Grace Hopper Celebration 2022 - Orlando, FL

Witnessing women empowering other women is genuinely the most inspiring, uplifting, and humbling experience, especially in a patriarchal society where we are all pitted against each other. Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) is an event that truly celebrates women's struggles at every stage of her life while providing them the opportunity to grow from each other through talks, level-up labs, and tech-industry exposition to help them land new jobs, internships, connections, etc. I was honored to attend GHC upon being sponsored by my college and this is my attempt on documenting my experience and assembling a list of tips to make the most out of the event for those who are considering to go (while also sharing what I explored in the city).

First off, if you are still debating whether or not you should go next year, YOU SHOULD! No matter what stage of career you're at, you'll find many opportunities to grow and propel your career at GHC. There were people ranging from Sophomores in college (like me!) to people who want to switch their career and join tech. If you already feel well settled in your career, you can still always benefit from making new connections and exploring other companies. This conference genuinely has it all!

Okay first, I'm going to give a quick run-down of what I did everyday and then I'll list down all of my takeaways.

Wednesday: Literally such an overstimulating event! I was overwhelmed and excited at the same time. The first day, I started off with registration and then attended the Opening speech by the founders of AnitaB.Org. Then, I made my way over to Exposition – this is the biggest Career Fair you're going to see, so brace yourselves. The first day, I had 1-1 meetings with United Airlines and Disney. I also had Group Sessions with Meta, Google, and NVIDIA. These group sessions basically give you time to have a 1-1 time with a recruiter if they are scheduled for a long time, so don't hesitate to book one or be bummed if you can't get a 1-1 with a company because they only have Group Sessions available. However, you won' be able to get as personalized feedback on your resume, for example, because other people would also be in line to ask questions.

After the event, I went to the afterparty/networking event hosted by Amazon. I got invited during the Exposition. It was hosted at the ICON park and they booked out the Sea Life Adventure, SkyLounge, Ferris Wheel, and the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum for the event which was such a great way to sightsee while networking at the same time. It was a great experience and I genuinely can't do justice to the event through words, so here are some pictures.

Thursday: Almost the same day as Wednesday, except I didn't have any 1-1 meetings scheduled because I wanted at least one day to explore other things such as the Lightning-Talks and Level-Up Labs. However, unfortunately, I wasn't able to actually attend any talks or labs because of the long lines and because I got really involved with the Exposition Networking. I was also extremely tired at one point and genuinely could not engage in a conversation anymore. And that's okay! Make sure to prioritize yourself during that event and make sure to carry electrolytes if possible!

After the event, I got invited to a networking event by Google, Doordash, and Capital One, and then, I ended up spontaneously going to the Universal Studios with a couple of friends! Google had something called the Experience Studio which was genuinely so fun! They had different booths set up to correspond to the different colors of Google. They also had a pottery, digital art, and portrait studio set up. For Doordash, they booked out the an outdoor restaurant area for socializing. However, I couldn't find a lot of people my age so I just ended up leaving super early. For Capital One, they had booked out a game room at a Club which was super fun! They also had a photobooth set up and a lot of games and food for everyone to bond over!

After all of this, I also ended up at Universal Studios spontaneously and I was there until 2:00am. They are having Halloween Horror Nights until Halloween, so it was perfect to go that late at night! They had random ghosts/supernatural beings walking around scaring other people which creeps you tf out at night. We ended up going to three Haunted Houses, Diagon Alley from Harry Potter, and then the Rockit Rollercoaster Ride. Okay, I have to say this, the rollercoaster was so worth it especially at night because you could see whole city from the top right before the drop!

Friday: Literally did nothing because I was so tired! I did see the end of the Expo and then attended the Closing Speech with Jessie J's concert!!!! I also had 1-1's with SpaceX and MIT Lincoln Lab which were great opportunities to explore more CS-related career. Then I doordashed Panda Express and came to the airport. I'm going to attach random other pictures which I think are fun!

Takeaways:

Before the Conference: How to prepare beforehand – start at least a month before

• Know what you want out of the conference: Understanding where you stand and what you want out of the conference is the key to making the most out of the conference. For me, it was simply to make connections and explore the realms of Computer Science. This is why I focused most of my time at the Expo, instead of talks, connecting with people or trying to attend a networking event. A lot of people came with the goal to have a job/internship by the end of it. So, they focused their attention on bagging as many interviews and 1-1 sessions as possible. It doesn't matter what goal you have, it matters that you know it and are willing to achieve it!
• Packing: Pack Light because you'll get tons of SWAG. For clothing, pack thin-layered business casual clothes. The convention center will be cold but, right as you step foot outside, the heat is going to take you out. So pack in layers, but pack light. GET A POWERBANK. You would need a powerbank because most probably you'll end up at an afterparty where you won't have the chance to charge your phone. And, trust me, you need your phones for Ubers/Lyfts, especially if you're traveling alone.
• Registrations: Resume Database + GHC App + 1-1 Meetings. Make sure to put your resume in the Resume Database that is opened a month or two before the event. This would help other companies to reach out to you before GHC and then schedule an interview with them during GHC itself. There are a lot of people who walk out of internships from the events. Also, make sure to download the GHC App and register for the 1-1 Meetings/Group Sessions the Monday of the week. GHC App will help you take a look at all the available talks, exhibitions, and labs that are available to you to explore. Typically, they enable registrations for all types of sessions on Monday of that week. 1-1's are a great way to narrow down your pool. The person you have your 1-1 with will be taking notes and will have access to your resume. If you succeed at standing out to them, they'll most probably speed up the process for you exponentially by handing your resume over to the recruiter directly with a recommendation.
• Professional: Interview Prep + Resume Polishing + Print resumes/have a soft copy. Go into the conference thinking that you are ready to give an interview on the spot. There are a lot of people who walk out of the conference with an internship/job position after doing interviews on the spot. This is something I was genuinely not prepared for, so definitely do some Leetcode before you attend! Make sure to polish your resumes beforehand and put in the best resume in the Database. You need to do this prior to attending the conference because they reach out to you for interviews during/before the event. Print out some resumes and download it on your phone because they are either going to have boxes to drop off resumes or forms to fill out where you can submit your resume. This process is slightly different than just submitting it online when you apply for a position because they mark you as a GHC participant and you'll stand out more!

During the Conference:

• Early bird gets the worm: Go to everything at least an hour early because you won't have any spots left for any of the events. This applied to the talks and the labs that happen throughout the day. Pick out not more than 2 events that you want to attend each day and space them out as much as possible because you won't have time to go right after one. They have limited spaces available, so just go early! Even the expo, if you are one of the first people to get there, you'll be able to spend a lot more time with the recruiters and have a much more memorable impact on them than any other time of the day. For 1-1 or Online Group Sessions, go at least 5-10 mins early. Some of the group sessions have caps on how many people can enter the room, so it's better to go early than not being able to attend at all.
• Interacting with Recruiters/Employers:  Before the event, come up with questions to ask recruiters that you are genuinely confused/curious about. Try not to start off with those questions however. Try to ask them questions about them before and try finding a common ground between you two first. I literally had a recruiter bond with me over reading obituaries and death. Your goal is to make yourself stand out as much as possible so that when you do reach out to them again, they remember you. Don't hesitate to veer off into non-tech related topics! These recruiters are talking tech all day, so you'll definitely be more memorable (and they'd appreciate it more) if you got to know about other aspects of each other's lives. Be authentic and genuine because fake niceties wear off and you'll definitely be just another student inquiring about job postings. Also, get people's LinkedIn, recruiter or not. It might be awkward in the moment to randomly ask about socials, but it's the way you can truly get something out of the connections you're forming. It's always great to have points of contact that know the company you want to work with than not. Obviously, don't use them for the company they work at, but definitely have them as a resource or a guide to help you make the right choices. Lastly, make sure to get the GHC specific links for all the applications. Every company has their own way of distinguishing the fact that you attended GHC. So, make sure you get that and apply through that. This will help the recruiter identify you sooner!
• Networking Events/Afterparties: These were great ways to really hammer yourself in in the minds of recruiters while showcasing the fun aspect of yourself. I got invited to these events by the people I talked to at the booth. Each one of them were super kind and easy to talk to, so if you really want, you can always ask them about any networking events being hosted by their companies. Although, usually they tell you right away if there's an event happening. These are also great opportunities to meet with people who hold the position that you want to be at 5 years from now. Getting to know their stories and having them as connections is a great way to explore a company more and understand what route you want to take.

After the Conference – Steps I need to take as well:

• Reach out to the people again, thanking them for their time and effort spent on you.
• Post about GHC on LinkedIn. Don't forget to tag or mention those who you're grateful to.
• Make a comprehensive list of companies interested in and apply through the GHC link.
• Maybe, if you are close enough, ask to set up a quick zoom call to ask more questions about their experience or to simply give you feedback on your resume.

These are all the tips I can think of as of right now, but I will be updating the post as I find more! If you didn't read through everything, that's okay. This is the one thing I want you to take away: make true connections and be proud/confident in your abilities. Recruiters are humans as well who would love to interact with you and share an authentic bond. Also don't forget that you have had to go through a lot to even be attending an event like GHC, so pat yourself for that! You truly are incredible, even in the moments you don't think you're good enough.

Love yourself and definitely attend GHC!

xoxo