1. People sometimes wonder how to network in academia. It is confusing! The norms are not spelled out anywhere! With @SPSPNews and @SRCDTweets conferences coming up, it seemed like it might be a good time to talk about things that have worked for members of our lab.

2. It can be fun to meet cool people with interesting ideas. That's what networking is, so one possible framing is "how can I get to know people in a way that doesn't seem overly weird."

3. This can make the whole thing feel more familiar; not everyone has "networked" before but everyone has gotten to know someone. And we've done it in different contexts; the way we get to know supervisors at a new job is different from how we get to know new roommates.

4. Academia is just a new context for getting to know people. So, here are some ways to get to know folks:

5. Meeting people when they give talks in your department. Attending meals and/or meetings with them, if your institution hosts such things. Some schools are currently doing this virtually.

6. Participating in early career events at conferences. SPSP & SRCD have mentoring lunches (I'll be doing one at SPSP - come hang out with me!). From a faculty perspective, meeting students at these things is a blast.

7. It can be helpful to follow up with people afterwards via e-mail: "Dear Dr. [their name], thank you for taking the time to chat with me at [conference] about [brief summary of something you talked about]. . .

8. . . . [Maybe one sentence here like "here's how I have incorporated your suggestion into my dissertation" or "I was reminded of your thoughts on X when I heard a talk on Y later in the conference", etc.] I hope you enjoyed your conference! Best, [your name]."

9. Some in our lab have gotten to know people by asking questions at talks and then having folks come up afterwards to talk with them about their question. The point of the question was not getting to know people but it was a nice benefit.

10. Side-note: For some, asking questions can be a good way to help themselves feel like they belong in the space. It's a great strategy if it works for you. Perhaps a thread for another day.

11. Some SAMC Lab members have stayed in touch with people they met at conferences by, e.g., e-mailing them for one-on-one-meetings at the next year's conference.

12. Sample e-mail: "Dear Dr. X, my name is Y and I am a graduate student with Dr. Z at [school name]. It was great to meet you at [conference name]'s mentoring lunch last year. . .

13. . . .I've been considering your comment about X and have incorporated it into my work in the following way [or some other sentence about how the conversation has informed your thinking and/or your work]. . .

14. . . .I will be at [conference name] again this year [optional: to present a poster/talk on topic X] and was wondering if you might be interested in chatting more about our shared research interests in [topic].

15. . . .I completely understand that conferences are hectic and you may not have time to meet, but if would like to catch up, I am happy to be flexible around your schedule. Best, [your name]."

16. If you do this, it may be helpful to check whether they are likely going to be at the conference you're e-mailing about. First authors of presentations usually attend; the other authors may or may not be there.

17. Also, doesn't have to be the same conference where you met them; could be a different conference or other event (workshop, etc.). And they may say no!

18. It can be helpful to leave people alone if they don't seem interested in meeting again. But, lab members have also formed long-lasting relationships by consistently meeting people when they were in the same place.

19. For COVID-time conferences, people may be willing to meet via Zoom. They may also be incredibly busy and/or Zoomed out, which is not personal at all.

20. Another strategy is to organize panels at conferences and invite people you want to get to know to speak on them. Also, organizing lunch/drinks with panel members before or after the session (also a good way to catch up with people you already know!).

21. Lots of PIs are happy to introduce lab members to people they know. If there's someone you want to meet but are shy about approaching, asking your PI to introduce you might be a good way to go.

22. People who are happy to do this are not always thinking about it at the conference itself because there is so much going on, so talking with a PI ahead of time about any introductions you particularly want could be helpful.

23. Anyway, these are some things the SAMC Lab has tried that have worked well for us. Please feel free to add your own thoughts! /End