Anybody who's ever seen a movie about time travel knows why they should attend conferences and conventions on a regular basis.
At this point, you're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about.
The wisdom of Doc Brown
In movies like Back to the Future (and its sequels), 13 Going on 30, and The Butterfly Effect, changing just one little detail in the past can often have a profound effect on what happens in the future. That effect can be good, or in some cases, it can be disastrous. When it comes to conferences and conventions, though, the effects are overwhelmingly positive in nature.
In the Back to the Future movie series, Doc Brown—portrayed by Christopher Lloyd in a memorable performance—talks repeatedly about the space-time continuum. Specifically, Doc Brown didn't want to disturb or disrupt it, even in the slightest, because it would have repercussions on future events and those events would affect various people's lives to some degree.
For example, when Marty McFly stopped his dad from being hit by a car, it set off a chain reaction of events . . . especially since the car was driven by the father of Marty's mother. As a result, he altered a past event that had a dramatic effect on his future—mainly his birth and existence. So . . . what exactly does all of this have to do with attending conferences?
'Make things happen'
Look, we all know the "practical reasons" why people should attend industry events like conferences and conventions. In fact, we've written about these reasons in past issues of The Animal Science Monitor, and not only are they practical, they're 100% accurate and valid. Just to recap, they include the following:
- Additional training (including training for certification purposes)
- Networking opportunities
- Chance to stay on top of current industry trends
But there's a far simpler reason to attending these events, a pro-active mantra that speaks both to the space-time continuum and your desire for growing your career. And that reason is this one: "To make things happen." In other words, to purposely disrupt the space-time continuum. In your favor, of course.
Because you just never know when a conversation with somebody, or more importantly, a chance encounter, will lead to something that you never thought would occur. Or perhaps you'll attend a training session that introduces a new idea or a new thought, ultimately altering your career in exciting ways. All it takes is one moment, a moment where you've put yourself in a position to benefit greatly, and you didn't even know you were doing so.
During the course of my recruiting career, I've heard countless candidates discuss these moments, their "space-time continuum" tipping points, so to speak. These aren't just career-changing moments; they're life-altering events. And I'm sure if you asked them, they'd tell you that attending that conference or that convention was one of the best decisions they've ever made.
Is it possible that you could attend, but nothing earth shattering happens? Of course. But the only way to ensure that nothing does happen is to not attend. We at The ASM are big proponents of continuous training and career advancement. That's one of the reasons we run a calendar of industry events at least once a month. We believe in the benefits that these events offer, and we want you to be able to share in those benefits.
It's only March, and there will be plenty of conferences between now and the end of the year. Do some research, find out which ones interest you, and plan on attending. Disrupt your space-time continuum.
"Make things happen."
If you have any questions about this topic, please send me an email at brg@charterinternet.com. And if you're currently engaged in a job search or are interested in advancing the scope of your career, be sure to send me your resume. I'd be happy to discuss your career goals and ambitions, including ways in which I can help you to achieve them. Any exchange of information, including resumes, will be kept in total confidence and handled in a discreet fashion.
