Take a little. Newbies to a profession are well-served by curiosity, observation, and practice. Take advantage of all the professional development opportunities you can get, find a mentor, and begin to build your professional resources and collegial network.
Give a little. Once your career is established, it's crucial to give back -- to boost the feedback loop that promotes both personal and field-wide growth and evolution. In fact, contributing to your profession is one of eleven core competencies for higher education professionals.
How can you contribute? You can act as a mentor, volunteer for professional organizations, write for relevant publications, and present at conferences.
Presentation and poster session opportunities
Learn about presenting at AACRAO 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. PROPOSAL DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MAY 25TH.
Why present?
1. Talk about what you want to talk about. Ever been to a conference and thought, I wish they'd had a session on X...? If you present on that topic, not only are you guaranteed at least one session in that interest area, but you'll also meet a handful (or a roomful) of colleagues who are thinking about the same topic. Make it a round-table or case study and you're guaranteed to learn at least as much as you share.
2. Improve your presentation skills and your resume. Practice makes perfect, and rounding out your vita with public speaking experience is good for your career and your personal confidence.
3. Widen your network. Presenting raises your profile and helps kindle new relationships.
4. Help people. Conference attendees consistently leave sessions with ideas about how to improve their workplace that they can implement as soon as they get back to the office. Your presentation can add to that resource.
(Note: Though many of the above benefits appeal to extroverts, introverts can be excellent presenters. There are many online resources with great tips like these.)