I'm going to my First Ever Scientific Meeting tomorrow, in DC. I am beyond excited, and just an itty bitty nervous, but I have received the best advice ever before going. I figured I'll share that now, and then recap when I get back what worked the best.
Dress code:
Business casual, but don't look like a lawyer.
It's better to be over dressed than under dressed, unless you have Nobel prize winning data. Then you can wear whatever you want.
This one is my favorite: Dress as seriously as you wish to be perceived. Which I think is exceptionally helpful for those of us that have round faces and tend to look a lot younger than we really are.
For the poster:
Put yourself out there. As people walk by, stop them and say, "Can I tell you about my poster?" Otherwise, no one will stop. And if you ask, they'll be guilted in to saying yes.
This goes along with put yourself out there, but be engaging. Eye contact, and all that. Introduce yourself within the first sentence.
Don't undermine your data/shoot yourself in the foot. Play up that negative result!
Anything I'm missing? I'm all going-to-my-first-meeting jittery. I'm super excited. Hopefully I'll come back with good stories. And no tears.
