How to prepare for a panel

Being invited to participate on a professional panel is a compliment to your technical knowledge, personality, and communication skills. Participation can be a great way to enhance your professional reputation. But before you rush to say yes, make sure you are prepared and up to the task. Explore the ask. Before you agree to participate, know exactly what you will be committing to. Will you be expected to prepare any remarks, or will your role be to answer questions only? Can you review all or some of the questions in advance? How will expenses be handled? If it’s a repeat event, or one in a series, find out details about past sessions. Who participated in the past, and who has agreed to participate this time? What are the goals for this event? While your opinions do not need to be identical to those of the host or organizer, you do