Dr Gemma Lace
Have you ever had a hundred burning questions during a conference talk, but your racing heartrate stopped you putting up your hand up? Ever hidden in the bathroom to get a brief respite from networking? Or have you ever left a conference feeling disappointed in yourself for not making the connections you hoped to make? Well this post is for you!
As we rapidly approach ‘conference season’, it can be useful to reflect on what we hope to get out of these fabulous events that bring together the most outstanding minds in our field to celebrate research progress and technological advancement. Sure, you are absolutely going to hear some super awesome science and get some time away from the lab with your comrades. But how are you going to use these events to focus on your own personal development and professional growth?
For some people, conferencing comes easy (or it at least looks that way….). I recall my first big conference as a PhD student- EVERYONE seemed to know each other. They keynotes covered SO much amazing science and spoke SO confidently, yet whenever I took to the stage, I was convinced those on the front row could actually hear my knees knocking…… But here’s the secret- if you experience a bit of conference anxiety, overwhelm or imposter syndrome, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I first learnt this when I was once sat trembling on the front row of a conference, firmly sandwiched between two of my all time favourite research heroes, absolute goddesses in the field of dementia research (and no, I’m not saying who…) as we prepared to give our talks on stage. Both of these heroines started chatting warmly with me and saying how absolutely terrified they felt before talks, how imposter syndrome had totally kicked in and how they desperately hoped they didn’t just keel over on stage. Needless to say, they both completely smashed it, radiating confidence, intelligence and grace during their talks, and their supportive and vulnerable disclosures brought me significant comfort and consolation. These were massively successful, influential and incredible woman- I was astounded they could also experience the same wobbles as me, despite their massive achievements and contributions to our field. I WAS NOT ALONE!
There is no doubt that conferences can be wonderfully exciting, inspiring and impactful. But for the introverted, and/or the ‘neurospicy’ amongst us, conferences can be a bit loud, a bit bright, a bit wild and a bit overwhelming. It can take a lot of energy to mask anxieties, appear confident, be super social and keep focussed during some pretty intense science talks over extensive time periods, so it’s really important to think about how you are going to look after yourself over the conference period to avoid overstimulation and burnout. Be sure to speak to the conference team to see what quiet spaces are available on site and think about how and when you are going to allocate some time to rest and decompress. Step away when you need to step away, return rested when you are ready. Your brain will thank you later and you will have a much more enjoyable experience if you give yourself a break.
The whole ‘networking’ element of conferences can also send us poor introverts scurrying away to the bathrooms or our hotel rooms to avoid the excessive ‘peopling’, or clinging desperately to our own research team as social anxiety kicks in.
Conferences provided an invaluable opportunity to step outside of our comfort zone, and it’s important to remember you only need to take a few small steps to make a huge amount of progress to build your own skills, confidence and collaborative advantage. I was given some great advice by a mentor when I was begging for help in ‘approaching’ people when attending events alone, or when I had lost the security blanket of my research team who had disappeared on their own mission of personal growth and networking domination. Her advice was look for others who were on their own, and approach them- noting they will more than likely be massively relieved to have someone to talk to. Another pearl of wisdom was ‘wear a widget’- this could be a pin badge, or some sort of weird/wonderful item of clothing, that would give people a reason to randomly talk to you to learn more about you (if your fabulous talk or poster wasn’t enough to bring your peers a-flocking. And her final networking gem, was to ‘look for other people’s widgets’ and use that to start a conversation. ‘Wow, I love that pin, what does it mean?’ or ‘that pudding looks amazing, what on earth is it and where can I get one?’….you get the gist. But the easiest one at a conference is of course, approaching people about their talks and posters. For us introverts, the hardest bit is often getting that very first sentence to come out of our mouths….so plan it in advance and be ready to take a deep breath, walk over, and say ‘excuse me, I really loved your presentation. Can you tell me more about…..?’ Please do remember, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Networking can be challenging, and you are not the only person who is feeling wobbly around making those exciting new connections and each new connection made will make the next conference even more fulfilling and enjoyable (and less socially uncomfortable!).
So how else can you get the most out of your conference experience? It may be useful to think about your ‘big 3’. What are the three things you really want to get out of the event? And no, you can’t include ‘nabbing all the freebies’ or ‘taking full advantage of the catering provision’ (though I do absolutely recommend those things). Your big 3 might include finally speaking to that super interesting and ‘famous’ researcher that you haven’t dared approach before. Or it might include putting yourself forward to share some insights on social media or as part of the conference podcast. Or it may be securing a lab visit with a potential collaborator, or agreeing access to that oh so sought after dataset/compound/cell line/fancy bit of lab kit. Your ‘big 3’ should be on top of what you would normally do and get out of a conference. Your ‘big 3’ should be outside of your comfort zone and should link to your fabulous, future self and associated career goals. Once you have your ‘big 3’, write them down and tell someone you trust- maybe your supervisor or PI, or ‘the trusted lab mother’. This will not only help keep with accountability, but it will mean you have created a support link in case you have a wobble and need a pep talk.
I’ve said it a few times in this post, and I will finish by once more stating that YOU ARE NOT ALONE if you experience social anxiety and imposter syndrome in a conference environment. Do your pre-conference research, prepare your ‘big 3’ and look around the room to spot your people, then take a deep breath….and GO!
Dr Gemma Lace
Dr Gemma Lace is Associate Dean Academic for Student Experience and leads the Molecular Biology Dementia Group at the University of Salford, where she investigates abnormal protein accumulation and small extracellular vesicles in neurodegenerative disease. Funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Alzheimer’s Society, she combines research with supporting future scientists, drawing on a career that spans a Neuroscience degree, a PhD in Genomic Medicine and work across major neurodegenerative conditions. Motivated by family experience, she is dedicated to improving understanding of dementia, and outside work she is a life coach, martial artist and mother of three.