So… I’m going to the  SHRM10 conference! Check out the video below. I also have my video notes below for your immense enjoyment.
- Great post from Franny Oxford about the SHRM conference
- My rough draft schedule for the SHRM10 conference
- My funny post from last year on reasons I was NOT attending the annual SHRM conference
Video Notes
- Going to SHRM-big thanks to Eric Winegardner (Because of this post on SHRM 2010 in San Diego, by the way. Check the comments!) and Mary Ellen Slayter from SmartBrief
- Working alongside Monster and SmartBrief on Workforce (click here for free Smartbrief on Workforce email updates)
- Read a great post by Franny Oxford about how to spend my time
- I’d like to ask the people with experience: what should a newbie do at the SHRM conference?
- I’ll post a link to my schedule  so that you can figure out what I’m up to over there.
- If you are going and would like to meet, just let me know (ben@upstarthr.com)
- Going to have some great posts and maybe even a contest later this week, so stay tuned!
“Monster doesn’t suck nearly as much as you think they do”
Funny
Advice since you have never been:
1. Grab all the materials from as many sessions that interest you as you can.
2. If you feel like leaving a session, then do so. Go to another one and get the info you need.
3. Since you are a part of a smaller organization, go to the sessions that are technical and specific in nature: that provide step by step approaches … case studies are best. Use them as an example.
Have fun!
.-= Benjamin McCall´s last blog ..Candidate and Recruiting Poll. Your thoughts! =-.
In addition to the great advice Ben gave, the best thing I can say is network, network, network. Looking forward to seeing you there.
@Ben :-) Thanks for the tips! Especially like #3, because I’ve been struggling with that one. Should I focus on things that are specific to my current company when I may not be here in a year? Curious to hear your thoughts on that…
@John I’m definitely working on that. I sent my schedule out, but I’m redoing it now to purposefully add in time for networking and meeting new people. I need your help to find people who would enjoy upstartHR and share the blog w/them. :-)
I think that the specific and technical stuff would work at your current job as well as your future career. Typically HR is HR. The only things that may change are how HR is practiced, how deep it is used and the reach you have within various employee populations and the organizational structure. The more global or multifaceted (whether the company operates locally, regionally, nationally or globally) is when you get into the value of case studies.
You’ll find that along the way in your career no matter what advice or best practices you come across, you will have to practice and implement the major stuff in your own way!
Hope that helped. Have a great time!!
.-= Benjamin McCall´s last blog ..Candidate and Recruiting Poll. Your thoughts! =-.
Ben…Ben…Ben…
I am going to let that comment slide. ;-.)
I posted my response on your original post…
See you Saturday morning!
EW
Eric, you’re the best thing that ever happened to them. :-) And I’m completely kidding, of course!
@Ben Great comments. Just wondering how to focus when I’m working on more HRIS/tech now and possibly moving to more culture and development down the road. One session’s valuable for what I’m doing and another’s valuable for what I eventually plan on doing. :-) Thanks for the advice!
.-= Ben Eubanks´s last blog ..#SHRM10: newbie lessons, my plans, and your thoughts =-.
I think sense you are working on Tech stuff more now, it is better to ficus on that when you are at the conference. The HRIS/Tech stuff requires more attending to detail and understanding the step by steps and details of how the systems work. While the culture, OD and assessment stuff is something that can be learned and practiced over time (the materials will help to remind you what general steps and approaches are good and can be studied at anytime. Unfortunately, much of it takes time to get the “innate” practice down pat).
Feel free to call or contact me off line if you want to talk more!
Have a great time man!
.-= Benjamin McCall´s last blog ..Hump Day Humor: Travel, Humor & ADA compliance =-.