Is Grace Hopper Conference Really Easy to Get a Job

GHC is the world's largest gathering of women in tech. I first heard about it from my friends in 2017. While reading about it, I establish that my company, HERE Technologies is a gilt sponsor for the briefing. Terminal twelvemonth I was expecting my babe so couldn't attend it. This yr however when I got back from my parental go out, I establish that I missed the deadline to apply then I couldn't attend GHC as Here attendee. I started following GHC19 on LinkedIn and Facebook and got actually inspired reading about Grace Hopper, mission of AnitaB.org and about people's experience at the celebration. I reached out to my manager and told her how this conference is important for my professional and personal development and asked if I tin get for it instead of the one, we become every yr. I was fortunate enough to become the approval and the ticket (buying full general registration for GHC requires its own post, but Iong story short I was ane of the lucky ones to get information technology). Before even going to GHC, I learnt something —exercise not assume things, if you really feel passionate virtually something, go and ask for it! I was the but 1 from Hither who attended the conference through general registration, and I am so glad I asked.

Some of my learnings and suggestions for the outset timers:

PRE GHC-Preparation: I would highly recommend doing a few things before GHC to brand most of your time at the conference.

1. Act fast- Due to the sheer calibration of this conference, proceed an middle out for all the important dates for general registration, accommodation booking, childcare, session registration etc. Book flights equally shortly as you have confirmed registration.
2. Follow GHC, AnitaB on Social Media- Starting time post-obit GHC and AnitaB on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Here is the LinkedIn page AnitaB.org, Facebook group is — Grace Hopper Celebration 2020, on Twitter and Instagram follow the hashtags #GHC20, #AnitaB. Update your twitter and LinkedIn with #GHC20 to connect with others who are attending GHC. These groups are good source of unofficial information, people post their experiences, blogs, questions, tips and almost unofficial GHC events. Reading all those posts inspired me to write my own feel, I read quite a few blogs and it was amazing to see how each of them taught me something new and gave me a new piece of information. Through these unofficial channels, I got to know about the after parties and trust me it's worth attending these parties for food, fun and crafts. I designed this bag for myself at Google after party and learnt about some of their cool products.

iii.Upload your resume to GHC Database- Even if you are non looking for job alter, you should still do this. This is not just for the recruiters; but for companies to reach out to you and is a good manner to network. Through this you lot would get invitation for breakfast, java chats, lunch and fun parties. Do not wait for the perfect resume every bit information technology allows you to edit information technology someday you want to. In case yous are looking for job opportunities, you must read this amazing blog from Shilpa Vir for tips.

4.Download GHC App, Go Familiar and Finalize Schedule- There volition be many things going on at GHC and there will exist so much yous would like to do but it's important to have a game plan. Explore the app, there is a lot of data there virtually the sessions, speakers, sponsors, career off-white, technology showcase, transportation, map and much more. Most importantly continue an eye out for all the important dates since everything moves very quickly due to the sheer scale of the conference.

Most of the sessions become total very chop-chop and so it's good to book a slot asap. However, I noticed that since there are and so many things going on at the same time and the convention middle is huge, also people with confirmed spot doesn't show up sometimes and so it'due south worth waiting in the waitlist line. In case the session is full, and you are actually interested in it, bookmark it. I found this filter very helpful as past the time I registered for few sessions they were full but using this filter I could see the sessions I was interested in and could attend them despite waiting in the waitlist line. I noticed that people were trying to nourish back to back sessions as near of them are not recorded and it's hard to choose equally all of them are amazing. I tried doing that too but honestly, I wouldn't recommend it and would advise to go on some buffer between the sessions and so yous can recharge yourself and make most of the sessions you are attending.

5. Childcare: GHC provides complimentary childcare for the attendees. If you are planning to nourish this briefing with kids, exercise make a reservation asap considering it gets total very chop-chop. At that place is a no-show policy so book sessions appropriately. I attended this briefing with my 10 months old and I was very happy with the arrangements GHC made, it gave me peace of mind that my baby was in good hands and was well taken care of. This is united states of america with our back up coiffure at GHC 19. I believe if yous want support, yous need to have religion and trust in your support system. For instance, I was a little hesitant that my married man could manage our baby exterior of the daycare but I was amazed how he managed everything. A big thanks to his paternity break, so he got fourth dimension to bond with our baby and got confident in taking caring of him by himself.I strongly experience both motherhood and paternity leaves are important to promote parent-child bonding, to promote gender equity at habitation and workplace.

vi. PRE GHC-Local Meetup- Through LinkedIn I learnt about the PRE GHC meetup in my metropolis. I got a risk to see people from Boston who were going to nourish this conference for the first time and about some of the local events. Our host — Melissa Greenlee, Microsoft, a veteran GHC attendee gave us an overview of how to utilize the app, what to look at GHC, what to vesture, what to pack and how to maximize time at GHC. This is when I realized that I was not the simply one who was nervous and had tons of questions. Nosotros too got absurd Boston tags to put on our GHC badge, which was a good conversation starter.

7. Gear up your elevator pitch- If you lot're a little shy like me to reach out to people, practise practice your intro considering you will exist meeting nearly everyone for the first fourth dimension and if you know what y'all are going to speak, it gives you lot conviction. Even though yous might not exist looking to change job, cheque out the career fair, learn about what other companies are doing, talk to them about your work and what kind of opportunities they have in your field and most importantly network and become some swags :)

eight.Pack your bags- I would say read this blog by Shipa vir , she has covered everything. She is the one who inspired me to write my experience

During GHC

Mean solar day 1:

1. To beat the long registration lines and to attend the opening keynote session side by side twenty-four hours, collect your badge on the kickoff day every bit the conference starts with total swing on the next day. Since I went there early, I could take pictures around the Convention centre when it was non crowded equally for the next three days I was running betwixt sessions, career hall and nutrient courtroom.

two.Attend the First Timer'due south Orientation session — This is a good session to go an overview of the briefing, to learn how to optimize your GHC experience, to meet other attendees. Generally first timers attend this session, and everyone is looking to network and connect with each other, use this opportunity to brand new connections. I made some connections while I was in line and whenever I bumped into them during the conference, it felt like meeting old friends. Here are some tips from the session to start a conversation:

three. Exercise check out the career fair to get an idea of the companies, to treat yourself with beverages and snacks and to collect swags.

Highlights from some of the dandy sessions I attended

Information technology was amazing to listen to the powerful women at the keynotes and to exist surrounded with so much talent and energy. What inspired me the most was the simple nonetheless powerful #WeWill statements. It was inspiring to learn how these women are using technology to ameliorate human conditions, to turn disability into possibility to back up other women, to provide opportunities to younger women and to transform lives of underrepresented people. What struck me the most were the words from Dr Vivienne Ming thatcourage is something that you practise and if you want an amazing life, you demand to requite it to someone else. Her work in helping reuniting refugee kids with their parents through technology touched my eye.

We will share our gifts with the world- My experience at Career Fair Hall on Twenty-four hour period one wasn't great- no affair how prepared you lot are, it is overwhelming to exist lone among so many people. I was very nervous to talk to people at berth, mainly because I felt I don't have extraordinary skills, work experience or communications skills. I felt I was sounding very desperate (yep that's how I felt) while talking to them and I was doing it because I was there for "networking". Next day afterward the keynote, I realized what I liked the well-nigh about the speakers was how different each of them were and how different were their stories and that's the reason they are there. I told myself my unique quality is "me", it gave me confidence and I reached out to people with a smile on my face.Well the fun part was I won some gifts and I was excited similar a kid 😊

We will exist scared just nosotros volition do it- Information technology's incredible how near of the speakers had the same goal of women empowerment and tech equity. They all did ignite a fire in me to advocate for myself, to speak up, to be accurate, to trust myself and to own who I am. I did somethings that I was always scared of such as asking questions, public speaking. Our company organized a video shoot and asked u.s.a. to share our experience at the GHC and share any advice for the time to come employees. I felt so proud of myself that I volunteered to participate in the shoot and despite being scared, I did it! Lastly, writing downward my experience, this is again something I take never done. By now you lot may have figured out that I am non a good writer, but the 4 days taught me that it'southward ok to brand mistakes, embrace them and move on!

We will change the direction of tech together — I went out of my comfort zone and reached out to people fabricated some strong connections both within and outside my company. Speaking near my company, I got take chances to see powerful and supportive women community at Here Technologies. At that place were sixty people from eleven countries, and these are some of the best people I met during the conference.

We will reach 5050 past 2025 in Leadership Team- It was fun attending the professional development workshop on how to lead when you're not in charge by Jo Miller. This session did articulate my concept of being a leader and changed my view on leadership. She mentioned this quote by Cindy Pace, Vice President, Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officeholder, MetLife -Run into Yourself as a leader now. Leadership is an activity, not a position. Speaker, made an interesting point about the common skills that leaders have, and it turned out that each of one us has at least one of these skills. She added that one has to shift the focus from doing to delegating, from tactician to strategist from optimizer to transformer, from order taker to rule breaker and most importantly from me to nosotros. This made me think what activities I need to let go off, where do I need to invest more than time and what risks I can beget. If you don't take risks, you lot'll always piece of work for someone who does"- Nora M. Denzel, Board Director, AMF and Ericsson.

We will win together- Win together is one of my company'south value and something I believe in. Information technology was an amazing to run into my colleagues presenting in the conference, the title of their track was "Me INC. — Be the CEO of Your Career". It was all about managing your career like a CEO manages a company. The session made me think if I am investing in my career or not, what is my strategy, how well I am using my resources such every bit — time, money and energy, what actions am I taking to achieve my goal, who are the people in my network whom I can seek advice from. Lastly how important is to take a personal brand. This motivated me to attend sessions on personal branding and establish them very useful.

Nosotros will Overcome the Likability conundrum- I attended few sessions on personal branding, how to overcome imposter syndrome and how to showcase your brand. Some of the cardinal learnings were — stop discounting yourself- if you strongly experience nearly something starting time saying I recommend this, what are your opinions, it's ok non to exist liked, nosotros don't need approval from others, claim your expertise and lead by owning your forcefulness.

Here is a good summary past Sheetal Wrzesien on how to maintain and showcase your brand.

We volition use technology to improve human condition- another great session I attended was by the technical leadership Abie award winner — Dr Fei- Fei Li. She talked nearly her journey in Artificial Intelligence (AI) field, history of AI and her efforts towards Human Centered AI. I knew AI is one of the greatest technologies and has impacted almost all the industries but after listening to her I got a different perspective that how of import people are in the deep learning revolution and how important information technology is to have variety in AI and to have policies effectually it. She fabricated a very expert statement that- AI is not to "replace" human but to help human being and to improve human status.

I would like to end with an african proverb from Aicha Evans, CEO of ZOOX -if you lot want to go fast, go solitary . If you want to arrive, go together. GHC not only gave me an opportunity to connect with so many wonderful and talented women but besides taught me how of import it is to empower, uplift and back up others.

If you lot got an opportunity to attend this conference would love to know what does this conference meant to you. It meant empowerement and inspiration to me.

crowleydess1937.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-first-experience-grace-hopper-conference-ghc-akanksha-kamra