Revisiting with connections and expanding networks

The Societies’ annual meeting (CANVAS) may be in the rearview mirror with a number of months passing, but connections made at the event should not be forgotten. Whether you are making connections with other graduate students, industry professionals, or scientists in similar research areas, following up with a connection is important. Agriculture is a small world—you never know who you may connect with and what it will lead to. Opportunities are out there, and as the saying goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” Not every connection may need to be revisited, but the possible collaborations, interviews, and connections you make can lead to future career prospects. 

Although many students are aware of the importance of strengthening relationships created at CANVAS, it is often seen as a confusing and daunting task. This following is your “How To” guide on bolstering connections and expanding your network after the CANVAS meeting. 

(Revisiting) your connection

Academic conferences are considered a golden opportunity to publicize yourself and your research to an audience of your academic peers. At the end of the conference, you will have collected business cards, pictures of name badges, and/or presentation titles of people and research that caught your interest. Now, it’s important to remember conferences are a whirlwind of events and that “star professor” or “interesting graduate student” you connected with also met many other individuals. It’s easy for a name to be forgotten or a face to become hazy in memory days after the interaction or after meeting many people. Thus, it’s important to revisit your connection after the event to ensure they remember you! Take the time to write a thoughtful email or message via LinkedIn. Taking the step further to contact your person of interest helps fortify the memory of your interaction and establishes a relationship of communication between the two parties. 

What if you made a connection, but you lost the business card given to you or forgot their name? Fear not! With a little detective work and some useful data (e.g., the session they spoke in, their presentation title, or where they work), you can probably find the person you are looking for by searching the conference website. If you met at CANVAS, you can use the “SciSoc Mtg” app to search for presented research talks and obtain essential contact information, such as the person’s name. 

Career-important relationships are not only encountered at academic conferences, but also within your department, college, and university-wide networking events. It is easy to solely focus on your research and the work within your lab group, and yet, there is a bounty of incredible research conducted at your institution that can be further explored through collaboration and discussion. Do not be afraid to take advantage of university events to become better acquainted with peers within and outside your discipline! Varying backgrounds and subject area expertise can help you build a network of unlikely connections that may yield greater fruitful interactions given their proximity to you. An advantage of on-campus network building lies in the ease of maintaining the connection. After meeting a person of interest, make sure to reinforce the relationship when time allows. This can be as simple as impromptu hallway conversations or asking the individual for coffee and discussion. Reconnecting doesn’t always have to be complicated. What matters most is demonstrating your professional interest! 

Sending an email

If the someone you spoke with offered you helpful advice (research, career, etc.), sending a brief “thank you” email is a great way to follow up on the conversation. The goal is simply to show that you paid attention and valued their insights and remind them of who you are. Look up their email address online (or use the business card you might have received) and send a brief email.

Though daunting, this is a great way to receive career advice or better understand a career path. Some graduate students never get to interact with scientists outside of their major advisers, committees, or university. Reaching out with an email can also help you cultivate a wide range of mentors, both faculty and non-faculty, during your graduate school process.