Advice for approaching POIs at conferences?

[topsailpsych]

I'll be attending the APA conference next week and expect to run across at least a few of my POIs for doctoral programs.  Any advice on how to introduce myself and express my interest in working with him/her without coming across as creepy or schmoozy?  

Thanks!

[rising_star]

Email in advance if you want to have more than a handshake meeting. That's my advice.

[TakeruK]

I second rising_star's suggestion to email first. Some conferences publish their list of attendees so if you see the name there or on the talk/poster schedule, you can open with that and say that you are interested in their program. Ask if you could meet them for a quick chat during a coffee break. If you are presenting, you can mention that too. Depending on the size of the conference and the preference of the prof, you might schedule a specific break time and a specific location, or they might just suggest that you find them during a break or poster session.

Come prepared with some questions you want to get answered. At conferences in my field, you can probably expect around a 5 minute chat during a break. However, you might end up chatting longer if your interests really line up! But in my field, one shouldn't feel slighted if the meeting is only a few minutes. Also, a handshake meeting is still pretty good: I find that it was a lot easier for me to write a SOP about working with a person if I had met them before, even only briefly. And, it gives you the chance to make more contact later on.

Finally, emailing ahead of time can also help you since the prof might also suggest you meet with their students or postdocs, which can be very helpful. Or, if they are actually not attending the meeting, they can connect you with their students/postdocs who are attending.

[t_ruth]

APA is a great place for meetings in my field as it is a smaller group than our main conference (AERA).

Emailing prior is a good idea, but some profs don't answer email during the summer.

Find the division you are interested in and go to all their open events. Get to know the main players in your field. Attend talks or posters sessions by your POIs. Show interest in their posters and ask good questions. Mention then that you are interested in working with them (if you don't connect over email before). Try to connect with their grad students! They will likely have more time and interest in hanging out. You will get a lot of good insights and they really have our ear when it comes to who to admit.