TAKING A DYNAMIC AND REWARDING CAREER PATH: AN INSIGHT FROM MAKING MOST CONFERENCES

Conferences and large events that take us away from our work and academic routine provides valuable learning and networking opportunities. Consequently, they offer chances to hear from experienced leaders, professionals, researchers, authorities, etc., and to find out about the latest thinking on specific topics. But they can offer so much more – if we let them. Thus, this presentation concisely outlines the real opportunities to have combined learning, sharing, selling but don’t tell, and networking experience when making most conferences. Certainly, the subjects of conference sessions are planned to communicate impactful knowledge but the delegates attending have significant understanding and experiences to share as well – as the presenter. Be that as it may, “fledgling geoscientists and students” who are out there searching for greener pastures similar to “cattle’s egret on their seasonal flight”, needs to review the “nitty-gritty” to make most conferences. Consequently, the nitty-gritty for making most conferences ascribes: the planning and setting personal objectives for attending, what sessions to attend before arriving, thinking about whether there is anyone or any network to meet, and selling but not telling story. Given the above implications, developing professionals and students building on these guiding principles would actualize: personal objectives linked to sharing, networking, learning, communicating/presenting well, discovering personal achievements, making new friends, and forging professional links for immediate / future job offers. Importantly, this would serve as a “grease or lubricant” to pivot future of early career professionals and students on the best way to standardly prepare, deliver, communicate, collaborate, and make most of the conferences for rewarding careers afterward.