Your Event Guide to Grace Hopper 2015

I know, less than a week, AAAHH! I'm so excited too, and the more I see your reactions, even more excited I get! Another thing that increases inversely proportional to the time till #GHC15 is, the number of events!

The GHC schedule is amazing, technically and socially mesmerizing, but it seems more awesomeness is on the way like previous years. Some companies, universities and special interest groups organize their own events and parties! So... I will try to be your party guide, girls!

Note: The events listed here are all unofficial ones, please check the conference schedule for the official events.

Let's start with a brief summary of last year. We have been to so many events that I apologize from the start that I'll only mention my top three unofficial parties. To start with, third place goes to Amazon (and Kiva), with their refreshing Amazonian cocktail:) Second place (unfortunately) goes to Pandora, unfortunately because that was one of the best conference parties I've been to. They closed a roof-top bar, turned it into an open-air disco, with awesome Pandora music. They also had delicious food and so useful swags that I still use (like little Pandora power stations!). Oh, and they also invented their special pinkish cocktail  (Pandora mist? I don't remember its name), And the first place, goes to: Pinterest. The most creative party I've ever seen! We've done our first dream-catchers, near "a mountain of cheese", with unlimited alcohol. There was also a photo-booth, swag, more food, and everything you can and cannot think to turn a regular place into an incredible party!

Ok, enough with the last year, let's start this years list! Click on the company names to access the event details.

1. Pixar:  Curious about Pixar or how woman in tech side of Pixar is producing your favorite animations? Well, join us then:) (Yes, I highly recommend this one. And no, I'm not biased..:p) 
2. Pinterest: I bet it will again be an awesome party, I highly recommend having a look at "A Night with Pinterest" :)
3. Women TechMakers: It seems like something fantastic is coming up. Stay tuned! 
4. Facebook: Instead of one big event, Facebook divided the teams into Research, DevOps, and others; and meeting in breakfasts, brunches, and lunches.
5. Uber: LadyEng in Uber await you for games, food and networking! 
6. Twitter: WomEng team of Twitter invites you to a panel followed by a Twitter party (following the special cocktail tradition that I mentioned before). 
7. Github: A creative event comes from Github! Meet at Patchwork Houston for a workshop to learn and dig into Git! 
8. Pandora: Not sure if it will be as heart-warming as last year, but give it a try.
9. Instacart: Come, socialize and party with Instacart!  
10. LinkedIn: WomenConnect at LinkedIn invites you to another networking event. 
11. Square: This time you're invited to a breakfast! You'll be having coffee, breakfast, swag and fun time with Sarah Friar (CTO). 
12. CMU: Carnegie Mellon University calls you for desserts!
13. Axon & TASER: Interestingly, scholars, food and party time! 
14. Cisco: Cisco also has a networking dinner. 
15. Pros: Another networking reception by BLAZE at Pros.  
16. Women in Technology: Houston: Another panel accompanied with food and surprises, that aim to strengthen our connection. 
17. Salesforce: GirlyGeeks is organizing a wine event at a roof top, sounds like an awesome atmosphere to socialize:) 
18. Mastercard: Another reception to enjoy, this time by Mastercard. 
19. Career Incubator: A night of Martinis&Mentors, sounds interesting! 
20. iOS: Are you an ios developer? Then join the crowd and make apps come true!

As a last note, I would suggest to register for the events from the links. But don't worry if it's closed, or full, or invite-only. You never know who you'll meet with or where you'll be going to, in #ghc15 :) If there is an event or a party of your dream place, go to their booths to ask about it, or just learn the address and go! Remember that all those efforts are for you, just for you:) I'll keep updating the list as soon as I hear about more events. If you know of an event, leave it in the comments with the link, so that I'll add it to the list.

Hope to dance with you all girls! I'll end this very informal post with a photo from last year's official party, thanks to Google:) Have fun!

Ilke Demir

Post syndicated from Over The Heels and Far Far Away.

Finding a Job at the Grace Hopper Celebration North America

The Grace Hopper Celebration is a great place to find a job or internship. The conference features a three-hour Career Fair with over 70 recruiting organizations, as well as exhibit booths that are open all conference long and interview booths for job and internship positions. If you are looking for your next internship or job position, here are some tips to make the most of your conference experience.

1. Update Your Resume: Showcase yourself and your accomplishments on your resume. Make sure that is up to date and reflects all of your current experiences and skills. Check out our article with tips on preparing and optimizing your resume.

2. Upload Your Resume to the Resume Database: Sponsors are now beginning to access the Resume Database, so upload your resume now if it's not there already. Conference sponsors look through the Resume Database to find candidates to interview for job and internship positions while at GHC. Don't miss out; upload your resume today.

3. Visit Exhibit Booths and Bring Printed Copies of Your Resume to GHC: Talk to company representatives, find out about open positions, and learn about daily life at these organizations during the Career Fair on Wednesday, November 9, from 7 pm to 10 pm. Stop back at sponsor booths on Thursday and Friday to speak again with recruiters, ask questions, and make an impression. Be sure to bring printed copies of your resume, as well as business cards, with you to hand out to recruiters.

4. Refer to the Conference Job Book: The GHC Job Book is your guide to the organizations recruiting at the conference. The Job Book features company profiles and details about open positions, desired education level of candidates, and more. The Job Book will be published before the conference, so familiarize yourself with it before you arrive at GHC, pick out several organizations to target, and come prepared. We'll feature an article on the Job Book in the newsletter when it is published.

5. Network: With over 3,000 attendees expected at this year's GHC, you will have the opportunity to meet technical women and men from many organizations, in various types of positions, with different specializations. You never know who you might end up talking to or where that connection could lead. Be proactive about meeting other conference attendees. A connection you make at the conference could lead to your next friendship, professional collaboration, or job position. We'll be running an article about networking closer to the conference, so watch for more tips about mastering the skill.

For those of you who have found work at previous Grace Hopper conferences, what advice would you add?

CRA-W Grad Track - How to build my professional network

Building a professional network is another one of those skills analogous to when we say 'common sense is not that common'. We are naturally social beings and need a network of people to go about our day-to-day lives. However, in addition to a basic social network, it is crucial to build a professional network and guess what.. it does not come naturally to everyone and is in fact a practiced and honed skill. So none of us are born with this knowledge; only as we climb up our career ladder and interact with peers and leaders, do we begin to gradually learn how to go about it.

Whom to network with?

Everyone! You many never know which contact of yours would end up helping you out at a difficult stage or furthering your success. Especially at conferences such as the GHC, you may not even be aware that the person you just casually passed at the escalator, belongs to the same field as yours and could be a great contact to build. So next time, do not hesitate to strike a conversation with the person standing next to you. Or in a general case, be open to making new connections with all the people in your circles. Important pointer - do not exclude social networks to make professional connections. That is a great way to leverage your existing connections to strike a professional chord with.

When you introduce yourself to someone, it is important to make a personal connection every time. You should be confident, cheerful and exuberant to meet the other person. A smile can go a long way and make sure to look the other person in the eye when you're speaking. This ensures that you will both remember each other and not forget this casual conversation at the turn of the hour.

So how does networking further your career?

A good network has manifold advantages. It makes you and your work known in this era of information overload where you need to strive to make your mark. Also it provides a source of recommendation letters from your advisors or managers, co-workers, directors, other areas of your company, and recruiters in industry. Through your network, you can get invites to give talks and interviews, or to be on several program committees. You can find your network useful in joining technical or community service organizations that help you contribute to the progress around you. Essentially, talking to more like minded people leads to new ideas on topics of interest or different slants on old ideas, thus helping you in your work or when forming new collaborations. Last but not the least, networking also ends up creating long and lasting friendships!

Now comes the harder part.. how do I talk to complete strangers?

The approach is simple - have an "elevator speech" ready and practiced. This is a very concise introduction to you and your work, enough to pique interest and limit it to 2-3 sentences with one sentence each explaining what your project is, what is the value, and what problem it solved. Be sure to explain in layman terms as well to make it relevant to the other person. Convince the person in this short while that what you work on is new and cool. That shouldn't be a problem right? Well it can be if you tend to ramble when it comes to explaining your work or research that your whole world revolves around. Hence, practicing the "elevator speech" frequently will keep you on top of your communication skills while meeting new people.

And of course, do not be shy. I can relate to this as I sometimes hesitate ever so slightly before striking a conversation, thinking why would the other person reciprocate? The trick is not to suddenly go from shy to extrovert but simply to believe in yourself and be confident. If they are not able to interact with you directly, more often that not, they will always direct you to some of their contacts who might help you. You can see how this helps to grow your network through mutual connections. Talking about reciprocation, you should equally show interest in their project and discuss about it; be curious and ask questions about how they got where they did today, what was the journey and the joys and challenges faced.

Follow-up without fail!

It doesn't end there. Following up is as important as anything else you do in the meeting. YOU need to initiate the follow-up. Be ready to be out of your comfort zone and ask for definitive replies to achieve closure on your discussion. Making new connections might come easily to some but maintaining them is equally important and tactfully following up helps achieve that. Earlier in the follow-up process, make sure you remind the other person of the venue and context that you guys first met at and as correspondence grows, this might no longer be needed.

Along with the TO DO's, there are also some important DO NOT's to professional networking. Firstly, don't burn bridges - do not inadvertently commit networking-suicidal mistakes that will ruin your relationships. In a company scenario, one way to avoid burning bridges is to always be humble and respectful towards your managers and to adapt yourself to their feedback instead of being arrogantly adamant and doing something unaccounted for. Don't have a low tolerance on constructive criticism or take things personally (being women, that means overcoming our natural tendency!). Don't use too much of people's time (e.g. hold frequent unnecessary conferences instead of covering ground in your work). Secondly, dont treat your professional network as dumping ground for your personal problems, or for gossiping around. Also do not go overboard with including people from all your circles into your professional network and draw the line consciously, prioritizing ur needs. Do not treat your network as "resources for use" but relationships to nurture and do this tastefully.

Equipped with this knowledge, and as you gather more and more new experiences, you will not only enhance your academic and professional network, but also enhance your personality and be a better and successful person :)

How to Make the Most of Twitter for Grace Hopper

Short on time? Jump to "Networking Face-to-Face to Twitter (and Back!)"

Twitter has hit mainstream. News anchors suggest following their account for the latest updates, companies updating their online presence create accounts, celebrities use it to create their own press. And it is a norm at conferences.

Grace Hopper is no exception to this rule. Read on to learn how to make the most of it! (PS – Folks to which Twitter is old hat, jump to the NEW! highlights.)

Setting Up Your Account

It’s okay to use Twitter to only follow others. BUT – if you’d like to use Twitter to connect with other people, there are some steps you will want to take.

• Personalize your account.
• Having a name, profile picture, and bio is your first defense against being assumed a spammer. If you prefer to be more anonymous, you can omit your last name or use a nickname and upload an image that is not a photo. (Keep in mind having a photo allows other conference participants to recognize you.) The main goal is to make you look like a real person. Since, you know, you are. :)
  
• Understand the impact of the “Protect my updates” setting
• With this setting on, others must request permission to see your updates. If you would like your updates to show up in the public stream, this setting must be turned off. To do this, log into Twitter, click Settings, scroll down and make sure “Protect my tweets” is NOT selected.
  
• Get out there and tweet!
• Most important way to distinguish yourself from spammers? Start updating your Twitter account! People don’t follow people who have never tweeted before. They want to know what you have in common and if you tweet about things they want to hear more about.

Twitter Basics for GHC

Use the #ghc10 hashtag for ALL (before, during, and after) GHC10-related tweets. Doing this ensures your related tweets show up in the conference Twitter stream (provided your tweets are not protected). You can view the real-time stream by searching for #ghc10 on Twitter. To add a hashtag, simply include #ghc10 somewhere in your tweet.

The official conference Twitter account is @ghc. Following @ghc connects you to the latest conference news. It is also the account to which you can direct GHC questions. (Make sure to include the conference hashtag in your tweet to @ghc. If someone else knows the answer, they may be able to respond before the official account can get a chance!) If the @ghc account is following you back, you can also address private messages by starting them with d ghc.

Before, During, After, All Year Round!

Session/Workshop Hashtags NEW!
I've already mentioned using the #ghc10 hashtag, but new this year are session/workshop hashtags. When tweeting during and about session/workshops, include BOTH the #ghc10 hashtag and the corresponding session/workshop hashtag. This provides context for those following your tweets and people looking at the overall #ghc10 conference stream.

Update Your Poken with you Twitter Details NEW!
I just found out about this so excuse my uber excitement, but Pokens are available to all GHC attendees this year! They are FREE for students and $15 for non-students. (Seems reasonable to me!) You simply touch your Poken device to the Poken of the person you’re connecting with to exchange contact info. So make sure your Poken includes your Twitter details!

Twitter Lists NEW!
If there is anyone on these lists that is of particular interest to you, make sure to follow that person so they show up on your Twitter homepage.

• @ghc/ghc10-attendees
• This is where you can find all the #ghc10 attendees that are on Twitter. If you're attending GHC and would like to be added to the list, tweet or send a direct message with your request to the @ghc account.
• @ghc/ghc10-speakers
• A great list where you can find all the presenters from GHC10 that are on Twitter.
• @ghc/communities-committee
• See all the tweets from the members of the GHC Communities Committee.

Networking Face-to-Face to Twitter (and Back!)
Include your Twitter name on your conference badge, so the people you meet know they can connect with you online.

If you pardon me jumping on a soap box a bit, Twitter is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE way to network. The nature of Twitter allows users to loosely stay connected. There is no need for the formal replies email, LinkedIn messages, and even Facebook messages require. Twitterers can choose which tweets to comment on. This leads to awesome scenarios such as receiving a solution from a contact I would not have even thought to ask as a result of tweeting a challenge I was facing. The other general benefit of being connected to your network by Twitter is best described by the video Twitter in Plain English.

Do take advantage of (and feel completely free to!) follow people in the #ghc10 Twitter stream that are tweeting about things that interest you. The main chunk of my network from past GHC conferences was from connecting with the women on Twitter prior to the conference, briefly meeting them in person (if at all), and then getting to know them over the course of the year via Twitter! Now I look forward to meeting up with my tweeple in real life! :)

Glossary

RT – Abbreviation of the word retweet. Retweeting is the action of quoting another user’s tweet. You can either type in RT @username and copy/paste the message or use Twitter’s Retweet button. You would use the copy/paste method if you would like to add a comment.

Hashtag – A hashtag is a word, phrase (no spaces), or abbreviation that is preceded by the pound (#) sign. It acts as a tag in your tweet.

DM – Abbreviation for direct message. Direct messages are private messages. To send one, the recipient must be following your Twitter account. Precede your message with d username.

Tweeple – What I like to call the folks I interact with on Twitter. :)

Any suggestions or tweaks to my suggestions? Add your thoughts in the comments!

3 Women, 2 Grace Hopper Conferences, 1 Global Collaboration

Three of the memorable women I talked with at Grace Hopper (GHC) in 2009 were Shikoh Gitau, a student researcher from South Africa, and Mary Hudachek-Buswell and Stefanie Markham, the local chairs for this year’s conference in Atlanta. These women forged a strong connection at GHC 2009 that has continued to develop, resulting in a panel to be presented at GHC 2010. Earlier this year Mary shared how she and Shikoh first connected: through our Grace Hopper 2009 Rides & Roommates discussion on Facebook. It’s such a great Grace Hopper story that I asked them to share it here on the GHC blog.

Mary’s story: Meeting Shikoh at GHC09

Last year was my first time to experience the inspiration of GHC. It was a long anticipated trip since GHC has always been something I wanted to participate in, but had not had the opportunity to do so in the past. I was asked to serve as the local chair for GHC10, and I just had to get to Tucson for GHC09. I decided to immerse myself in the experience of attending before traveling by reading the posts on Facebook and LinkedIn as the time approached. In order to save travel money with the budget crunch, I had to fly into Phoenix and drive to Tucson in a rental car. I kept noticing people posting requests for rides, meetings, or attending some sightseeing events together. I thought it was a great idea to communicate in this way. I liken it to listening in on a huge girls' gab session where they were all discussing going to THE party of the year. I became slightly addicted to reading the blogs, posts, and tweets which fed my excitement in attending GHC09. Occasionally, the thought would enter my mind, "What if GHC didn't measure up to my hopes and vision that I built up in mind?"

I was going to GHC09 with my Computer Science "sister", Stefanie Markham. As the time approached and anticipation mounted, I took the plunge and began participating in the online conversations. There was a post from a young woman in Cape Town, South Africa who needed a ride to Tucson from the Phoenix airport the day before the conference started. I had space in the car with only Stef and me driving down from Phoenix, so why not? It was the day and time we were arriving, and it would only cost sharing a couple of hours with a stranger in a small car in the middle of the desert. So Shikoh Gitau and I began coordinating online how we would meet, since phoning was out of the question. I gave Shikoh my cell number to call the day I would arrive in Phoenix. That was how we left it. Would she actually be there from South Africa? What did she really know about me? We each gave a leap of faith based on our common bond for what GHC could hold for both us.

Stef and I landed in Phoenix, finally got our bags, located the rental car facility, and finally got the car (seemed like hours). All the while playing phone tag with Shikoh. What Shikoh must have thought of the two crazy women from Atlanta. We met in an underground parking lot in Phoenix on what seemed like the hottest day of the year. As we began our drive to Tucson, (yes there were wrong turns as I was the driver) we got to know about each other and how our paths led us to GHC09. Shikoh had the same spirit as Stef and me, and a passion for furthering women in computing. Our new acquaintance with each other was fast growing into a tentative friendship as we filled every minute of the two hour drive with giddy discussion. We arrived at the resort and Shikoh determined she needed to be at a hotel somewhere else in downtown Tucson and there were no shuttles to get her there. Stef and I quickly checked into our room, and then headed out to take Shikoh to her hotel at the University of Arizona, as wel as a couple of other stranded students. Stefanie and I dropped the young women off, and then headed out to explore Arizona after a stop for fast food. We thought this would be our last encounter with Shikoh.

Not so! First thing the next morning and throughout the week, I continued to run into Shikoh and we would share our viewpoints, ideas, and information from sessions. We talked about how we should do something together for a future GHC. As we discussed the important issue of gender based violence after Megan Smith's speech, an idea came to the forefront of what we might be able to do. It was one of those goosebump moments in your life where you realize you might actually be able to make a real change in the world for the greater good. Our idea continued to grow, and plans were sketched out before we departed for our separate parts of the world. Both of us were forever changed by our meeting and connection to GHC. We have communicated electronically over the last 8 months, and our panel Take Back the Tech (Part II) was accepted to GHC10. We have a dream to harness technology in order to end violence against women in third world countries.

Shikoh’s story: Meeting Mary and Stef at GHC09

After receiving the news that my poster had been accepted for the GHC and that I had a travel scholarship to go all the way to Arizona, I was ecstatic. After all the excitement cooled down, I got right into planning how I was going to get myself SAFELY to Tucson. The Cape Town – Arizona flight takes about 24hours, so to beat the 11 hour jetlag I planned to arrive a day early. However, my funding did not cover the extra night so I first scanned my over 800 Facebook friends list to see who among my former classmates and friends lived in the area. The nearest I got was Phoenix, Arizona. They were very kind to host me for the one night. The next problem I encountered was to get to the hotel in Tucson from Phoenix. I joined the GHC fan page to see who was doing what, and posted my need for a ride to Tucson. Being from Africa, I am very wary of this kind of arrangement, Hollywood does not instill much confidence in as far as the great American desert is concerned. I had seen all sorts of imposter and hijacking movies, but I cast away the fears and went to the underground parking lot of the Phoenix Airport. With no pictures to view, I had to work with clothing color in order to identify Mary and Stef.

The U.S. was very new to me, so they brought me up to date with the whole being an American ritual. In that drive, I gained good friends and mentors as we headed towards GHC09 in what I regard as the greatest gathering on earth. Previous to the trip, I read a lot of what was presented in GHC, and came away feeling like an odd ball. My research in computer science was totally different from anything anyone was presenting, and needless to say I felt like an imposter. So as we exchanged our research approaches, I ended mine by saying that I am not “a real computer scientist”. The reaction from both Mary and Stef was not what I expected. They in unison told me to never ever say that, and stated that my research was great. It was good that I met these women and they had told me my work was good, because in the coming days, I continued to experience the “I am not a real computer scientist” thing, and they were there to correct me at every turn. After the keynote speech by Megan Smith (Google), they both came hunting after me with an “I told you so” expression written all over their faces. I have to say they were right; my research is indeed real computer science research. The meeting and discussion thereafter lead to the organization of Take Back the Tech (Part II), a panel at GHC10 that will bring together women from industry, academia, women’s rights activist as well as feminist organizations to discuss technology and gender based violence. We hope to have a concrete technological intervention as result of this panel as well as the continuing conversation.

Join Shikoh and Mary in the Grace Hopper Celebration session Take Back the Tech (Part II): A Feminist and Techie Dialogue on taking control of technology to end violence against women from 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2010.

If you seek a ride or roommate for GHC, look for Grace Hopper 2010 Rides & Roommates on the Discussions tab of our Facebook page. And make your own pre-conference connections through our GHC online communities.

Do you have a story of a great connection made at the Grace Hopper Celebration? Tell us about it!

Become a Follow Up Rock Star!

Grace Hopper is almost upon us! How exciting is that? I want to spend some time on a topic that isn’t something you do at GHC, but afterward. That’s following up. It arguably the most important part of networking! Without following up, you don’t create a connection and therefore, no network!


I will admit I’m awful at following up. It’s definitely something that I hope to work on this year and greatly improve. I really began thinking about how important following up with people is when I read this post by Trent over at The Simple Dollar. This post talks about chapters 13 & 14 of Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi (a book I’ve never read, but have desperately wanted to). I highly recommend popping over to The Simple Dollar to read the post. I want to touch on the points Trent makes from a Grace Hopper perspective and hopefully help you become a Follow Up Rock Star!

How should I follow up?

Being timely with your follow up is essential. One way to make sure you have time is to schedule time now. Block out time on your calendar for the Monday you get back. Use that time to send emails, find people on social networks, and answer any follow up emails you’ve received.

In your follow up communication, please include some context of who you are! I’ve received follow up emails that say things like, “It was great to meet you. How’s moving?” I feel awkward writing back asking the person to remind me where we met; it implies that I don’t remember that person. I do remember, but I need a little bit of context. Save everyone some awkward moments and make sure to mention where you met and situation or conversation you had.

Plan a second follow up. This tip is genius! I’m going to start doing it right away. The second follow up is really where the connection can be made. It’s a great idea to add a reminder to your calendar, PDA, or Blackberry!

What should I use to follow up?

We are quite lucky to live in technology oriented world. This means that there are a plethora of choices for how to follow up with someone and keep the conversation going. You can follow up with email, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, a phone call, or a handwritten note, just to name a few options. I usually use email, Twitter, and handwritten notes.

Email: I love following up with email because it’s quick and it can be as formal or as casual as I want. It’s up to you whether to use a personal or work email, but either way, make sure the address is appropriate.

Twitter: I’m biased; I love Twitter. Twitter is a great way to keep the conversation alive after an email. For me Twitter is a casual way to keep in touch, so I like to start with an email (and it can be more than 140 characters). I really like the casual feeling of Twitter and I can respond to as many or as few updates as I want.

Handwritten notes: If you really want to stand out and be memorable, send a handwritten note. Email is easy, but a handwritten note is personal and it takes a little more effort. Trust me, people will remember it. I keep a stack of blank cards that I use for all sorts of correspondence. In the end, I love getting mail (that’s not junk mail or bills!) so I assume other people do too!

I hope this has inspired you to become a Follow Up Rock Star! If you have any follow up tips or tricks, let us know by leaving a comment!

How to Work the Crowd at GHC

The Grace Hopper Conference is a great opportunity to meet and connect with incredible women from all over the world, but networking can be difficult sometimes, especially when you're an introvert (like many of us).

I came across this article on "Learning How to Work a Crowd". In this Ignite Talk, Alexis Bauer uses an interesting analogy of planting a garden to networking at social events. One must "sow the seeds of conversation" around the room.

One important thing to always remember is that everyone is JUST as nervous as you are. Striking up casual conversations with strangers becomes less daunting when you have something in common with each other. The beauty of conferences like GHC is that everyone already has at least one thing in common with everyone else: the conference! So the next time you spot someone near you, strike up a conversation about the conference itself (your hotel, seminars that you'll be attending, cool swag, etc). You can use anything related to the conference as a conversation starter. And remember, "bystander is just another word for a friend you don't know yet".

Hope to see some of you working the GHC crowd this year!

Celebration time!

I can't believe the Grace Hopper conference is less than a week away!

As a senior undergraduate, I'm so excited to be attending GHC this year! This will be my second time attending. I can't wait to have the opportunity to network with professionals, learn about the newest research, visit with recruiters, and attend Sponsor Night. I will also be participating as a blogger and note taker during the conference. I figure this is a great way to give back to GHC for the student scholarship they gave me.

My first time was the 2007 conference in Orlando, and wow - I came away from that experience SO motivated! I wanted to participate in research, volunteer with woman in computing groups, work in industry, continue networking with all the wonderful women I met...oh yeah, and finish my undergraduate degree. It's funny how these small things get in your way. ;-)

My experience two years ago taught me a few key things:

1) Print out your resume!
As a newbie to the GHC, I had no idea that I would have such a great opportunity to connect with companies looking to hire women. I found myself scrambling to find a printer and print out my resume -- not a fun time!

2) Attend as many sessions as you can!
I always like pouring of the schedule beforehand and planning out my day accordingly. Torn between two sessions? Go to the first, then visit the second if you feel like that. And don't forget that we will be having note takers to try to capture some of the main points of session.

3) Introduce yourself
There are so many opportunities to network with the woman at the conference, whether it's before/after a session (and something during!), at the breakfast buffet or lunch table, in the elevator, at Sponsor night...the list goes on and on. Challenge yourself to meet someone new every day.

4) Bring your dancin' shoes!
The award presentation and dancing on Thursday is always a great time. How often do we get to have dance parties? It's a total blast.

The best thing about GHC is that it is business and party all rolled into one. It's such an incredible experience to be surrounded with thousands of woman who are just as psyched as you to be involved in the computing industry. So, take it all in! A memorable experience awaits you!

What I Love About GHC (and, Women Pilots in WWII!)

I wrote about this at my first Hopper, but I want to say it again: what I love about GHC is standing in the middle of the atrium floor on Wednesday night, watching 1000+ women talk and carry boxes and geek out about each other's gadgets and set up their posters and plan their evenings. Standing and watching, I am reminded that I am not that I am not alone, that I am in a community of women, women who are smart and geeky. As women in male-dominated fields, it is so easy to feel isolated and without community. I often feel pathless. Hopper gives me a chance to peer down the paths of life which other women have tread. I always start to reshape my life-map at Hopper, basing my new map on the stories I hear from the women around me.

As geeky women, we need this community, and this chance to imagine ourselves without borders. I am looking forward to it, as always.

PS: For geeks who are also history buffs, check out this article from the New York Times about female pilots in WWII. There were nearly as many then as there will be Hopper attendees this year!

Inspirational Quote:

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." Dorothy Parker

Last year's Grace Hopper Conference caused a chain reaction in my life

After finishing my master's in engineering at Carleton University a few weeks ago, I have begun to reminisce about my life, and more specifically, what I want to share with you in this blog. I thought about my experiences at last year's Grace Hopper conference, about my experiences as co-founder and external affairs executive of WISE (Women in Science and Engineering), and about my experiences as a teaching assistant. I finally figured out what I'd like to share with you in this blog. I'd like to tell you how going to last year's Grace Hopper conference has changed my life.

The 2008 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing was the very first conference I attended. I went with three of my fellow executive members of WISE. We were passionate women in the preliminary stages of rebuilding this group and this conference was the perfect way to start us off. This is what I personally got from it:

I got to know my team members on a more personal level. Ultimately, I think this discouraged any development of misunderstandings between us and made me realize that we need each other's support. I remember we arrived early and spent an entire day just exploring Keystone resort. I remember we talked all night about boys.

I realized just how many awesome women there are in technical fields around the world and that we really are very valuable. I realized that it's normal that I sometimes feel like a fraud in my field and that I am not the only one who worries about balancing family life with work life. I think this was the most important thing I needed to know if I was going to rebuild WISE.

I learned that to get what you want you need to ask, ask, and ask again. And if you don't hear 'no' enough then you're not asking for enough. This is a huge reason why our group ended up getting a lot of help and funding. I remember how shocked our faculty adviser was when she heard that the dean of engineering accepted our budget proposal. Even she thought we were asking for too much.

I remember the climax of the trip. It was the last day of the conference and all the women were sitting in one big room. We were asked to talk about what we've learned. By this time my head was spinning and I felt like a nobody compared to these women. I felt even more helpless when one woman stood up and said that she learned that you can't have everything. Then an older woman stood up and said something that I will never forget. She said that you can have everything, just not all at the same time. To this day I truly believe that this woman's advice is what keeps me going. I wish I remembered who said that as I would love to thank her for sharing her wisdom.

Attending this conference convinced me that networking is extremely important if you want to get ahead. One problem though, I am an introvert. I realized this so I decided to take on the role as external affairs executive of WISE. I am very thankful I did. After much practice, I can now play the role of an extrovert, but I still need my alone time to recharge my batteries.

I learned about mentoring. I almost didn't go to that session because I thought to myself: what good could I possibly be as a mentor? But thank goodness I did because I ended up doing a lot of mentoring through WISE. I sure didn't realize I was signing up for that job, but thankfully I love mentoring and I've also gotten some pretty good feedback about it too.

A panel discussion about women in leadership taught me that you won't get anywhere if you don't take risks. There is also an African Proverb that states that smooth seas do not make a skillful sailor.

It was also made clear to me that perfectionism has two faces. Many times it's worth it to take the time to get the extra quality, but there are cases when it's not worth it. Perfectionism is still a big issue for me as I like to do everything to the best of my abilities, but I'm only human.

My Hopper position showed me that the best way to meet new people at a conference, especially if you are an introvert, is to volunteer to help out. I met more people in an hour of working as a Hopper than an hour of walking around at the conference.

And last but not least, I learned that if there are many outreach programs in your local community, it is probably more beneficial to join forces with them than to start a new one. And personally, I'm tired of all the clutter in the world. It's discouraging when you're searching for something specific and you end up with a bunch of useless information. Clutter is something I've thought about a lot.

I'd love to hear how last year's conference changed your life. Please feel free to comment on this post with some points of your own. And if this will be your first time at the conference, let us know what you think will benefit you the most and what you are looking forward to. See you all at the conference!

Note from the GHC 2009 General Chair

How can you get the most out of a Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing?

1) Network. Talk to as many different people as you can. Share ideas with people in similar specialties and listen to people in areas very different from yours. Exchange business cards and use the Connect project to keep new connections alive past the end of the conference.

2) Learn. Attend sessions that help you grow professionally, that introduce you to new areas of computing, and that help you connect with peers in your area of interest. Meet people from other cultures and exchange ideas on creating technology for social good.

3) Have fun! Get energized from inspirational keynotes and presentations. Attend organized and spontaneous celebrations. Laugh over stories of similar misadventures with new friends.

4) Go home recharged. Take what you learned back to your sponsoring organization. Implement some of the new ideas you picked up. Tackle challenges with fresh determination and a new perspective. Keep in touch with your new connections from Grace Hopper and form a support network.

On being a shy connector

Adapted from a post I made to the Carleton University Women in Science and Engineering group.

With GHC coming up soon, maybe you're excited about all the new people you'll meet... and maybe you're a bit terrified by the idea of being in a sea of strangers. Even potentially awesome strangers can be pretty overwhelming en masse!

My friend Sacha is a self-confessed shy person who is also good at meeting new people, giving presentations... typical extrovert stuff. And she does it all without defeating her shyness, but rather finding ways to connect that don't require her to be outgoing.

Check out her tips on being a shy connector. My favourite tip involves wearing a funny hat (or something else notable) to get people to come up to you and talk, because when I met Sacha I absolutely had to go up to her and ask about her huge camera and tiny computer. It works!

I've embedded her slides below, but it's worth reading her blog post that goes with them, too!

The Shy Connector

View more documents from Sacha Chua.

I'm looking forwards to meeting people at GHC! You can come see my talk on web security in the PhD forum 4 (just before lunch on Wednesday). And I do love having other people talk to me, so I may just find something crazy to wear -- keep an eye out!

Why Patty's Glad She Went to GHC

Our Anita Borg Institute e-newsletter has been publishing a series of responses to our call for Why I'm Glad I Went to GHC stories. This thoughtful response from Patty L is a great illustration of how the Grace Hopper Celebration can impact a career — and a life. Here's Patty's story, in its entirety. — bj

Attending GHC in 2006 pulled together all of my passions: a love of technology, a desire to address isolation and plateau challenges at work, and a desire to work on the K-12 pipeline issues for women and minorities. It was marvelous to be in such a large community of intelligent and talented women from all over the world. You could talk about anything – work, home, technical, non-technical, family, pets, hobbies, outreach -- whatever was on your mind or in your heart. The sessions mirrored the conversations – professional development, work/life balance, technology, panels, outstanding keynotes. It was inspiring to attend an awards ceremony that recognized women who have paved the way, despite innumerable roadblocks and hardships.

A “Birds of a Feather” session that was focused on Latinas in Engineering caught my eye. There I found a community of women with whom I could identify and share challenges unique to my culture, ethnicity, and values. The session organizers were Gilda Garreton (Sun Microsystems) Dilma da Silva (IBM TJ Watson Research Center), and Cecilia Aragon (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). In that session, Latinas in Computing was formed, along with other contributing members Raquel Romano (Google) and Claris Castillo (IBM), and me. Latinas in Computing has since grown to include many more active members, and we have worked on numerous panel and workshop sessions every year at GHC and elsewhere to grow and support the technical Latina community. We host a Latinas in Computing luncheon every year at GHC for anyone who wants to attend. We’ve received invaluable support from the Anita Borg Institute and from other generous corporate sponsors.

Every year I come back from GHC energized, motivated, and focused. The realization of why hit me after my first conference – I remembered an article by Deborah Tannen. She distinguished between male and female conversational rituals – girls tend to learn rituals that focus on rapport, while boys tend to learn rituals that focus on status. At the typically male-dominated technical conferences I had attended in the past, it required thoughtful, concerted effort to interact with male peers (most of whom I’d never met before) -- at every meal, every session, and every breakout I felt like I was always “on”, inadvertently focusing on the status dimension. It was exhausting! I came home drained and deflated. At one conference in particular, I was pregnant with twins and literally stuck out like a sore thumb – which reinforced a deep-seated fear that l didn’t really belong in technology. The key reason I attend year after year is because the GHC community is inviting, intelligent, inclusive, and supportive. Sessions and conversations with other attendees at GHC helped me understand that I could enjoy being a technologist and a woman, a mentor and a protégé, a mother, a syster, a Latina, and a friend – I could just be myself.

Stepping outside my work environment and into the GHC community made me realize that I needed to move on professionally, and gave me the skills and support to make a successful job transition. Starting over was the hardest thing I’ve ever done – leaving the expertise, security, and network I spent almost two decades building. To try something new was incredibly empowering - it won’t be nearly as hard to do the next time. I now have a supportive community to draw from, and I was able to quickly rebuild a new network. I learned a lot about myself in the process, and started my new job with a clean slate and a fresh perspective.

There’s still so much work be done to level the playing field for women and minorities of all ages, we need “all hands on deck” to make inroads over the next decade. At GHC 2007, I was compelled to bring my own middle-school-aged daughter, in an attempt to keep her interest in science and technology alive (OK, I bribed her with a few days at Disney World!). 2009 will mark her third GHC conference. I hope she will look back on these formative years as pivotal in deciding who she wanted to be and what she wanted to accomplish with her life. I want her to have what I lacked through most of my academic education: to find role models she can relate to for inspiration and mentorship, to learn to navigate her own path at her own pace, to learn how to build her own community, and to be fearless to pursue her dreams.

How Students Can Get the Most Out of Grace Hopper 2009

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student in computing, the Grace Hopper Celebration is a great place to come for inspiration, learning, professional networking, and job opportunities. With a little preparation, you will gain the most from this experience.

Before the Conference

Some activities at Grace Hopper require preregistration. Don’t worry if you did not sign up for these when you registered. Just log back into the registration system and you can add them. Here are a few that students in particular should sign up for:

• If you’re looking for work:
1. upload your resume into the GHC Resume Database and
2. schedule an appointment in the Resume Clinic in the registration system.
   
• To make the most of your professional networking at Grace Hopper sign up now in the registration system for the CONNECT project:
  
  • Set networking goals, exchange contact information electronically, and receive daily reports on your networking progress.
    
  • After the conference, you'll receive a summary of all your CONNECTions' contact info – no business cards required!
    
• If you are a GHC Scholarship recipient (past or present) you’re invited to attend the GHC Scholarship Reunion Lunch on Friday. Other networking lunches include ResearcHers, Women of Color, and LGBT on Thursday and Latinas in Computing, ACM and Systers on Friday. Pre-register for all lunches in the registration system to ensure you get a seat.
• There are more ways to connect online with other conference participants before, during and after Grace Hopper:
  • Join our groups on LinkedIn or Facebook (a great place to look for a GHC roommate!).
    
  • Follow us on Twitter.
  • Share GHC photos, videos, notes and blog posts.
    
  For these and other opportunities to connect online, check out our GHC Online Communities.
• Last but not least: If this will be your first Grace Hopper Celebration, read Tips for Newbies by recent graduate Erin Donahue for more planning tips.
  

Great Sessions for Students

Before the conference, check out the program online and plan the sessions you want to attend. There is an overview on the Conference Program page. Look for the CRA-W Career Mentoring panels for undergraduate and graduate students, highlighted in brown, on Wednesday afternoon and the Student Track sessions, highlighted in red-orange, on Thursday and Friday. You will also find a brief description of each session in the more detailed Program Schedule.

Here are a few sessions that might be of particular interest to you as a student:

• The CRA-W Career Mentoring panels begin after lunch on Wednesday:
  • For undergraduates, start with CSE is for You: Innovation, Flexibility, and Exciting Opportunities followed by The Road to Graduate School and The Graduate School Experience.
  • For graduate students, start with Graduate School Survival Skills, then Networking and Professional Development and Publishing your Research.
• If this is your first Grace Hopper Celebration, or if it has been awhile since you’ve attended, don’t miss our For the Newcomer session from 5:30PM -7:00PM (before the Opening Reception).
• On Thursday and Friday you’ll choose from Student Track sessions – like Mastering the Art of the Technical Interview and The best way: research by undergraduates – and sessions from other tracks in Industry, Academia, Technology and more. Some of our Birds of a Feather sessions will be presented by and for students, e.g., Building A WISE Support Group From Scratch and Baby Loading, Please Wait: Pregnancy, Graduate School, & Computing.
• Between sessions stop and visit our GHC sponsors at their tables, especially if you are looking for a job. Even if you didn't get an interview from submitting your resume to the database, you might get one by stopping and talking to their recruiters. Don't miss this opportunity!
  

After the Conference

The magic words when you get back home are “follow up!” Share any remaining conference notes, photos, videos, etc. that you didn’t upload to the GHC communities during the conference. Go through the business cards you collected and contact information emailed to you from CONNECT, then send those connections Facebook friend requests, LinkedIn invitations, or emails. They’ll be grateful if you assume they met as many people as you did at the conference: Provide hints about how you two connected or subjects you discussed. And remember to watch the Anita Borg Institute e-newsletter for news about Grace Hopper 2010!

What additional suggestions do you have for students attending Grace Hopper?

Tips for Newbies

Firstly, I’d like to say that the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is one of my favorite conferences.  As a woman in technology, I don’t meet that many other women in technology on a day-to-day basis.  While being unique is great, it sure is great to flock together like birds of a feather!

Also, I’d like to second everything that BJ has written in her post!  I was a senior last year when I went to GHC and I was looking for a job.  I submitted my resume to the database and got several contacts from that.  In fact, I interviewed for a job while I was at GHC.  Because of GHC and that job interview, I have a job at Lockheed Martin.  I highly recommend taking advantage of the opportunities that GHC can present to you!

Having gone to GHC for the first time last year, I feel qualified to give advice to any newcomers.  Last year I attended as a student and this year I’m attending as an industry professional, so my advice is coming from my student experience.

Bring business cards
Yes, students, this includes you!  Having business cards instantly makes you look more professional, plus people now have your contact information on one card!  My personal card has my email address and phone number on it.  You may want to add your website, blog, or twitter username depending on what you feel comfortable with.  I designed my cards at Moo.  Zazzle also does business cards.  Feel free to put some personality into your cards!!

Network!
Networking is all about a mutually beneficial relationship.  With that being said, as a student, I always felt guilty networking since I felt like I was constantly asking for favors.  Lindsey Pollak gave me this great piece of advice when it comes to students and networking: Tell whoever you are networking with, “Please let me know if there is ever anything that I can do for you.”  This is great for two reasons, first, it’s not necessary to “pay back” a favor immediately.  This allows a person to contact you later, maybe even years later, and ask you for something.  Second, this is a message conveys that you understand networking is a two way street and you’re willing to return the favor.

Make a schedule
I made a rough schedule for myself on my Google calendar and printed it out before coming to GHC.  I put one day (it’s hours off because of time zones) on a whole page.  Even if some sessions that I wanted to go to overlapped, I put them both on the calendar with the location.  This way, I always had some point of reference.  Of course, I deviated from my schedule, but as it changed I just wrote it in.  I was able to quickly tell people when I was free since it was all on one sheet!

It’s ok to take a quick break
This is a big conference and sometime it can be overwhelming.  There is so much to do!  Don’t be afraid to skip a session to take a quick nap or catch up with someone you just met.  Last year, I didn’t make it to any BoF’s (something I will remedy this year!).  I spent that time chatting with people.  My GHC experience wasn’t any less fulfilling and it helped recharge my battery.

Bring an extra bag
Swag. Tons of it. Leave space in your suitcase or pack an extra bag (especially if you want to take some back for a women in technology student organization).

Be comfortable & have a blast!!

Tips for Job-Hunting at Grace Hopper 2009

Our diversity-minded Grace Hopper Celebration sponsors know this conference is a great place to find talented technical women. They send recruiters and hiring managers, search our Resume Database, volunteer in the Resume Clinic, and interview job candidates during the conference. So whether you're about to graduate or have years of experience, GHC is a great place to look for (and find) a job.

In case you missed the recent article on Great Ways To Find A Job at Grace Hopper 2009 in the Anita Borg Institute's e-newsletter, here's a summary of tips given there plus a few additions to help job-seekers make the most of this opportunity.

Submit your resume online. Sponsors will begin accessing resumes from the GHC Resume Database on August 8th and will start setting up interviews with GHC attendees starting then. Submit your resume now so you don't miss this opportunity.

Register for the GHC Resume Clinic. In the Resume Clinic, experienced human resource and staffing professionals will go over your resume with you. Bring at least two copies of your resume for editing. Not only will your resume be reviewed, but the Resume Clinic is a great way to connect with recruiters from major tech companies and government labs. So be sure to sign up for a slot at the Resume Clinic when you register for GHC.

Use GHC's online community for professional networking. Take advantage of the CONNECT project to plan and organize your networking at the conference (sign up when you register). And join the Grace Hopper Celebration and Anita Borg Institute groups on LinkedIn to make professional connections before, during and after the conference.

Visit GHC sponsors in the exhibit area during the conference. You'll be able to talk one on one with GHC sponsors and also set up interviews with representatives from some of the most acclaimed tech companies and academic institutions in the world.

So don't delay: submit your resume to the database today, sign up for the Resume Clinic and CONNECT, and join our groups on LinkedIn.

And if you didn't receive that e-newsletter, subscribe now before you miss any more great tips on how to make the most of Grace Hopper 2009!