In this issue...

•New Web Site Functionality

• Why Should I Attend a Conference?

•The ASM Needs Your Help!

Check Out Our New Web Site Functionality
(By Beth Hilson)

Now that The Animal Science Monitor has been published over 25 times during the past two years, we’ve decided that it was time to introduce you to the entire Animal Science Monitor team.

You already know Dan, Don, and Matt, who also has an article in this issue.  My name is Beth, and I’m the Web Developer for The ASM.  I’m responsible for all of the design aspects of not only the newsletter, but also the newsletter’s Web site, www.animalsciencemonitor.com.  You’ll see my articles from time to time in future issues, and I look forward to your input and feedback.

This week, I’m pleased to announce the release of new functionality that we’ve created for the ASM Web site.  This new functionality is a searching tool that allows you to search past issues of the newsletter.  When you visit the site, you’ll see a small box near the top of the page, directly under Dan and Don’s introductory information.  All you have to do is type a keyword into that box and click on the “Find” button located next to it.  This will pull up a listing of all past issues containing that keyword or making a reference to it.

At The ASM, we strive to provide as much value as possible through both our newsletter and our Web site.  We believe that this new functionality will further enable us to not only accomplish that objective, but to do so more effectively.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at matt@mattdeutsch.com or dan@consearch.com.

Why Should I Attend a Conference?
(By Dan Simmons)

You’re a busy person, there’s no doubt about it.  You don’t have a lot of free time in your schedule. No matter how busy you are, though, you can’t afford NOT to attend an industry-related conference or convention.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Conferences are one of the best ways to invest in the future of your career, and those people who recognize the value that they offer are the ones who end up maximizing their potential in the long run.

Benefits almost too numerous to mention

Conferences provide value in so many different ways that there’s nearly no downside to them, besides the fact that they cost money.  But if you approach them in the correct fashion, you will receive quite a handsome return on that investment.  Below are four of the main benefits of making conferences a regular part of your career development endeavors.

Training—Conferences offer the opportunity to expand your knowledge base through a variety of diverse sessions in a multitude of settings.  These sessions could be held in a large ballroom, or they might involve more one-one-one interaction. The main point to remember, though, is that the more training you invest in, the more valuable you are to your current employer, as well as to any future employer.

In today’s job market, the status quo isn’t the status quo anymore. If you’re not continually improving yourself, you’ll fall behind. There’s no such thing as staying in one developmental stage of your career.  Continuous and ongoing training is the trademark of anybody who aspires to reach their full potential.

Networking—I listed this second, but this aspect of conferences is every bit as important as training, and in some instances, maybe even more so.  Who you know in your chosen field can mean the difference between exploring new and exciting opportunities and not even realizing that those opportunities exist in the first place.

Something that many people don’t realize is that the time spent between training sessions can be just as enlightening as the sessions themselves, especially if you have the chance to talk with the people who are conducting them.  It’s during this crucial “down time” that genuine relationships are started and then later cultivated.

Other people’s knowledge—In addition to the formal training sessions, you can also pick up extremely valuable tips and information from the other people attending the conference.  Chances are good that these people are among the very best in the field, and you can put their experience to good use by soaking up what they have to offer.

It’s very true that there’s no better teacher than experience.  If you don’t have that experience, the best way to attain the knowledge that accompanies it (outside of gaining it yourself through trial and error) is to pick the brains of those who have gone before you and are still around to tell the tale.

The opportunity to refresh yourself—Attending a conference can actually provide a welcome break from your normal routine, especially if you spend a lot of time in the office.  You might find this break to be quite refreshing and rejuvenating, which will lead to more productivity when you return to work.  This might especially be the case if the conference includes some fun networking activities that revolve around social interaction and fun.

Well worth your time

It would be in your best interests to find out exactly which conferences you should be attending.  There are many out there, so make sure you attend the ones that will provide you with the most value and the most benefits.  We’ll be running a list of upcoming conferences in a future issue of The Animal Science Monitor, but feel free to do some research on your own.  You’ll find that your research, as well as your presence at an industry-related conference, will be well worth your time.

If you have any questions about this topic, please contact me at dan@consearch.com.

(Editor’s note: Dan is attending the Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop on Tuesday, October 31.  If you plan to be at that event, be sure to look for him!)

The ASM Needs Your Help!
(By Matt Deutsch)

The Animal Science Monitor is fast approaching its second anniversary.  During the almost two years that we’ve been in existence, we’ve published over 25 issues of The ASM, and we’ve received some tremendous feedback in that span of time.  Readers have been gracious enough to share their thoughts about the direction of the newsletter and the content that they want to see the most.

In the next few issues, we’re going to focus on the importance of staying up-to-date with what’s going on in your chosen field.  We’re also planning to provide a calendar of industry events and an accompanying online directory of those events.  In addition, we’re considering writing some articles about recruiting and assessing and hiring top talent.  We might also highlight interesting new products in the animal health and animal nutrition industries.

However, we need to know if you would be interested in such topics and would benefit from seeing them explored in further detail.  Our goal at The Animal Science Monitor is to provide as much value as possible to our readers.  We want to be the number-one resource for your online needs regarding both the animal science industry and the job market.

The ASM has evolved quite a bit during its first 25 issues.  We believe that we’ve customized our content so that it’s tailored more accurately to fit the needs of our readers.  But we don’t want to stop evolving now.  We want to take this publication to the next level, and in order to do that, we need your help.

If you have any feedback, tips, suggestions or article ideas, please email them to matt@mattdeutsch.com.  When we receive feedback from our readers, we review it carefully and analyze the best way in which to incorporate this new information into upcoming issues of the newsletter.

As always, I want to thank you for being a loyal reader of The Animal Science Monitor.