June 16, 2019 at 23:34How to get the most out of the conference. Instruction for the smallest
Conferences are not unusual or special for held professionals. But for those who are just trying to get back on their feet, the hard-earned money laid out should bring maximum results, otherwise for what it was three months to sit doshira and live in a hostel? In this article pretty well describes how to attend a conference. I suggest expanding the instructions a bit.
There is always a chance to be disappointed in the time and money spent, so before the start of the whole mess, you should understand if you want to participate in it. The simplest thing is to ask friends who have already participated. They will describe the format, theme, pastime and many other nuances. They can also directly say whether you should go there or, perhaps, give a more suitable option.
If your friends are a little tough, do an independent study. Watch the video from past conferences, maybe someone filmed the process? Or reports? You can also go through the hashtags on Instagram and other social services. networks, somewhere around there will be reviews. After all, everyone does not trust the feedback on the sites, right? : D
If you liked everything and the time does not seem wasted, get your ticket to the conference. If the price still seems unbearable, you can try several options:
Often on the conference site you can see a list of participants. Check that everything was correct and you, at least, could be found in the social. networks. You have no idea who might want to meet with you after the conference. What if it is fate?
The whole movement begins even before the conference itself has begun. People offer to meet before or after, get together at an after-party, participate in a contest, get to know each other and just chat. This chat is even more useful during the event itself: You can find out the latest information about events at the conference itself. And then to discuss the topic of reports.
I always think ahead of time what reports I will go to and where I will go instead of them, what I want to do during the break and whom I can get to the expert session. Most often, the reports are not some kind of know-how and information on this topic can be found. But if during the study of this information some question arose, it can be asked to the speaker. Experience and competence - that’s what we really want to know on the topic that interests us.
This happens at the most unpleasant moment! I just wanted to quickly snap a project on a laptop, and all the sockets are already clad in the same ones as you. During the reports you have to google, this is normal. You came for something new.
This may seem like an unnecessary step, but often it is important. If you go with colleagues, choose corporate t-shirts. If you represent your company, think about placing your contacts on a T-shirt or badge. Come up with a creative T-shirt to attract attention, for example, on a specific topic that interests you.
If the conference goes on more than one day, and even in another city, then usually there is no time to sleep. I also try to meet friends if I was here. It happens that I attend concerts. In any case, falling asleep on the report would be too disappointing :)
Well, about the reports, and so it is clear. Initially, you came here to get knowledge, and not to run around the stands. Choose reports based on your interests, multithreaded conferences are very popular now and there is nothing to worry about if you run away from one report to another. It may not be your speaker, your topic, or your level. And another person may come instead of you.
Do not chase stardom. Often these reports can then be listened to as a video recording, and it will be very difficult to talk with an expert. Be subjective!
You can listen not only to the reports, but also in the corridors! You can just go up and stand by if you are embarrassed to express your opinion.
Everyone wants to talk with the speaker, so the most incredible and amazing questions are encountered at expert sessions. If you want to personally communicate or ask a speaker a question, it makes sense to do this in advance or later, during the conference. I'm rather shy, so sometimes I ask questions afterwards, on social networks or in the application, if such an opportunity is provided. And while there was nothing for me;)
It makes no sense to try to outline the report. Take a couple of photo slides if you then need to talk about the report and mark the main points, but the most useful thing you will do is mark the ideas that come to you. These may be some topics that you want to study in more detail, project ideas, organization of the day, research, social interactions and all-all-all. If before the conference you didn’t know what to do in your free time, then after that you will delete the excess from the to-do list.
If you can take a picture with an expert - do it. Something interesting happens on the report or outside it - capture it. It’s not necessary to run around the conference with a selfie stick, but a few frames will come in handy. Again, suddenly you need to speak and speak out about the conference. People want to watch pictures, not read text! :)
Merchants are a separate category of participants that few people love, but apparently, I sometimes break into this. I have enough stock of sweets, clothes and stationery until the next conference. Seriously, I have a scarf from VK Tech, socks from Wrike, a T-shirt from 2gis and a cap from Intel. Sometimes it seems to me that I am one big advertisement ... But my weakness is stickers! While you are fighting for trophies, you can team up, help with advice, and just chat with an adventurer just like you!
Of course, this advice applies to extroverts. Introverts understand all the resentment from this advice. I will share my ways. If I saw the same person at several conferences, then I can go up to him and say so. “Hey, I saw you at Conference.X and Conference.Y, how do you like this conference? What do you think of her? What are you doing? Where else are you going? Oh, drove together? ” This is of course exaggerated, but I got to know some of the people in this way. So I find myself a company to have fun.
What I wrote about earlier - I ask questions to experts on social networks. Often the answers to them are accompanied by links and screenshots, which is quite useful. In addition, if the expert is actively leading his social. network and discusses there a topic that interests me, I subscribe.
I also have a way of meeting experts at the events themselves. I go to the expert session, wait for the participants to disperse and then start asking their questions, maybe sharing experiences (if I have something to say). And at other conferences, the first method, “Hey, we talked there and there, is already working. You had a cool report, has something changed since then? ”
This is a real opportunity to learn about the company's product, or to consider a number of vacancies. It is no secret that such conferences are a tidbit for hr. And they also consider young students and specialists, especially those who are active at their stands. At the stands you can communicate not only directly with hr, but also with a specialist directly working in this company. You can find out about the schedule, and about working conditions and about current projects.
Master classes, quizzes, quizes, games, concerts, pre-parties, after-parties. Even an introvert can find himself and realize. The conference should be accompanied by vivid emotions.
Here the conference is over, but continue. Take a good look at your notes. If they are written in clumsy, uneven handwriting under the stain of a glass of coffee, then remembering what you were thinking at that moment is best now. Structure all the ideas, add something to your glider, calendar, list of books to read, subscribe and enter where you want to enter. If you need to make a conference report, then draft a draft with a general structure, drawing on fresh emotions.
Everyone thanks the speakers for their presentation, but they forget to thank the organizers for what they did. Write an honest review - what you liked, what you didn’t like, what I’d like to add, which idea I’ve ignited, and what, next time, I would like to avoid. It is the feedback that makes these activities better. Even if you don’t come to this particular conference, you will improve the industry as a whole!
If you didn’t go alone, but made acquaintances, colleagues or made friends at the conference, get together with them after a while to discuss the information received. It is much more useful not only to digest information, but also to get a different opinion on it. In the same way, I advise you to present the conference report and replenish the corporate knowledge base.
Attending conferences at the very start of your career is cool and useful, don't miss out on such opportunities to experience the whole atmosphere of the IT world you want to join :)
Before the conference
Decide whether to buy a ticket.
There is always a chance to be disappointed in the time and money spent, so before the start of the whole mess, you should understand if you want to participate in it. The simplest thing is to ask friends who have already participated. They will describe the format, theme, pastime and many other nuances. They can also directly say whether you should go there or, perhaps, give a more suitable option.
If your friends are a little tough, do an independent study. Watch the video from past conferences, maybe someone filmed the process? Or reports? You can also go through the hashtags on Instagram and other social services. networks, somewhere around there will be reviews. After all, everyone does not trust the feedback on the sites, right? : D
Buy a ticket
If you liked everything and the time does not seem wasted, get your ticket to the conference. If the price still seems unbearable, you can try several options:
- Buy a ticket in advance, conferences often offer a discount to those who purchase a ticket in advance.
- Ask your employer or training organization to sponsor your participation. After participating, on the basis of the information you hear, you can independently prepare a report on what you hear or replenish the corporate knowledge base.
- Become a speaker. Try yourself as a speaker, if you have something to talk about. Personally, I have never been able to participate in this way :(
- Become a volunteer. Volunteer offer full or partially free participation. You can become a photographer, videographer, assistant and many more who. Yes, participation opportunities are greatly reduced, but sometimes it’s a good option.
- Consider online participation. Sometimes, when you purchase a broadcast viewing, which is cheaper or free, you save on tickets, your time and get a comfortable viewing on topics of interest. Although I admit, I have always been closer to the live format.
Fill out a profile
Often on the conference site you can see a list of participants. Check that everything was correct and you, at least, could be found in the social. networks. You have no idea who might want to meet with you after the conference. What if it is fate?
Join the chats and subscribe to the newsletter
The whole movement begins even before the conference itself has begun. People offer to meet before or after, get together at an after-party, participate in a contest, get to know each other and just chat. This chat is even more useful during the event itself: You can find out the latest information about events at the conference itself. And then to discuss the topic of reports.
Explore the event program
I always think ahead of time what reports I will go to and where I will go instead of them, what I want to do during the break and whom I can get to the expert session. Most often, the reports are not some kind of know-how and information on this topic can be found. But if during the study of this information some question arose, it can be asked to the speaker. Experience and competence - that’s what we really want to know on the topic that interests us.
Take care of your power-bank
This happens at the most unpleasant moment! I just wanted to quickly snap a project on a laptop, and all the sockets are already clad in the same ones as you. During the reports you have to google, this is normal. You came for something new.
Choose clothes
This may seem like an unnecessary step, but often it is important. If you go with colleagues, choose corporate t-shirts. If you represent your company, think about placing your contacts on a T-shirt or badge. Come up with a creative T-shirt to attract attention, for example, on a specific topic that interests you.
Get enough sleep
If the conference goes on more than one day, and even in another city, then usually there is no time to sleep. I also try to meet friends if I was here. It happens that I attend concerts. In any case, falling asleep on the report would be too disappointing :)
During the conference
Listen
Well, about the reports, and so it is clear. Initially, you came here to get knowledge, and not to run around the stands. Choose reports based on your interests, multithreaded conferences are very popular now and there is nothing to worry about if you run away from one report to another. It may not be your speaker, your topic, or your level. And another person may come instead of you.
Do not chase stardom. Often these reports can then be listened to as a video recording, and it will be very difficult to talk with an expert. Be subjective!
You can listen not only to the reports, but also in the corridors! You can just go up and stand by if you are embarrassed to express your opinion.
Appreciate Expertise
Everyone wants to talk with the speaker, so the most incredible and amazing questions are encountered at expert sessions. If you want to personally communicate or ask a speaker a question, it makes sense to do this in advance or later, during the conference. I'm rather shy, so sometimes I ask questions afterwards, on social networks or in the application, if such an opportunity is provided. And while there was nothing for me;)
Catch the message
It makes no sense to try to outline the report. Take a couple of photo slides if you then need to talk about the report and mark the main points, but the most useful thing you will do is mark the ideas that come to you. These may be some topics that you want to study in more detail, project ideas, organization of the day, research, social interactions and all-all-all. If before the conference you didn’t know what to do in your free time, then after that you will delete the excess from the to-do list.
Take a photo
If you can take a picture with an expert - do it. Something interesting happens on the report or outside it - capture it. It’s not necessary to run around the conference with a selfie stick, but a few frames will come in handy. Again, suddenly you need to speak and speak out about the conference. People want to watch pictures, not read text! :)
Collect merch
Merchants are a separate category of participants that few people love, but apparently, I sometimes break into this. I have enough stock of sweets, clothes and stationery until the next conference. Seriously, I have a scarf from VK Tech, socks from Wrike, a T-shirt from 2gis and a cap from Intel. Sometimes it seems to me that I am one big advertisement ... But my weakness is stickers! While you are fighting for trophies, you can team up, help with advice, and just chat with an adventurer just like you!
Get to know
Of course, this advice applies to extroverts. Introverts understand all the resentment from this advice. I will share my ways. If I saw the same person at several conferences, then I can go up to him and say so. “Hey, I saw you at Conference.X and Conference.Y, how do you like this conference? What do you think of her? What are you doing? Where else are you going? Oh, drove together? ” This is of course exaggerated, but I got to know some of the people in this way. So I find myself a company to have fun.
What I wrote about earlier - I ask questions to experts on social networks. Often the answers to them are accompanied by links and screenshots, which is quite useful. In addition, if the expert is actively leading his social. network and discusses there a topic that interests me, I subscribe.
I also have a way of meeting experts at the events themselves. I go to the expert session, wait for the participants to disperse and then start asking their questions, maybe sharing experiences (if I have something to say). And at other conferences, the first method, “Hey, we talked there and there, is already working. You had a cool report, has something changed since then? ”
Visit the stands
This is a real opportunity to learn about the company's product, or to consider a number of vacancies. It is no secret that such conferences are a tidbit for hr. And they also consider young students and specialists, especially those who are active at their stands. At the stands you can communicate not only directly with hr, but also with a specialist directly working in this company. You can find out about the schedule, and about working conditions and about current projects.
Attend entertainment
Master classes, quizzes, quizes, games, concerts, pre-parties, after-parties. Even an introvert can find himself and realize. The conference should be accompanied by vivid emotions.
After the conference
Process your notes
Here the conference is over, but continue. Take a good look at your notes. If they are written in clumsy, uneven handwriting under the stain of a glass of coffee, then remembering what you were thinking at that moment is best now. Structure all the ideas, add something to your glider, calendar, list of books to read, subscribe and enter where you want to enter. If you need to make a conference report, then draft a draft with a general structure, drawing on fresh emotions.
Thank the organizers
Everyone thanks the speakers for their presentation, but they forget to thank the organizers for what they did. Write an honest review - what you liked, what you didn’t like, what I’d like to add, which idea I’ve ignited, and what, next time, I would like to avoid. It is the feedback that makes these activities better. Even if you don’t come to this particular conference, you will improve the industry as a whole!
Discuss what you hear
If you didn’t go alone, but made acquaintances, colleagues or made friends at the conference, get together with them after a while to discuss the information received. It is much more useful not only to digest information, but also to get a different opinion on it. In the same way, I advise you to present the conference report and replenish the corporate knowledge base.
Total
Attending conferences at the very start of your career is cool and useful, don't miss out on such opportunities to experience the whole atmosphere of the IT world you want to join :)