My First Experience @ Grace Hopper
I had never been to a conference before — let alone an event that managed to accomodate 20,000+ women in tech into the second-largest convention center in the nation.
The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is an annual conference that promotes the career interests of women in the industry of technology. It is the world’s largest gathering of women in computing, attracting hundreds of companies and aspiring women in tech from all over the world.
This year’s Grace Hopper Conference was held in Orlando, Florida’s Orange County Convention Center from October 1–4.
When I say it was huge, I mean that it was HUGE. When I first set foot into the center, I was mind-boggled at the sheer masses of young women in front of me. It was empowering to see thousands of women like me, expressing and exploring their interest in tech at such an influential event.
The Orange County Convention Center was nested in a mecca of hotels, tourist attractions, and restaurants galore.
Thankfully, the convention offered shuttles to and from the convention center and a multitude of surrounding hotels. Once you arrive at the center for the day, the world is your oyster. Upon registering for Grace Hopper prior to October 1–4, you are given a list of talks/sessions that you could RSVP to. Spots fill quickly, but never fear! I registered relatively late but was still able to register for many exciting sessions. These 30min to 1hour talks/sessions covered topics that ranged from increasing diversity in tech to the current space of automotive driving.
My personal favorite thing about these sessions was that it was inclusive of everyone that attended the conference. Women of all ages coming from all kinds of backgrounds (non-tech and tech) and different stages of their careers were benefitting from and talking at these sessions.
What I Learned At the Career Fair
In addition to these sessions, the Career Fair was open to everyone that attended. Companies like Google, Facebook, Target, IBM, Bloomberg covered the floor in vibrant booths decked out in free swag.
Recruiters stood at these booths ready to talk to anyone that approached them and were most likely eager to see your resume. This process was the most intimidating experience of all. I often found myself skimming my resume and undermining its ability to impress recruiters.
However, after talking to a multitude of recruiters and gaining the confidence to hand my resumes to them, I learned that recruiters want to hear your story whatever it may be. A perfect resume doesn’t exist. Recruiters are looking for people that are excited to learn as they are well aware that interns aren’t expected to know everything when they enter their internship programs.
Talk to representatives with a zest for what you’re interested in, what you’ve done to pursue those interests, and what you plan to do in the future at that particular company/program.
Closing Thoughts
Coming from a small school like Occidental College was definitely different. I was surrounded by young women that were coming from huge schools from across the nation. They had a few prestigious internships under their belt and were obviously competition for some jobs that I was interested in.
But I got it all wrong. We were all at the conference, no matter what school or level of expertise we were coming from. The Imposter Syndrome is much too real — especially in an industry like tech. Everyone starts somewhere and everyone has the potential to learn. There is no reason to feel that you are underqualified to submit your resume and express your interest in a job or initiative. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Apart from learning so much from recruiters and industry professionals, I enjoyed connecting with other college students also pursuing the tech field. College is hard everywhere, and I adored the camaraderie I felt when I discussed the pressure of finding internships and opportunities in school. I learned that it’s healthy to relax. Opportunities are everywhere, waiting for students like me to take advantage of.
So apart from being productive at the career fair, I made sure to enjoy myself. I lounged with a fellow Oxy student at the pool for a day. We made a few TikToks and bonded with other Grace Hopper attendees. I visited Disney Springs with my sister and I ate some delicious food. I also made sure to attend the parties that Grace Hopper hosted!
So if you ever find yourself with a golden ticket to Grace Hopper (tickets sell out FAST), remember to absorb the knowledge around you with an open mind and heart. Meet new people. And don’t stress too much about securing a job. Make connections and take advantage of the unique opportunity to be around tens of thousands of badass women in tech for three days.
Attending Grace Hopper is expensive, but there are many scholarships and school reimbursements that could significantly aid your trip.
