Any conferences you plan to attend? Coming across as professional is a must – even though you may think no one is ‘watching’ you among the crowd.
Let’s share a few tips on how to enjoy the experience as a true professional:
Dress Code
No need to go into the details of how one should dress for a corporate event. One thing to remember is that your chosen outfit should reflect the professional perception you wish others to have of you.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones should be on silent with no vibration settings left on. Scrolling and browsing while someone is giving a presentation is disrespectful and a distraction. You may think that, because you are sitting towards the back of the room, you could be excused on this one. The answer is no.
Cleanliness
Why does it seem acceptable to leave bottles of water and crumbled paper lying on the floor when a large group of people are gathered in a room? Would they really do that if they were a party of three having a business lunch? So why does it seem to become acceptable in large numbers? Without trying to justify such behaviour which, as studies have revealed, seems to be common when individuals gather in crowds, all we should really try to do is think of those coming to get the room in its previous state before we ‘professionals’, went in.
Photos
If allowed, do remember to turn off the flash when taking photos as that would be a distraction to those on stage. Uploading content before the end of a conference is also not appropriate.
Business Cards
Remember to take business cards with you. As always, it is poor form to go around and hand them out without introducing yourself. So give out your card when a mutual introduction is made and you agree to continue interacting after the event. The business card can also impact your professionalism as this small card will be representing you when the networking is over.
