WAS IN, WHICH ORGANIZED THE CONFERENCE, THEY WERE ACTUALLY THE ONES THAT SET UP A MEETING WHERE THEY HELPED TO DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION AND WE GET US PREPARED FOR THE CONFERENCE

SIRE: YES, YES. SO YOU MENTIONED SOCIAL EVENTS, NETWORKING, TALKING OF POTENTIAL GRADUATE PROGRAMS AS WELL REPRESENTED TOWARD THOSE GRADUATE PROGRAMS. ARE THOSE SOME OF YOUR MAIN PRIORITIES THAT YOU MAKE, OR IS YOUR MAIN PRIORITY GO THERE? SHOWCASE YOUR RESEARCH AND THE THINGS THAT YOU’VE DONE.  AND.

STEPHANIE: SO OK, DEFINITELY FOR ME. MY FAVORITE THING IS ACTUALLY PRESENTING MY RESEARCH JUST BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE IT’S ONE OF THE ONLY TIMES THAT I CAN REALLY GO OUT. AND, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS HOW MUCH, LIKE HOW MUCH I’VE LEARNED, REALLY, WHAT I FOUND IN MY RESEARCH AND IT ALSO GOT REALLY GREAT FEEDBACK ON THINGS THAT I SHOULD MAYBE IMPLEMENT, AND MY METHODS THAT I HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT. BUT BESIDES THAT THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF EQUALLY IMPORTANT EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN GET OUT OF CONFERENCE. SO, NETWORKING FOR EXAMPLE, AS YOU MENTIONED, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER WHEN I ATTENDED THE DIVERSIFYING CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE. I WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH THE CLINICAL DIRECTOR AT NORTHWESTERN AND I WAS ABLE TO SEND HIM AN EMAIL LETTING HIM KNOW THAT I WAS APPLYING TO SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAMS. AND, YOU KNOW, KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR MY NAME AND I ENDED UP GETTING IN SO I DON’T KNOW IF THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THAT WAS HELPFUL AS WELL AS NETWORKING WITH OTHER STUDENTS. SO IT’S A GREAT WAY TO LEARN WHAT OTHER STUDENTS ARE DOING. MAYBE GIVE YOU INSPIRATION FOR YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND CAREER PATH THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE OUT, OR MAYBE EVEN START A COLLABORATION WITH ANOTHER STUDENT. BESIDES NETWORKING, YOU CAN ALSO MEET WITH THE GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITERS THAT ARE THERE AN OFTENTIMES THEY’LL GIVE YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR SCHOOL. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COMING UP TO THEM AND FEELING LIKE YOU DON’T KNOW ENOUGH BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THEY ARE THERE TO DO THEIR TO RECRUIT YOU SO THEY REALLY DON’T MIND GIVING YOU THAT INFORMATION AND THE FACT THAT YOU’RE GOING UP TO THEM TO REQUEST THAT INFORMATION SHOWS THEM THAT YOU’RE REALLY DEDICATED TO YOUR EDUCATION AND THAT YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE. AND THAT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO SET A GOOD MARK FOR YOU WHEN YOU APPLY TO GRADUATE SCHOOL LATER ON.

SIRE: YEAH, SO SHOWING INITIATIVE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THOSE GRADUATE REPRESENTATIVES, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY WILL REMEMBER YOUR NAME AND YOU KNOW WHEN THEY SEE IT UP IN THAT STACK OF APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AND EVERYTHING ELSE IT COMES IN HANDY. DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PREPARED FOR THESE REPRESENTATIVES BEFORE MEETING THEM OR EVEN GRADUATE STUDENTS? DID YOU INTERACT WITH GRADUATE STUDENTS?

STEPHANIE: OK, SO TYPICALLY FOR RECRUITERS I ADDING THAT YOU WOULDN’T REALLY FIND ON YOUR WEBSITE, SO MAYBE IF YOU’RE GOING TO A DIFFERENT STATE YOU COULD ASK THEM THINGS LIKE WHAT IS THE CULTURE LIKE IN THAT STATE? WHAT IS THE PROGRAM? WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES DOES THE PROGRAM OFFER? AND FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS YOU CAN TYPICALLY ASK THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE. NOT PERSONAL, BUT QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES BECAUSE OF THEIR STUDENT AT THAT SCHOOL. THEIR EXPERIENCES ARE PRETTY MUCH GOING TO BE THE BEST RESOURCE THAT THAT YOU CAN GO TO AND IDENTIFYING HOW YOU’LL FEEL AT THAT SCHOOL AS WELL, SO YOU DON’T WANT TO GO TO YOU KNOW PERSONAL, BUT YOU DO WANT TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT LIKE DO THEY LIKE THE PROGRAM? WHAT ARE THEIR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE PROGRAM? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES AND A LOT OF RESOURCES TO FINANCE YOUR EDUCATION AS WELL? BECAUSE TYPICALLY YOU WON’T FIND THAT ONLINE. SO REALLY JUST THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR IN A PROGRAM. ENTAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO ASK THAT IN A WAY THAT IS RESPECTFUL AND PROFESSIONAL.

SIRE: YES, YES, I THINK THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT. KNOWING THE ETIQUETTE OF CONFERENCES LIKE NOT JUST DRESSING UP AND COMING IN WITH A POSTER, KNOWING YOUR RESEARCH, BUT KNOWING ACTUALLY HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE DID, WAS THAT SOMETHING YOU WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH EARLY ON THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS THAT YOU MENTIONED PRIOR? OR WAS IT SOMETHING THAT? WERE YOU KIND OF THROWN INTO A SITUATION AT ONE POINT AND YOU WERE UNSURE HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT?

STEPHANIE: SO I DO THINK THAT FOR MY FIRST CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE, I DIDN’T REALLY HAVE ANY PROBLEM NETWORKING, BUT WHEN I ATTENDED THE DIVERSIFYING CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE, IT WAS A LOT MORE PRESSURE BECAUSE IT WAS CLINICAL DIRECTORS AND THERE WEREN’T STUDENTS THERE, SO. THE PRESSURE WAS ON AND I REMEMBER THERE BEING ONE POINT WHERE I WAS TRYING TO NETWORK WITH ONE OF THE RECRUITERS AND I JUST WENT OUT TO THEIR TABLE AND I WAS EXPECTING THEM TO LIKE GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PROGRAM AND THEY JUST LOOKED AT ME AND I JUST LOOK AT THEM AND THEN THAT’S WHEN I REALIZED OK, HERE IS WHERE I SHOULD PUT IN MY ELEVATOR SPEECH SO THAT TOOK ME A WHILE TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT, BUT ALL-IN-ALL ENDED UP BEING OKAY. WE ENDED UP TALKING AN, YOU KNOW, I REALLY GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PROGRAM AND I DO THINK THAT THEY GOT TO KNOW ME PRETTY WELL FOR JUST BEING ON A CONFERENCE.

SIRE: YES, SO YOU MENTIONED YOUR ELEVATOR SPEED. DID YOU? DID THAT TAKE A LOT OF PRACTICE? WHAT KIND OF COMPONENTS DID YOU ADD INTO IT FOR A CONFERENCE SETTING? BECAUSE THAT’S DIFFERENT THAN. GO INTO AN INTERVIEW WHERE IT OR SOMETHING ELSE OR VISITATION PROGRAM. WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR ELEVATOR SPEECH WERE ESSENTIAL TO HAVE FOR THIS ONE CONFERENCE OR ANY CONFERENCE I SHOULD SAY?

STEPHANIE: YEAH, SO I DID MOSTLY PUT TOGETHER MY ELEVATOR SPEECH AND THESE DIFFERENT WORKSHOPS AND THINGS THAT I WENT TO ACTUALLY DURING THE DIVERSIFYING. CONFERENCE THEY ACTUALLY HAD A PORTION WHERE THEY HELPED US WITH OUR ELEVATOR SPEECHES AND THEY HELPED US. YOU KNOW, GO AROUND AND PRACTICE IT WITH THE FEW OTHER STUDENTS THAT WERE THERE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT’S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CONSTRUCT AT HOME. SO THE THINGS THAT YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO HAVE IN IT ARE OBVIOUSLY YOUR NAME, YOUR MAJOR, THE UNIVERSITY THAT YOU ATTEND SINCE, YOU KNOW CONFERENCES ARE NOT JUST PEOPLE AT UCF, AND THEN I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR RESEARCH SPECIFICALLY OR EVEN YOUR RESEARCH INTERESTS IF YOU’RE NOT INVOLVED AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE IT IS A CONFERENCE. SO REALLY, THAT’S WHAT EVERYONE IS HERE TO DO, AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT YOU KNOW THAT THEY’RE GONNA BE INTERESTED IN SINCE THEY’RE AT A CONFERENCE. SO YEAH. YOUR RESEARCH, MAYBE POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT YOU WANT TO WORK ON IN THE FUTURE AND JUST KIND OF SHOW THEM WHY WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO COULD BE OF INTEREST TO THEM. SO MAYBE IF YOU KNOW THE PERSON THAT YOU’RE NETWORKING WITH AND YOU KNOW THE RESEARCH THAT THEY DO AND WHAT THEY KIND OF WANT, YOU CAN KIND OF TAILOR YOUR ELEVATOR SPEECH TO THEM AS WELL, WHEN YOU’RE TALKING TO THAT SPECIFIC PERSON.

SIRE: SO YOU’VE MENTIONED TALKING TO GRADUATE REPRESENTATIVES TO GRADUATE STUDENTS TO YOU KNOW THESE CLINICAL DIRECTORS. THESE ARE TOP PRIORITIES AT ANY CONFERENCE. WERE YOU ABLE TO MAINTAIN THOSE CONNECTIONS FOLLOWING THE CONFERENCE, AND HOW? HOW FREQUENTLY DID YOU MAINTAIN THAT CONNECTION? WHAT DID THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

STEPHANIE: YEAH, SO I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT. THE PRIMARY MODE IS GOING TO BE WITH EMAIL, SO YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO TAKE ALL THE BUSINESS CARDS THAT YOU GOT, ALL THE CONNECTIONS THAT YOU HAD AND BASICALLY EMAIL THOSE PEOPLE, MAYBE THANK THEM FOR YOU KNOW IF THEY TALK TO YOU REALLY OK, REALLY, TRY TO TAILOR IT TO WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, SO IF IT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD IF AFTER YOU MEET A PERSON. IF YOU COULD WRITE ON THE BACK OF THEIR BUSINESS CARD OR JUST WRITE IN YOUR NOTEBOOK WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT JUST SO THAT YOU REMEMBER TO MENTION THAT IN THE EMAIL. BECAUSE LATER ON WHEN THEY’RE READING THAT, THEN THEY’RE GOING TO GET A SENSE OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU YEAH, WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU TALKED TO THEM ABOUT BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THEY’RE MEETING AT ONE TIME. SO JUST SEND THEM AN EMAIL. POSSIBLY THE WEEK AFTER THE CONFERENCE. SO, IF THE CONFERENCE WAS ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, MAYBE YOU SHOULD SEND THEM THE EMAIL ON MONDAY MORNING. YOU KNOW, JUST SO IT’S NOT TOO QUICK THAT YOU SEEM SUPER EAGER, BUT ALSO NOT TOO FAR THAT THEY COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT YOU BY THAT POINT. OTHER THAN THAT, I ALSO LIKE TO DO LINKEDIN BEFORE YOU DO LINKEDIN DEFINITELY SET UP YOUR LINKEDIN SO THAT IT LOOKS PROFESSIONAL AND IT LOOKS NICE. BUT ONCE YOU DO HAVE YOUR LINKEDIN, I THINK IT’S A GOOD WAY TO STAY CONNECTED. YOU KNOW, JUST POST UPDATES ABOUT DIFFERENT CONFERENCES THAT YOU ATTEND, OR MAYBE A RESEARCH PROJECT THEY MIGHT HAVE PUBLISHED, BECAUSE I THINK IT’S A GOOD WAY TO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOUR NETWORKS OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AT ONE TIME, SINCE THEY’RE ALL ON THAT ONE SITE. IT’S ALSO. IMPORTANT TO PLAN THE BREAK TIMES THAT THEY GIVE YOU SO LIKE IN TERMS OF THE MEALS, THAT’S ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO START NETWORKING WITH THE PEOPLE THERE. SO IF YOU MADE A GOOD CONNECTION EARLIER IN THE DAY AND YOU SEE THEM AND THEY’RE TRYING TO GET LUNCH AND YOU WANT TO GET LUNCH, THAT’S A REALLY GOOD TIME TO GET LUNCH TOGETHER.

SIRE: SO, TO KIND OF CONCLUDE EVERYTHING, I’M WONDERING WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO ATTEND CONFERENCES OR WANT TO JOIN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN THEN CONNECT THEM TO CONFERENCES.

STEPHANIE: MY BIGGEST ADVICE WOULD BE JUST DO IT. I KNOW IT’S TRADEMARK, BUT YEAH, SO THAT DEFINITELY JUST DO IT. DON’T BE AFRAID TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. OFTENTIMES, YOU’LL SEE CONFERENCES, OR THESE ORGANIZATIONS, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’RE JUST SO FAR AWAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE JUST SAY ANYBODY, UNDERGRAD, BUT REALLY JUST KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE OFTEN HERE FOR UNDERGRADS AS WELL. THE CONNECTION IS REALLY JUST BUILD UP AND ONCE YOU JUST KIND OF GET YOUR FEET. YOU’LL FIND THAT IT’S REALLY A LOT EASIER THAN YOU THINK.

SIRE: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR INPUT TODAY, YOU’RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. WE LOVE HAVING YOU THANK YOU.

SIRE: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

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SIRE: STEPHANIE INTRODUCED A HANDFUL OF TIPS AND TRICKS WHEN ATTENDING CONFERENCES. AMONG THEM WAS TO (1) PREPARED FOR THE SIZE AND FOCUS OF A SPECIFIC CONFERENCE. (2) PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OFFER AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE YOUR RESUME, CV AND BUSINESS CARDS FOR ANY NETWORKING EVENT. AND (3)TRY YOUR BEST TO PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE AHEAD OF TIME. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY IN MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT YOU’D LIKE TO AT A CONFERENCE. CONFERENCES CAN BE QUITE INTIMIDATING WHEN SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCHERS. KEEP IN MIND THAT EVERYONE THERE WAS ONCE IN YOUR SHOES AND YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND LEARN. THAT IS ALL WE HAVE TODAY FOR THE GRAD PREP TALK. I’M Sire Kassama AND YOU’LL FIND OUR NEXT EPISODE IN THE ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM’S GUIDE TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. JUST REMEMBER, YOUR GRADUATE PREPARATION STARTS NOW.

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