Discord’s Post

Conferences with thousands of attendees create unique challenges. Participants need to be intentional to connect and be seen in spaces that will support their journey. The "invasion" of males who were not present as allies changed the dynamic of what was to be a supportive event for #womenintech. Plenty of lessons here for organizers on creating a conference experience and adapting real time. Women are already disproportionately impacted in the industry. Shame on the men who lied on their registration to access an event designed to nurture relationships and lessen the inequities for women.

Why do communities matter? 🤔 I was talking to one of our role models yesterday, who mentioned that after a year at her current (large) company she was still yet to meet another Black woman working as a software engineer. I realised that this is one of the reasons communities like Next Tech Girls are so important: ✨ They create a sense of belonging. If you're used to being surrounded by people who aren't like you, finding a community of people who come from a similar background and have similar interests can be so comforting. You can finally fully be yourself without fear of judgement, and feel like you fit in rather than standing out. At our recent Next Tech Fest event lots of the women commented on how refreshing and exciting it was to be surrounded by women for once! 80% of our community are also from ethnic minority backgrounds so no one should feel like they stick out. ✨ They broaden your network. Taking Next Tech Girls as an example, the girls and women in our community get the opportunity to engage with other girls and women they might otherwise never come into contact with: they go to different schools or work at different companies; they might even live in different parts of the country. When it comes to sparking and sustaining an interest in tech, this is crucial, as they can inspire, support and motivate each other to keep going. ✨ They open up opportunities. Broadening your network of likeminded people is likely to lead to you hearing about and having access to more exciting opportunities. The girls in our community will talk about the placements they've done, events they're attending or what they're applying to do when they finish school. The women will talk about what it's like working at their organisation or in their discipline. They might let each other know when there's a vacancy or even put in a good word with the hiring manager. I could write about the benefits of communities all day but I'll leave it at that for now! Are you part of any communities? What benefits have you found? Let me know in the comments 👇 If you'd like to join or support the Next Tech Girls community, send me a message! We have lots of opportunities for volunteering, attending events or partnering with us 💜 #SmashTheStereotype #WomenInTech #CommunityBuilding #Networking #DiversityInTech

Happy Friday LinkedIn Family, Check out the intro to my first LinkedIn series: Decoding My Tech Journey! ✨ Join me as I explore the tech industry - the good, the bad, and the career hacks! Expect real talk on roles, practical advice (think interviews & company culture!), and insights you won't find in a textbook. Why This Matters? Women, especially Black women, are underrepresented in tech. This series is for them (and anyone curious!) I'm here to show you there's a place for you. Sneak Peek: Episode 1! Next Wednesday, we tackle landing that dream job. Stay tuned for "Alexa, Find Me a Job: My Adventure to Amazon." #TechCareers #WomenInTech #LetsGetDecoding #blackintech P.S. Questions about tech careers? Ask away in the comments!

🌟 Seeking Feedback from Women in Software: Help Us Shape the Narrative Are you navigating the world of software development, searching for your next career opportunity? We want to hear from you! happy hive is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the tech industry. As part of our ongoing efforts to amplify the voices of women in software, we're reaching out to gather valuable insights into your job search experiences for a blog we are writing. We're eager to explore the intricacies of your journey and shed light on the unique obstacles you encounter. Here are some questions we would like to ask you 1. What are the biggest challenges you've faced while searching for software-related roles? 2. Have you encountered any specific biases or obstacles during interviews or networking events? 3. How do you navigate through job listings and identify opportunities that align with your skills and values? Your honest and insightful responses will not only inform our upcoming piece but also contribute to a broader conversation on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech community. Please feel free to respond directly to this message or reach out to [email protected] Thank you for being an integral part of this important dialogue! #womenintech #diversityandinclusion #inclusionmatters #jobsearch #jobseekers

Everyone will tell you the same thing: Posting on LinkedIn daily is hard. But it is rewarding. A lot more than what I initially thought when I started back in October. Since then, I've been overwhelmed by the number of opportunities, or at least good news coming my way; 📥  Lots of heartfelt messages from women with similar, unconventional career paths, wanting to share their stories with me and ending up becoming friends. 🎤 Being invited to chat on 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗽𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 podcast to talk about switching careers often and thus, how to apply for new jobs over and again. 📝 Being asked to write a feature for Elpha, one of the largest "Women in Tech" online communities, about the framework I used to navigate my career. 💻 Being introduced to Logitech by my incredible friend Marija MUSJA for the Logitech project: #WomenWhoMaster. An amazing initiative to inspire younger women and girls to pick a career in tech. (𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩!) I am sharing this to hopefully motivate you to start posting, especially if you are looking for more opportunities to come your way. Dare to be seen and share your story with us! #careerchange #careerdevelopment #careertips #personalbranding

The evidence is there: the #adtech #layoffs have affected more than 160k people but some, have been disproportionally impacted: 🎯 The ongoing tech layoffs are impacting women at a much higher rate than men, with women 65% more likely to lose their jobs than men, according to recent research by talent intelligence platform Eightfold   🎯  these layoffs have had a disproportionate impact on #women, people of color, and people in the United States on H1-B visas. Overall, these layoffs are a body blow to #diversity in tech, not just slowing but actually reversing hard-won gains, says stackoverflow.blog. I could go on like this, but you get the idea. My good friend Nickie Smith, ACC and I decided to create the Bold Collective: a #community for women to #recharge, #retool, and #support each other. We exchange ideas, meet every other week and generous guests join us to share their wisdom: from regaining confidence, improving personal branding, using AI for job search, or nailing interviews! Since we launched last March, we’ve held 7 sessions with fantastic guests from Google, DocuSign, Microsoft, Delightful Communication and more. Thank you to Aimee Cook, Erin Zuehlsdorff, Christina De Guzman, Joe Apfelbaum and Jenn Spicer for your generosity, kindness and time with the Bold Collective.     If you are stuck in the layoff lull: you are not alone!! If you are in a career transition or in between roles, this community is here to support and cheer you up! Sign up here ➡ https://lnkd.in/gWXn6bxN #careerjourney #women

🎮 We hosted another Women in Games NYC meetup (run by Yiyi Zhang). This one dedicated to career development and support. We did resume / portfolio review, talked about job search and networking strategies, discussed challenges of navigating the games industry, and more! 👉 Join the group: https://lnkd.in/eeCkJWmP #womeningames #womeningaming #careergrowth #careerdevelopment #careerdevelopmentcoaching #careercoaching #careercoachingforwomen #careertips #jobsearch #gamedevjobs #resumereview #portfolioreview

At this year's Grace Hopper Celebration, I was immensely inspired by the plethora of talented women and allies who came together to amplify the voices of women in tech. However, an unsettling undercurrent tainted parts of the experience. Let me be clear: I don't fault AnitaB.org by any means - they've given us this incredible platform - it's disheartening to see individuals taking advantage of such a space meant to empower. Witnessing men at the career fair, pushing past women to present their resumes and claim opportunities primarily set up for women was a stark reminder of why events like GHC exist in the first place. But the narrative that really shook me was hearing some of these men label events like GHC as "unfair". Let's talk about unfairness. Recent statistics show that women made up a staggering 69.2% of all tech layoffs. Despite the strides we've made, women still account for just 26% of all STEM jobs and a mere 24% in computer fields, as per the U.S. Department of Labor. I'm saddened to see that much of the media coverage is fixating on this disappointing aspect of GHC. But we cannot and should not let this overshadow the immense positives. Amidst it all, I met incredible individuals from NGOs, nonprofits, startups, and esteemed research institutions. The event enabled me to lay the groundwork for new collaborations with organizations that share our vision, and I was privileged to hear stories and insights from trailblazers across the globe. Opportunities like GHC are not about exclusion but rather about leveling a historically skewed playing field. Before pointing fingers at initiatives that seek to rectify the imbalance, perhaps it's worth reflecting on why such initiatives are needed in the first place. I won't let our space, our voice, or our power be taken from us. Let's stand tall, united in our cause. Let's continue to uplift and celebrate one another. In the words of Malala Yousafzai, "We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back." Here's to working together, lifting everyone up, and ensuring our voices ring louder than ever. #GHC #WomenInTech #EquityMatters #TrueAllies [Image below of new and old friends - all inspiring women in tech]

Join Gemma and myself this evening for our next SuperWoman in Tech event. We will be discussing Unconscious Bias in hiring together with a great panel! Find the link below to sign up and join us at 6pm CET! #womanintech #unconsciousbias