In my classes and co-ops, men always outnumbered women. However, at GHC 2023, I found myself surrounded by fellow women in tech while participating in sessions and workshops, queuing to talk to recruiters in the expo hall, and attending the opening and closing ceremonies. It was surreal to witness and engage with so many individuals sharing similar experiences to mine. Attending GHC was an incredibly empowering experience in that regard. Some of the sessions were also very creative and interactive. During one session, we played a card game based on design patterns. In another, we worked through a distributed computing lab.
There are definitely a few things I wish I had known before attending. Firstly, if next year's event is similar to this year's, expect the expo hall to be densely packed, with long lines that may require hours of waiting. Research in advance which employers you would like to speak with. Additionally, submit your resume early to the database and scout LinkedIn and other platforms for special links to sign up for company events (e.g., "after parties") hosted by companies attending GHC. These exclusive events usually provide the opportunity to engage with recruiters and engineers, score free food and swag, and network with other participants. It might also be a good idea to print out copies of your resume to hand out to recruiters and convert your resume and LinkedIn profile into a QR code.
Lastly, try to meet as many people as possible! The pool of attendees is diverse. I found it super interesting to learn about other attendees’ backgrounds, why they’re attending GHC, and what areas they specialize in.
- Yueran Zhang, WiCS Student