The Beeline Broadcast, #14

Professional Organizations: My Wallet Isn't Fat Enough

I'm a little hesitant to say this, but here goes: I will not be attending any professional conferences this semester. I simply couldn't justify paying to attend a national conference (and additionally lose money by missing work hours). Girl's got bills to pay.

I definitely considered budgeting to attend TPE, but after realizing that the available positions in New England would center on residence life, I chose not to attend. I have much respect for residence life staff, but I just cannot fathom working in that area.

I don't know if this decision hurt my job search. I'd like to think that it didn't. It's not as though I've ignored my professional contacts. I have certainly reached out to others. I've met with a few previous supervisors. I can honestly say that I've networked with my contacts in the area!

There are those that swear by conference networking, and I'm not saying that conferences aren't a great place to meet new people and exchange ideas. It's just that at this stage in the game I feel like I'm helping my job search by reaching out to old contacts, kicking ass at my internships, and plugging away with job applications.

Cheers!