Lessons from the Conference Banquet: The Art of Small Talk

Of all the unknowns facing young graduate students at their first conference, perhaps the most social anxiety inducing would be the question of how much they should network as well as all the unspoken, but expected, social exchanges that come with that effort. Although most career counselors would suggest that conferences are prime opportunities for you to network and form new alliances, it's difficult to avoid the almost-instinctual excuses of "I'm just a student" and "That's just for the experienced faculty members."