ASHA is sponsoring an online conference on October 17 – 29, 2012. While the conference is online, it is a live event. (Sounds a lot like teletherapy to us!) Success for Students with Hearing Loss will focus on practical, useable information for professionals working with hearing-impaired children.
Conference topics will focus on new technologies, cochlear implants for children, auditory processing disorders, and more. The event will feature 13 expert clinicians and researchers delivering lectures, followed by live, interactive (text) chats with the speakers. Lectures will be available on-demand on the SHA website following the conference.
Attending the conference in person offers a huge bonus in addition to knowledge and insight gained, attendees earn up to 26 professional credit hours – equivalent to 2.6 ASHA CEUs – nearly a full year’s worth of certification maintenance. It’s a great way to build certification hours.
Perhaps the most valuable career move in today’s market is networking. Conferences, whether online of in person, offer the best possible atmosphere to meet and impress others in your field. In the shifting uncertainty of the job market, keeping a solid network of contacts is the single strongest move you can make to ensure that your career stays on track regardless of school budget cuts, healthcare changes, and the faltering economy. Each conference topic will have a discussion thread. Here’s some sound advice for making people remember you, building your network and gaining respect:
- Ask intelligent questions. Make people think.
- Don’t be afraid of controversy, but shelve aggression. It’s ok to argue, but keep it civil and be prepared to back your argument with credible sources.
- Make a lot of comments. People who back away because their posts aren’t answered at first lose out. Join a conversation and keep talking. If you say interesting things, even the most cliquish group will eventually include you.
- Reach out. If you see someone being ignored or bullied for a controversial opinion, direct the discussion to safer ground by asking questions.
- Exchange information. Put your social media contact information -website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc, in your signature. Ask for contacts from other people.
- Follow up. Especially with well-known professionals in the field. Comment on their blogs, return their tweets, post links to well-written articles and blog posts. By spreading their fame, you gain name recognition…and respect.
Register early to attend the event; you save a lot of money that way! Are you attending the conference? Let us know!