For individuals looking for jobs, whether totally unemployed or seeking new job opening while working, business conferences are vital and beneficial. Notwithstanding the fact that conferences can be quite expensive, you can make it budget-friendly. Simply look out for local gatherings to save cost or try reaching to the organizers for available discounts or even scholarships. Whichever one you opt for, the fact remains that the benefits of attending a business conference depict a wise means of time and money investment. Beyond that, it brings new insight into your industry, presents interview opportunities, and avails you with lifelong connections and other amazing benefits and opportunities.

Here are five key benefits of attending a conference.

1. You’ll learn about your industry

Hiring managers will inquire from you during interviews about your education and past experiences. In addition to that, they will also be interested in knowing how much you know of the overall field. When they ask these questions, an awareness of the industry gotten from leaders will aid in giving you a robust and satisfactory answer. To gain these insights and awareness, however, you need to attend conferences.

Not just about the overall field, conferences help your knowledge of specific companies too. These knowledge are helpful when writing your cover letter or during job interviews. To make your cover letter catchy, you can name check presentations done by the company’s employees, you can also reference conversations with staffers during a conference. With this, your interest in the company can be considered genuine as well as informed.

2. Grow your connections

Don’t underestimate Networking; it’s a huge plus anytime any day. Will connections are established, you have privileged information of job opportunity even before they are made public. Having someone in the company as your referee during job application can strengthen your chances.

It’s possible you always feel nervous and a bit uneasy whenever networking or even small talk is mentioned. If that is the case, always bear in mind that at every conference, all attendees are always eager to meet people and make new friends.

During conversations with new acquaintances, you should make use of your elevator pitch. If the conversation gets deep and interesting, try to exchange business cards, or even search the individuals’ profile on LinkedIn and connect with them.

3. Discover new opportunities

Lots of times, job opportunities and advertise only get to the job boards when the potential candidate is in the mind of the manager or supervisor already. However, during conversations (before and after sessions) in conferences or during the social parts of a conference, chances are that you will find out an opening in a company. You can also get the chance to be better informed about your dream job and company just from attending a conference. Connecting with someone from the company for an informational interview after the event is also possible.

4. Gain inspiration and new ideas

Conferences are always nice places to generate ideas, just like in brainstorming sessions. Often times, once a conference is over you will discover new fields or a new type of jobs that you desire pursuing. There are various great ways of utilizing the conference benefits when you attend. One of those ways is by asking everyone you meet (people you admire especially) how they got to their positions. Through that question, you may eventually find yourself a mentor before the end of the conference.

5. Learn new job-search skills

Some people get anxious over mall talks. They are always sweaty and blushing when it comes to asking questions or presenting in a large group. Whichever group you belong to, one perfect place to practice and improve on these is in a conference. Yes, other conference benefits include helping you work on your speech skills as well as other tips to make your interviews successful. It also improves your on-the-job performance.

It’s a huge loss for those that think conferences are over after just the one-day event or weekend-long event. The truth is that: after the events are over, the real task of following up persons you met at the conference begins. This is the heart of all benefits of attending a business conference often neglected by some.

One sure and easy way to do this is by connecting on LinkedIn. Twitter is also a platform to follow new connections. Another sure means of communication even though time-consuming is writing a mail to these ones individually. In the mail, reference your conversation with them. Also, let them know of your desire to constantly communicate with them.

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