When was the last time you attended a conference to invest in our personal development only to return to a mountain of work and not really learning anything? What about when you came back inspired, but weren’t sure how to implement?
Conferences are a great way to network, learn and find your next mentor, wine buddy or event host, but not everyone takes advantage of it. Here are some tips to get the most out of your conference experience:
- Practice your icebreakers and networking intros
We recommend preparing some icebreakers and ways to introduce yourself that will position you as someone memorable and interesting!
- Be present
There’s no point putting an out-of-office reply on and turning up for 2 days of learning if you’re going to be on Facebook looking at Karen’s birthday shots from the Yarra the whole time. Take this opportunity to really listen, take notes and be present with the speaker.
- Set some objectives for the event
To help with the last point of staying present, we recommend setting some goals for yourself around the event to make the most of your experience. What about asking 4 questions a day? Or maybe introducing yourself to at least 5 new people? One easy goal is learning 3 new things that you could do in your job to make life easier.
- Bring back 3 ideas you want to implement
Show that you got value out of the conference. If you’re not sure on what exactly you could do – have a chat with the speaker (ask questions, remember?), or the conference chair who will have some great tips for what you could do to make the most of this opportunity.
Conferences are a great way to learn, but only if you make the most of this opportunity. We’ve crafted a conference just for you – a place for you to truly thrive and hear from inspiring individuals who’ve been there, done that. If you want to level-up and be the best EA you can be, check it out.
The National Public Sector EA/PA Summit is happening on the 12th to 14th of February 2020 at the Grace Hotel in Sydney. Visit the event website to see the full agenda and line-up of inspirational speakers, as well as register for the event.
