Professional Conferences: Should I stay or should I go

Conferences in the field you are studying can be very enticing.  There are job fairs, networking events, and talks about your industry and where your career is going.  These are all great things to experience in your life at some point, but right now might not be that time.  Here are four things you should consider before going to a professional conference. 

1.  Money:  This is the biggest thing you will have to consider.  Most conferences are held in big cities like New York, Atlanta, or Vegas.  To even stay in a hotel in these cities it can be rather pricey. You need to think about the price of the conference ticket and also the stay.  Another thing you should consider is food. Where will you eat? Will the conference feed you or do you have to buy all of your meals? While it can be easy to forget about this, in some of these cities, it is very hard to find reasonably priced meals (under $10).

2. Travel:  How are you going to get there? Are you going to fly or drive? Do you have the funds for gas or a taxi everywhere?  While this ties into the money topic, this is one of the most important things to consider. Where will you stay along the way and what is it worth to you? 

3. Vendors:  What companies will be there? While this may seem shallow, the last thing you would want to do is go to a place you are not interested in the people or potential job openings that they might have. The last thing you want to do is waste your time or someone else’s.  

4. Career: The last question you should always answer is “is this a good idea for my career?” Will this help me achieve my goals? Be selfish when evaluating this.  A conference is what you get out of is and not anyone else. A conference might be good for one person but not you. This is always very important to think about so that you are not disappointed in the process.  

Once you have evaluated these four things you are more fit to make a decision if a conference is write for you.  If you decide to go, have a good time! If you do not decide to go, know that there are millions of conferences out there that will be able to attend and that will better fit what your dreams and aspirations are.