Making Your Name Great: Conference Proposals & Research Opportunities
One of the most valuable experiences I had as a doctoral student (and still today) was getting to formulate research and ideas with my peers and cohort members. What I loved most about it was the (self-perceived) challenge of creating something of value that would be admired and lauded by others in my field as well as the excitement of possibly contributing to the counseling profession. However, putting myself out there wasn’t always easy, and getting those rejection emails were also hard. Nevertheless, the process and discovery that takes place in submitting your brilliance for conference presentations and publications is a huge and extremely positive developmental experience both during and after the doctoral process.
My conference presentation experience actually started in my master’s program. While all of our professors were well known scholars in the field, they thought it was really important for us to understand the process of navigating the research world from start to finish. This included everything from drafting a presentation outline, coming up with learning objectives, meeting the submission deadline and then, the hardest part, getting in front of all of those people and not embarrassing yourself…or them :). The same guidance occurred in my doctoral program for articles that my professors allowed us to co-author with them or serve as researchers/contributors for. It was risky, but I gained so many valuable lessons about dissecting conference themes, my presentation style, understanding the nature of a specific journal, and identifying my niche from those experiences. Even now as a scholar in my own right, and at times still annoyed by rejection emails, every one of my attempts at a conference proposal or journal submission has made me a better writer, learner, and educator. So, what are my tips and tricks to turn your ideas into academic masterpieces that are ready to be received by the world? Here are a few lessons that I’ve picked up along the way:
Write/present about what you know and love. Be intentional about the message, line of thinking, and information you want to share with the world. It will be so much easier to knock out a conference proposal submission about something your love and/or have interest in than forcing yourself to design an entire article or proposal around a random topic just to get it accepted. You’ll regret it and it will be laborious.
Pay attention to deadlines and plan out submissions and conference attendance. Being organized is essential as you go through the process of mapping out journal article submissions and conference proposals. Make sure you give yourself time to thoroughly review the submission requirements and guidelines, have a plan for when you’ll get things done, and pre-check your availability (and bank account :-]) to attend the conference should your proposal get accepted.
Take note of feedback, but don’t let it consume your thoughts about submitting again. Rejection letters and emails are never fun to receive. However, learning to master a writing style or address content areas preferred by a specific journal or organization is an extremely useful skill that often guarantees future acceptances. Remember, all feedback is valuable and makes you better!
Ebonies, what are your favorite topics to present or write about? How do you strategize planning out a proposal for an article submission? Share your tips and tools with our #EITI community below in the comments!
