How To Network Like a Pro

A beginner’s guide to conferences and the mistakes I made

The biggest culture shock I had in the past 2 years of grad school was realizing how living in a small college town was vastly different from Mumbai. For the most part, I loved it; it felt safe, quirky and instantly like it was mine. But, for a budding designer who was also in the midst of understanding herself, I thought it was extremely important to start cultivating a network of people to learn from and share ideas with. And owing to my location, I knew it was going to be extra hard (and also because I’m not extroverted, nor did I network like crazy back home. But I definitely had the agency).

With this fear at the back of my mind, I ended up saying “YES” to every opportunity that came my way. I attended 6 conferences in the span of 2 years, and the experience has been life-changing.

(TL;DR: skip to the last section where I summarize what I learned)

Midwest UX, October 2015 (Pittsburgh)

It is the annual gathering of UX professionals in the midwest with talks, workshops, career fairs, studio tours, etc. I was 2 months into grad school and I got to attend as a volunteer, so I didn’t think twice and just said yes!

Rookie Mistakes:

• Taking my “work” with me. I thought I would work remotely on a school project, and it was obviously a terrible idea. I couldn’t work, nor did I focus fully on the conference because I wanted to be at both places.
• Under this pretense of working, I did not walk up to people and speak to them. I was afraid I would not have anything smart to say, anyway!
• The one time I spoke to someone at IBM, I literally said “So, what are you doing here?” and realized how much I needed to chill out, and work on my talking points.

Some Good Things:

• Traveling to Pittsburgh, hanging out with buddies from high school, free entry into the conference, free food, free swag!
• The perks of being a volunteer: I got to speak with some speakers before and after their talks (exchanged business cards at this point without the pressure of being at a networking event).
• I also spoke to the volunteers from other schools, and felt reassured in my decision to be at IU!

HCI/d Connect, February 2016 (Bloomington)

Okay, so *technically* this is not a conference. It’s a 3-day event at my school where employers and students meet on the first night, show off their skills in a design challenge followed by a regular booth-style career fair on the second day, and then interviews on the third.

Rookie Mistakes:

• Because we were told about the event and its agenda, I didn’t think to do anything extraordinary. Soon after the event started, it hit me that we were all going to talk about the same experiences, to try and get the same internship.
• I was networking for networking’s sake without realizing that every time we talk to someone, we’re making an impression. Even when we’re not trying to make one.
• I did not listen enough to the companies when they were making their pitches. These are talking points that I fully ignored and relied wholly on my own research off of Google.
• When I scheduled interviews, I did not make note of them in my calendar, woke up very confused, and missed half an interview leading to a very embarrassing conversation.

Some Good Things:

• I knew volunteering was a way of getting an ‘in’ from my first experience, and I did it again — by helping companies set up their booths.
• I was drawn to a few companies and circled back to their booths more than once, just because. I was not hell-bent on talking to “all” of them, ie quality over quantity.
• I got a lot of practice in interviewing and doing design challenges.

Esri’s User Conference, July 2016 (San Diego)

This is a week-long conference hosted by Esri in which they invite their users from all over the world to interact with each other and the employees, test new products, etc. I was able to attend one day of it, as an intern.

Rookie Mistakes:

• This time I was not a mere attendee of the conference, and even when it was described multiple times, I needed more clarity on my responsibilities. I would have been more prepared.

Some Good Things:

• I gained an appreciation for putting up a massive event like the UC, or any conference.
• I had the opportunity to interact with the users and conduct my independent tests on working prototypes.
• This was when I truly realized the amazing things the company does!

Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, October 2016 (Houston)

This has to be my favorite conference, and if you are a woman in technology, you do not want to miss out on this one. Amongst all the important topics of discussions, an amazing career fair, workshops, keynotes, and the 15,000 women, your presence and purpose will be reassured. You are a part of a movement and you will never forget it!

Rookie Mistakes:

• I tried to do as much homework as I could on the companies I wanted to talk to. There were over 300, and I put the unrealistic pressure of getting a job at the end of the conference on myself.
• I ended up missing a few talks because the networking part took the topmost priority for me.
• Not drinking enough water. Not carrying an ergonomic bag, and having back aches for days! It really takes a toll on your mood after a while. (Although, how am I expected to carry a pad folio, notebook, food, water, phone, keys, wallet, tablet, etc everywhere, and not feel burdened!?)

Some Good Things:

• After a year of grad school, talking to more people along the way, and being prepared with a wider range of talking points, the conversations were not as intimidating. I constantly reminded myself that they’re just people, on the other side of the booth.
• I did not rely on my friends’ schedules, even though we were a big group attending together. We all had our individual agendas and we would meet up at the end of the day, at most, and share our experiences.
• I knew I was at a women-in-tech conference, so I made sure to look for the designers at the company’s booths as soon as I could. It was beneficial for both parties!
• Circling back to booths where I thought I made a connection was helpful and made me more memorable.
• Sending emails, LinkedIn requests, following up on conversations by bringing up the “highlight” of it, that same evening paid off.

Interaction 17, February 2017 (New York)

Hosted by IXDA, a worldwide volunteer-driven organization, this annual conference is focused on Interaction Design. It is probably the one that I have got the most education out of, and it is something I hope to attend year after year.

I don’t think I made any major mistakes this time around. It probably means I am more aware of how to prepare, what works for me, and how to conduct myself at events with so many people.

The Good Things:

• I created my schedule a week in advance, and I knew exactly where I would be, at any given time. I checked the maps, and knew what time I would have to exit one location to reach the other. This kind of detailed planning takes work but it is sooo worth it! I also stuck to my schedule and did not miss a single talk that was on my must-go list.
• I was very active on the IXD Slack and managed to interview with 3 companies at the event by sending messages expressing my interest as soon as I saw their posts.
• I kept myself fed and hydrated. I was also extremely calm and composed while talking to people. I circled back to the booths to meet some of them a second and third time. The fact that these things happened naturally could be seen in the way people appreciated my energy.

To anyone keeping count, my 6th conference was HCI/d Connect 2017, and there’s not much to add, so I’m not including it.

So how do we network like a pro?

1. Figure out what works for you. Understand yourself, and be cognizant of how people respond to you. Focus on the positives!
2. Create a repertoire of questions based on your research on the company, your own interests, and of course what they are currently talking about. Connect the dots.
3. People like people who listen to them. Listen and respond. Ask questions, don’t be shy/intimidated. They’re people, just like you are. Talk about other things. If you’re tired of that 5-day conference, chances are the people standing at the booth are way more tired.
4. Show genuine interest. If there’s nothing here, move on. If it’s not clicking, don’t make it worse for both of you.
5. Go to the happy hours/after parties. Almost all conferences have company-hosted parties. I don’t know how to get invited because I have never asked about it but somehow I have been invited. Then again, it’s rarely exclusive. If you know someone going to a place you want to go to, just join them.
6. And sadly, even if you do all these things, your conversation could fall flat after the event. It’s okay, it happens. People are busy, and there is no need to feel sour about it. Follow up with them, send them gentle reminders, but don’t waste your own time. When you think you have reached your limit, you probably have. It’s okay, get ready for the next conference!

I’m Amoli Mehta, a UX Designer and Researcher, currently pursuing my MS in HCI/d at Indiana University. If you want to see more of my work, you can check out my portfolio or if you want to chat, connect with me on Twitter. This was solely focused on my experience with networking at conferences. Networking happens at other places too, and conferences are not only about meeting people. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this piece and your own experiences with networking. Are we pro or are we dancer? (sic)