Presenting your research at your first academic conference can be daunting to students. On Sociology at Work, I’ve republished an article where I reflected on what it was like for me. I was dreading the idea of “networking,” because at the time it conjured the idea of handing out business cards and forced small talk. In reality, that first conference led to many long-standing relationships that have supported my career. I met both my future thesis supervisors, and I forged friendships with many other students with whom I later collaborated on publications. I also met various mentors who would later help me as I progressed from student to early career researcher. 

Read more about why conferences can be important to meeting students’ needs. 

[Image text] Networking at conferences is vital to students: Meet researchers; Hear about other fields; Create ties with new colleagues.