Conference small talk: What should I say?

Introduce yourself!

• Hi, my name is ____________________. I am a [grader] at [school].
• Hi, my name is _____________________ and I’m working with [mentor] on a project on [one or two words describing your research topic (e.g. Black Holes)
• Hi, my name is ____________________.

Get them talking!

• That was a great talk on __________. How did you get involved in this research?

• I’m interested in learning more about ______________.
• What other research projects do you work on?

Once the conversation gets started, some questions to keep it going?

• What do you do here at the Museum?

• How did you decide on this field of work?
• How did you get into this field of work?
• Where did you go to school? What did you study?
• What do you like best about your work?
• What is a typical day or week like for someone in your occupation?
• What kind of skills, education, and/or training would I need to get into this area?
• What personal qualities are necessary for someone in this occupation?
• Do you know someone else doing this kind of work that I could talk to about my interests?

 Graceful exit

• I would love to be in touch with you regarding ________________.
• It was nice meeting you.
• I will definitely follow up with you about ___________________.
• Do you have a business card? Would you mind if I e-mailed you with some questions?

Other Tips

• Concentrate on listening and not just what you will say next (I know - this is very hard!)
• If there are others in your group, try to include others in the conversation. This can be done with eye contact, body posture, etc. Don’t hog the conversation!
• Silence is okay in any conversation. It’s only awkward if you fear it!
• If you are meeting a presenter, take notes during his/her talk so you have some questions prepared