Just when you thought obtaining a degree was a personal goal you accomplished, your employer may have a different goal in mind — sending you back for more education.
Attending professional conferences are what you make them to be, some leave with nothing more than a few days out of the office and others experience career changing opportunities. In either case, when your employer sponsors your attendance, it has a different set of expectations and when you return back to the office showing a return on their investment will send a positive message.
Preparing for a conference:
It helps to have a strategy in mind before attending a conference or advanced schooling such as an executive MBA or leadership program. The best place to start in making the most of your opportunity is to sit down with your boss and determine both of your conference goals. Identify what piques your interest the most with this particular training? What are your goals and why would your employer be willing to send you?
Take the time to reach out to those who have attended the training in the past and get an good idea of the overall conference, suggestions for classes, expectations on dress attire and networking activities.
As a company ambassador, plan ahead by bringing plenty of company marketing material just in case you need it.
During the conference:
Take good notes, participate in discussions and contribute to your study groups. This is a great time to build professional relationships with the instructors or those on panel groups.
Out of the office doesn’t mean you can’t be reached by phone, text or email. However, if you are stepping out of the conference room every 10 minutes for work-related issues, it sends a mixed signal to everyone at work. Set in place a communication schedule by responding at certain times during the day or evening, that way you continue to learn from the conference and be available to your employer if needed.
Conferences are networking gold mines, they give you a chance to meet others in less pressured ways because all of you are there for similar interests. Now is your time to shine and make professional connections. Make it a goal to meet new attendees at different venues, events or classes; don’t stay around the same group.
Post Conference:
You’ll make an great impression by sharing what you learned with your boss and how it will benefit the company.
While you were out, works continued and expect to face a load of additional tasks. Prioritize your work load and ease back into the office mode.
Sharing what you learned with colleagues is more productive in bite size amounts rather overwhelming them with details.
Lastly, never lose the networking momentum you made during the conference. Make it a goal to stay in contact with those you met, including the instructors and guest lecturers.
What are some of the key lessons you learned from attending conferences that impacted your career?
