Survival Guide for your 1st SEAOC Convention
“Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Convention”
We asked the Pathways Planning Committee what they wish they knew before attending their first conference or SEAOC Convention and compiled their answers below.
We asked the Pathways Planning Committee what they wish they knew before attending their first conference or SEAOC Convention and compiled their answers below.
Travel Tips
- Figure out details about your travel plans from airports to hotels at least three to four days in advance. You may save some money by booking a shuttle in advance.
- There are often many folks traveling into the area around the same time who can share a Lyft or some advice on the best ways to get around. You will not need a rental car during the Convention. This might be a good thing to ask your Pathways Partner about.
- SE Pathways Planning Committee will send out a sign up sheet prior to the convention to help connect Pathway Participants connect and organize ride share to and from the airport
Health and Wellness
- If the provided breakfast doesn't appeal to you, consider going to a cafe in the hotel or nearby, or stocking up beforehand on breakfast foods and snacks that can be kept in your hotel room.
- Hydrate. Keep a water bottle with you.
- Get some exercise: take a walk between sessions (maybe with a new friend!)
- Be sure to bring sun protection for the times you are expected to be outdoors.
Planning your Days and Convention Etiquette
- Prior to the Convention, set your goals. Consider: What do I want to get out of the Convention? Come ready to participate and be there in the moment. It will be hard to do, but try to leave your phone in your pocket, purse or bag…unless it is your tool for taking notes.
- Planning Your Days
- Get familiar with the schedule ahead of the Convention.
- Note 2-4 events/sessions you don’t want to miss each day.
- Try to squeeze in a walk or a meet-up with a friend at least once a day.
- Take advantage of tours if there are any.
- Download the mobile app--the information for this app should be available on the Convention website shortly.
- Visit the exhibit hall between sessions. The exhibitors are a key part of the Convention as they are there to provide detailed information on products and services that are key to structural engineers. The exhibit hall is also where most of the networking happens as you walk around and meet new people. Ask your Pathways Partner for some introductions!
- Keep an eye out for events that might be smaller gatherings. They are great places to meet other people.
- Don't miss the President's Cup!
- Young Member Forum (YMF) Afterparty is also a must!
- In the Sessions
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the sessions and follow up with the speakers.
- Even if you are too shy to ask a question, try to formulate what you would ask or ask the person next to you after—this will engage you more with the presentation.
- Try to be present—if you can disconnect from your phone and/or work obligations, awesome!
- Carry a small notebook or phone with you. Use for technical talks—if you so desire—but more importantly, jot notes to yourself about:
- things you should follow up on (papers you should read, topics that really piqued your interest, things you're curious about, anything that inspires you)
- people you've met! (e.g. Met Lorena on the bus to the welding workshop. She lives in SoCal and works for Lindapter. Steel-to-steel connections, no welds required.)
Meeting New People and Networking
- Find a buddy to be your networking-wing person. Many of the Pathways participants are first-time Convention-goers and you can connect easily with those assigned to the same Pathways Partner as you. You'd be surprised how many people are going to the Convention for the first time. Expect 15% of attendees to be new to the Convention.
- Meal times and receptions are good times to meet new people. Don’t be afraid to walk up to a table of new people and sit/chat.
- Similarly, introduce yourself to other Convention-goers in elevators, at the cookie/coffee/water table, etc. However, be conscientious not to take too much of people’s time between sessions. You can always follow up with people later during meals or receptions, or follow up with an email or Linkedin message.
- If you tend to be nervous while meeting new people, practice your conversation starters and your 30-second introduction about yourself before the Convention. Some conversation starters could be:
- “Hi I am …. How are you?” *simple and sweet*
- “What brings you to the convention?”
- “What sessions have you enjoyed?”/"What sessions are you planning to attend?"
- Plan a short response to the inevitable “What do you work on?” question. Try to keep it under 30 seconds.
- Don’t hesitate to talk about non-work items.
- If you are looking for a job, it is always good to get to know someone first. Most of the time, the people who you talk to are not hiring managers/the person who does recruiting, but if you are able to connect with them, they can point you in the right direction and speak positively about meeting you. The Convention is not the place to bring your resume so ask for a business card and follow up with your resume.
- Follow up with people you connect with after the convention for any opportunities discussed.
- Networking
- Ask around with friends/colleagues to see if they may know anyone who is attending the Convention.
- Reach out via LinkedIn, email, or phone in advance. Give yourself at least one week to reach out to people.
- Get cell phone numbers so it's easier to communicate and meet up for coffee, lunch, or drinks.
- Bring a handful of business cards wherever you go. You may not need them but you never know when someone you meet might be your future mentor or a lead for your next job!
- Maybe consider saving a QR code for your LinkedIn profile.
- If you don’t have your own business cards, remember to ask for one from the other person and take charge on following up!
- Follow up and reach out to new connections at and after the Convention.
- Professional Development
- Let your firm/colleagues know you are headed to the Convention. Ask if they know anyone you can connect with or if there are any sessions they would like you to attend so that you can bring information back.
- Consider offering to do a lunchtime presentation (for friends/colleagues) with highlights of things you learned at the Convention.
- Most committees are looking for younger people to get involved. If you hear from someone who represents a committee you are interested in, reach out to them.
- Take pictures and use LinkedIn to post about your experience at the Convention!
Pathways Workshops and Sessions
- To get the most out of Workshops and Pathways Program, please consider these prompts prior to the convention:
- What impacts your satisfaction with work-life balance?
- Have you had a mentor at some point in your time as a student or in your career? If so, what did you find most valuable from the relationship?
- What do you think is the biggest challenge to the structural engineering profession and to structural engineering professionals?
- How are those challenges best addressed at a professional level?
- What barriers and challenges did you personally face when entering the profession and staying in the profession?
- How are those barriers best addressed at a personal level?
- Don't be scared to speak up in workshops and share your thoughts, opinions, ideas, etc. You might be surprised how many other people had similar thoughts.
Tips and Advice from 2022 SE Pathways Cohort
What was your favorite part about being in the the SE Pathways Cohort?
"Meeting other young professionals, sharing experiences and hearing their own experiences and perspectives. And feeling an overall excitement for our industry and profession."
~Kate White, Salas Obrien, SEAONC |
What was the most valuable experience during your time?
"Hearing other young professionals' experiences that were similar to ( and also different from) my own. It made me feel less alone/ like my own feelings and struggles were validated. It was also nice to hear from older professionals that they also shared similar struggles at times and that they were open ears to feedback and ways to help. "
~Kate White, Salas Obrien, SEAONC |
What did you gain from the Pathways Program?
"I have gained a lot of talking points to bring up to my company on ways to improve our industry, starting with our office. Hearing opinions from students and young professionals in a similar stage of their career helped shape some of my opinions as well. I also gained more confidence networking with other structural engineers, and have made some long lasting connections after last year's convention."
~Tanya Wohlfarth, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
~Tanya Wohlfarth, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
"This program made me realize that I was not the only one struggling with trying to figure out a place in the industry. I had been missing a sense of belonging ever since I graduated and started working as it was all soo new to me. But, having met such wonderful people, from my cohort members to the experienced partners and senior structural engineers, interacting and listening to their experiences and enthusiasm made me realize that this was just a beginning of a long adventurous journey. And that has me excited rather than nervous. It was one of the best 3 days of my time here in the US and I am more than glad that I could make it to the convention."
- Prajwol Bhattarai, Buehler Engineering |
"I came back from the convention and the pathways program and convention so empowered and inspired. I brought many of the discussion topics back to my own team and immediately started to work with my team and company to implement some new ideas and programs inspired by the conversations had during the Pathways Program. There is something also inspiring about sharing all our shared and different experiences within the Pathways Cohort. It seemed like the best way to overcome "Imposter Syndrome" was to talk about with everyone. You are definitely not alone in your experiences or feelings. "
~Julianna Burke, DLR Group, SEAOSC
~Julianna Burke, DLR Group, SEAOSC
"In my opinion the most important element to have a successful career is a good connection with the profession of the field. SE pathways provide a friendly environment to be connected to the profession of structural engineering as well as other junior engineer and become familiar with their vision about the filed. In addition to that attending the pathway give me an incentive to try harder to reach my goal as I see that I will have a lot of support from other great engineers. In addition to that the way that experience engineer talks about structural engineering, and it impacts on the world make me feel proud on where I am."
- Sepehr Shakeri, AECOM |
"I gained many connections! I met many new people to SEAOSD and the industry, as well as seasoned people in industry. I'm really grateful that a space was created for me at the convention--it felt like I was able to cross a "barrier" and get to know people that I hope to model my career after in ways (while also learning that nobody's path is linear). It made me hopeful that industry-wide, the people at my career-level are passionate and hope to create positive change."
~Alissa Gonzalez, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
~Alissa Gonzalez, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
"The SE Pathways Cohort gave me the opportunity to be introduced to my first SEAOC convention. As a part of the cohort I got the chance to network with many younger engineers all in the same or similar parts of their career as myself. In addition, I got to network with many of the pathways partners who were in attendance. The program allowed me to have a group of people that I knew at all events, so that we were able to take advantage of all the convention had to offer with "safety in numbers" to make approaching and networking with other people at the convention less intimidating."
- Alexander (Zander) Danto, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. |
What advice would you give to the 2023 SE Pathways Cohort?
"Find a buddy (or a few) early on! It helps make the experience more valuable, less intimidating, and keeps you engaged. Traversing the exhibitor booths with a buddy is WAY easier than trying to go at it alone."
~Jenika McClay, Forell Elsesser, SEAONC "Talk to others about your experiences. You may feel like you are the only person struggling or experiencing something, but you are not alone and even if others are not exactly in the same boat, SEAOC is a very supportive community that can help you." ~Kate White, Salas Obrien, SEAONC |
What advice would you give to get the most out of the SE Pathways Cohort and Convention?
"Get out of your comfort zone and take advantage of every opportunity you have! Meet and connect with your fellow cohort, attend both technical and professional presentations (including the keynote presentation!), network and find potential mentors with industry professionals, explore the convention exhibition, and in general have fun!"
~Brianna Hartner, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
~Brianna Hartner, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
"Try to recognize your strengths and balance your attendance to lectures that will benefit you as well as lectures/workshops that can offer ideas that you can bring back to your company/school. (For young folks, it may be better to attend more of the DEI, professional development, etc. type lectures than more involved, theoretical lectures)"
~Alissa Gonzalez, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
What is your advice for meeting new people both within the Cohort and within the Convention?
Master a few "openers." They can be simple (ie are you a pathways member, what MO, what company, what kind of work do you do, what do you do outside of work?) Everyone in the cohort is probably nervous but willing to make conversation and expand their network. A few simple questions help get the conversation flowing!
~Jenika McClay, Forell Elsesser, SEAONC
~Jenika McClay, Forell Elsesser, SEAONC
"It can be overwhelming to approach a group of people you don't know so I'd recommend starting off by talking to someone by themselves (they could be getting a drink, sitting by themselves, or wandering around looking for someone to talk to). My typical go-to is to break the ice by complimenting them, and then use that as a segue to continue a conversation. Once you make a friend, it's much easier to meet more people as you go!"
~Brianna Hartner, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD |
"I'd recommend finding one person in the Cohort that can be your go to for the entire convention. This can be someone you work with, go to school with, went to the same school as, or just clicked with at the initial reception. Having a buddy that you can turn to or lean on for support at any event can be so helpful, and will encourage you to be more involved in the program over all. I'd also recommend meeting your assigned mentor early on, because they can take you under their wing and introduce you to other people at the convention. They've been to a convention before and understand how overwhelming the conventions can be!"
~Tanya Wohlfarth, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
~Tanya Wohlfarth, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
"Remember most other people are in same boat as you, don't know many people, and nervous to initiate the conversation. While it may be nerve wrecking in that brief moment, it usually always pays off. Try to fight those nerves and don't be afraid to approach someone and start up a conversation. If it someone part of the Pathways Cohort, they are likely very excited you initiated a conversation with them and also looking for some more buddies. If it is another convention attendee, they are also still likely to be excited, you started a conversation. Many of the convention goers are excited by the SE Pathways Program and they are looking forward to meeting all of you." ~Julianna Burke, DLR Group, SEAOSC |
Any other Tips and Tricks you would recommend?
"I'd recommend sitting with a new Cohort at each lunch or dinner at the Convention. I made some great connections by just pushing myself out of my comfort zone and meeting other Cohorts."
~Tanya Wohlfarth, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
~Tanya Wohlfarth, KPFF Consulting, SEAOSD
The Pathways Program would not be possible without the support of our valued sponsors and contributors. Thank you to the following individual sponsors for their generous donations and continued support.
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