Networking at the Annual Conference

Are you getting ready to attend the 2012 AMWA conference? If one of your major goals for the conference is to network to improve career opportunities, you might want to listen now to some tips from career counselor John Hadley on how to navigate the conference networking scene.

I spoke with him for a podcast supplement to the September 2012 AMWA Journal. He had spoken at a meeting of the AMWA Delaware Valley Chapter last year.

--Victoria White

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Tips from a First-Time Conference Coach

by Sunil Patel

Four years ago, I wore a red dot on my badge, signifying that it was my first time attending the annual conference. I was assigned a conference coach, but I was unable to meet her because we both ended up having travel issues. Thus, my ability to coach someone on how to best take advantage of the annual conference comes completely from my own experience, one moment of genuine inspiration, and this guy named Patrick.

Embrace the Power of the Red Dot
Newbies, wear your red dot proudly! It marks you as a brave soul who has taken the plunge into AMWA conferencing, and it provides a perfect opening for people to talk to you. Attendees have been known to swarm Red Dots, asking them whether they're new to AMWA or just a first-time conference attendee, how they became interested in medical writing, or what workshops they're taking. Cover yourself in red dots if you think it will make you more visible, although it may just make people think you have a terrible rash.

Non-newbies, know that it is your duty to engage Red Dots in conversation! For, lo, you were once a Red Dot, and you were scared to talk to people because you thought maybe they thought you had a terrible rash.

Seek Out the Ribbons and Pins and Stickers
Everyone has a badge. These badges display one's name, affiliation, and location, but some badges are further adorned with ribbons and pins and stickers. If you see someone with a trail of ribbons under her badge, talk to her! People wearing ribbons are workshop leaders, Fellows, long-time members, panelists--in short, people active in AMWA. These people are excited enough about the organization that they're contributing to the conference, and that makes them great resources. They're going to love to talk to new people and get them just as excited as they are. If someone's wearing a pin, she's gone through the AMWA curriculum, so you can ask her about what workshops to take. The yellow heart denotes conference coaches, people who are already primed to help you make the best of your time here. It's hard to miss the pieces of flair, so keep an eye out for them and talk to the people they're attached to!

Talk to the Floaters
It's hard to talk to people. Especially at a reception when everyone gathers around little tables or clusters in the middle of the room. It can feel awkward to break into someone's conversation. Chances are, you're not the only one who feels like that. Chances are, someone else may just be standing around looking for someone to talk to, not knowing which direction to go. Go talk to him! Maybe you're the person he was wanting to talk to; he just didn't know it yet.

Network with a Rifle, Not a Shotgun
No, I am not advocating open season on conference attendees. The best thing about AMWA is its members, after all. And there are a lot. It can be overwhelming to try to meet everyone and have a meaningful discussion and exchange business cards. My advice is: Don't. Rather than try to meet everyone for a short time, focus on a few people for a longer time. If you connect with someone, you have many opportunities to strengthen that connection! Maybe you're in the same workshop. Maybe you're interested in the same open session. Sit at the same table at lunch or dinner. Go out to lunch on Saturday, when there's a two-hour block of unscheduled time. Maybe there's some local event happening Saturday night that you can attend. By the end of the conference, you'll have made not only a professional colleague who will remember you but also a new friend!

In the end, these tips are somewhat irrelevant because AMWA members are very friendly and they want to talk to you. The AMWA conference is a magical place full of wonderful people! But remember: Chuck Norris doesn't hand out a business card. He roundhouse kicks his contact information into your forehead.

AMWA after dark

People who know me won’t be surprised to read this blog post. But if you’re not heading down to the bar in the evening for a few minutes, you’re missing one of the best parts of the meeting.

If you’re into sports and testosterone (and you guys know who you are!) then by all means head to the sports bar in the lobby. But if you’re into a quieter, more elegant setting with seating just made for networking, head to the main lobby bar. Bring a book if you’re not into sitting in bars alone; I guarantee within a few minutes it will lie forgotten. If you don’t want to sit alone, sit at the bar—on the past two nights it was a line of ladies.

To get the conversation going just turn to the person next to you and ask if they are an AMWAnian (yes, a word I just coined). Last night the lady to my right was actually a literature professor from Wake Forest (in case you didn’t know there’s a Renaissance literature conference going here) and we had a fabulous conversation. Then I turned to the other side and spent half an hour talking with a fellow AMWAnian. Then I went over to the rowdy group in the seating area (Atlanta gals, you know who you are) and had a blast talking with the baby freelancers (seriously, they couldn’t have been more than 12 years old) who were just getting started in their careers.

So, bottom line? While the programs and workshops at AMWA are, of course, fabulous, the bar is where the fun continues.

See you there tonight!

--Debra Gordon

You need what? CME needs assessment at a breakfast roundtable (food included!)

A cheerful colleague at my Thursday breakfast roundtable, a newcomer to AMWA, admitted to having been unsure whether breakfast would be served. Surely there is no harder job in the world than communication, whether it's from scientist to the lay reader or from AMWA headquarters and volunteer leaders to the membership.

Each of AMWA's roundtables is a 75-minute session on a focused topic, which is generally business-oriented rather than the fun topics discussed at the Thursday night coffee and dessert klatches. For example, my table's leader, Deb Gordon, did a great job of talking about CME needs assessments. For the freelancers among us, she said right up front how many hours she usually spends and what she charges. She walked us through samples of two needs assessments she has written and even had the chutzpah to critique her own work. Deb also provided a list of good sources of information for needs assessments, plus a recent journal article that discusses how the approach to planning and assessing CME activities needs to change in light of the newer accreditation requirements.

The best thing to report is that the practical assistance and lively discussion I enjoyed is the rule, not the exception, at AMWA breakfast roundtables. They're a great way to start the day -- and there's no need to get coffee or food before you come.

--Faith Reidenbach