I attended the SIOP annual conference principally because of peer pressure and curiosity about what Houston, Texas really looks like. On my way there, the man seated next to me in the plane noticed the research I was reading and started to talk to me. It appears that he was one of the first researchers that highlighted the work-family conflict and that my research thesis was partially based on his work.
This is only one example among a million, but what I am trying to say is that, behind the fact that you learn a lot about topics that matters to you, you also create amazing connections. You get the chance to meet experts in the fields you’re interested in, to ask advices to professionals, to discover new topics. As an I/O student, this conference is the best way to find people that will help you to reach your goals or to help you finding them.

The SIOP conference also allowed me to realize that we are part of a unique program. Everybody seemed to be aware that somewhere, across the Atlantic Ocean, there is a Master Program that is currently creating an army of WOP psychologists full of international skills and more aware about cross-cultural issues than any other psychologist.
Indeed, because of the French accent I guess, I had to confirm many times that I was one of the “Peiro’s students”, and the reactions were always the same: “How lucky you are! How many languages do you speak? How many countries have you been to? I dream about doing it but there is nothing like this here! “
The recognition of my academic that I missed in Europe, I found it there and I am pretty sure now that we all chose the best way to become proficient Industrial/Organizational Psychologists.
On my way back home, I realized that I hardly saw my friends for the past three days and that I don’t know anything about Houston. But I found solutions for the projects I am working on, I clarify my goals and I met people that will help me to achieve them. Without forgetting that I received 100 invitations to visit every cities in US and gave just as much invitations for visiting Paris.
I can assure you that I will do my best to attend the conference next year and I hope I will not be the only one to get the chance to not get the time to discover Honolulu in 2014. I also invite all of you to get information about the International congress of applied psychology that will take place in Paris in July 2014.