Our graduate students are encouraged to take their research on the road by attending and presenting at academic and professional conferences. Though these events offer valuable opportunities for professional growth and collaboration the prospect of travel, presenting, networking, and engaging with feedback can feel a bit daunting.
Graduate students Amy Heath, Kimberly Ingold, and Hillary Douglas help demystify the conference experience by sharing insights and reflections from their own professional journeys at conference for the American Sociological Association (ASA), the American Society of Criminology (ASC), the Midwest Sociological Society (MSS), and the Migration Policy Institute's Immigration Law and Policy Conference.
Preparation Is Key
Amy, Kimberly, and Hillary emphasized the importance of preparation in making the most of conference experiences. This includes sharing abstracts with advisors, practicing presentations with peers, discussing networking strategies, and planning ahead for coursework and teaching responsibilities.
Amy Heath, a third-year sociology graduate student who has attended multiple conferences, noted that faculty and departments are typically supportive of conference travel, even when it involves missing a day of class or TA responsibilities. She also shared how preparation set her apart when moderating a roundtable at ASA: “You never really know who is going to show up and who is not, unlike the panel presentations… My table was, fortunately, pretty full…[people] appreciated that we came prepared with timers and cards to help keep them on track.”
Experiencing the Conference Environment
Hillary, a sixth-year graduate student studying immigration and social capital, said she felt “terrified” about networking at a large conference, so she chose to start with a smaller one. She enjoyed talking with presenters afterward and found MSS - a smaller Midwestern sociology conference - more accessible and affordable than ASA, even though both were held at the same time and place. Further, though the Migration Policy conference felt more intimidating due to its practitioner focus, its Zoom format allowed Hillary to participate quietly and “get a pulse” on current immigration and migration policy issues.
Kimberly, a second-year criminology graduate student, has attended ASC multiple times as both a co-presenter with her advisor, Megan Rogers, and as a solo presenter. She reflected on her initial impressions of the conference atmosphere, noting surprise at the informality of social events: “It’s a little shocking how relaxed some of them can be.” Still, despite the laid-back tone of some gatherings, all three students spoke to the intellectual rigor of the experience, especially when presenting their own work. Kimberly’s presentations, for example, prompted “tough questions,” particularly from audience members less familiar with her topic: “people were really interested…I feel like it was a learning moment for a lot of people in the audience.”
Building Networks and Sharing a Vocabulary
Beyond presenting research, conferences offer valuable networking opportunities. Amy highlighted the chance to connect with scholars beyond her immediate circle: “conferences are a really, really easy way to get outside of my comfy network [in Iowa] that I’ve been building for quite a long time because it’s leading academics from all over the discipline, all over the world, all in one place.” She hopes these connections will be beneficial as she enters the job market.
Hillary underscored the importance of engaging with practitioners and understanding the language used in applied settings, noting that developing an awareness of appropriate and respectful language is essential for bridging the gap between academia and practice: “…that is one of the most important things for us as academics, is to be in touch with those vocabularies that are considered appropriate and respectful for the people that we are doing research about or with.”
Advice for First-Time Attendees
For graduate students who feel anxious about attending conferences, Kimberly suggested practical strategies for easing into the experience: “…tagging along with somebody who has been to a conference… is also a pretty good idea.” She also emphasized the importance of commitment and preparation: “don’t make excuses and just go!” and “Make time for it… actually put in the effort [to prepare].”
Amy also offered reassurance: “everyone has to attend their first conference at some point, as long as you try to meet… at least one person you’re putting yourself out there and doing a good job.”