Maximizing Grace Hopper Conference 2025

With GHC tickets already available, it’s high time we started preparing for the biggest tech conference for women. Having attended the conference for the past two years, I’ve learned there’s a lot you can do to maximize your time and reap the most benefits. Here’s what I gained from the conference:

• GHC ’22: Despite not having work authorization, I made valuable connections with recruiters and employees, received invitations to several networking events, and formed friendships that helped me prepare for interviews.
• GHC ’23: With work authorization, I secured interviews with Amazon, Adobe, Oracle, NVIDIA, LinkedIn, Bank of America, FlatIron Health, Citadel, and Palantir. I also gained more connections, invitations to networking events, and interview preparation assistance.

These successes were possible because I was intentional with my time and resources available to me. As cliché as it sounds, you truly get what you put into the process with GHC. I genuinely believe GHC provides excellent exposure for women in tech and is much more than just a career fair. Allow me to share with you the tips, tricks, suggestions, and takeaways I’ve gathered from my GHC experiences.

Content:

• What to expect at GHC
• From now to GHC (and After): How to Prepare for GHC
• Final thoughts

What to Expect at GHC

GHC has SO MUCH to do. It is quite overwhelming. Be very intentional with your time and know what you want out of your experience. Here’s a list of all the different events that GHC has and what might suit you best:

Expo Booth (Main Career Fair)

If you want a job/interview, this is where you need to be. However, the lines usually get extremely long and by the time you reach the recruiter, they may be exhausted from all the conversations. I recommend arriving early and focusing on establishing a genuine connection with the recruiter rather than just trying to impress them.

Expected Crowd Size: Massive (10,000+)

Technical/Career/Culture Workshops

These workshops were incredibly informative and rewarding for me. They allowed me to explore niche aspects of the tech industry, such as neuroscience, during presentations and connect with others interested in the same fields. These sessions are great for finding community and like-minded individuals. Additionally, there are sessions to help you learn new technologies or gain insights into the industry.

Expected Crowd Size: Moderate (100–500)

Community Lounges/Connection Zones

If you want to meet people from your specific city or where you plan to move, the Community Lounges are perfect. Enter these lounges with clear intentions, whether it’s to make friends, seek advice on career decisions, or talk to more like-minded individuals. Community Lounges provide a small-group setting that can be less overwhelming than larger crowds.

Expected Crowd Size: Small (50–100)

Braindates

Braindates offer an opportunity for one-on-one or small-group discussions on topics of mutual interest. This format allows for deeper, more meaningful conversations and personalized networking experiences. They can be particularly useful for getting tailored advice, sharing knowledge, and building connections based on specific interests or challenges.

Expected Crowd Size: Intimate Gathering (Fewer than 50)

Networking Receptions (After-parties)

You need to be invited by recruiters for these parties, but they offer a fantastic way to network in a more relaxed and enjoyable setting. Unlike the high-pressure environment of job seeking, these gatherings allow for more genuine connections. However, it’s important not to harass the recruiters here. Remember, this is their time to unwind as well. Focus on getting to know them on a genuine level and have fun.

Expected Crowd Size: Small (50–100)

Additional Tips

• Dress to impress but also to sustain energy — you don’t want to be sweaty, and also you won’t have time to change if you are invited to an after-party
• BRING PORTABLE CHARGERS
• Bring a few copies of resume (10 copies are good) but have it downloaded on your phone
• Learn how to network!! I have an article to help elevate your networking skills that have personally worked for me at GHC :)
• Pack Light because you’ll get tons of SWAG

From now to GHC (and After): How to Prepare for GHC

Here’s a timeline on what I did leading up to GHC’23 that helped me make the most of my time there:

Now-July

Updated LinkedIn + Built personal projects + Reached out to recruiters I connected with last year

Many major tech companies initiate their recruiting cycle about three seasons before the actual start date of a position. Their primary platform for scouting early talent is LinkedIn. To leverage this effectively, the following strategies helped me:

• Enhance your LinkedIn Profile: Actively share your achievements, personal projects, and other relevant updates on your LinkedIn profile. This increases your visibility to recruiters.
• Create a Personal Website Portfolio: Showcase your coding experience and other skills in a well-curated personal website portfolio. This allows recruiters to see your work in detail.
• Highlight Key Skills: Use LinkedIn and your portfolio to emphasize the specific skills relevant to your desired positions. Tailor your personal projects to demonstrate these skills.
• Reach Out to Recruiters: Proactively connect with recruiters from major tech companies that you might have already met with or want to connect with. Share your projects and experiences to build credibility and visibility.
• Forge Genuine Connections: Recruiters can be strong advocates for your candidacy and provide valuable guidance. Building a genuine connection with them can offer insights into a company’s values and priorities.
• Seek Tailored Advice: Every company has unique hiring practices. By connecting with recruiters, you can gain tips on how to tailor your application to align with the company’s specific requirements, increasing your chances of standing out in the application pool.

July-August

Started interview prep, polished my personal projects, and asked for referrals from my network

• Reach out to any employees whose work might interest you: During the summer, I took the initiative to engage with each one, seeking a brief 20-minute conversation about their experiences at their respective companies. This helped me securing referrals from esteemed companies such as Google, Amazon, Salesforce, Medtronic, and Microsoft. For those who haven’t yet established such connections, I recommend leveraging opportunities like your school’s career fair and engaging in cold messaging on LinkedIn to expand your network. Building these connections can significantly enhance your access to valuable insights and opportunities within the professional landscape.
• Polishing your interview skills with Leetcode and Mock-Interviews: This is also the time to add on any online courses or build skills that you want to showcase on your resume.

August-October

Connected with other GHC attendees, finalized my resume, added it to the GHC Resume Database, and applied to open positions” for parallel structure.

• During this period, a lot of people begin sharing their attendance at GHC on LinkedIn. Leverage this and connected with employees, peers, speakers, and recruiters who posted about GHC. Additionally, follow the hashtag #ghc2023 on LinkedIn. This helped me connect with people one-on-one at GHC, providing opportunities to meet individuals over coffee or lunch and further build meaningful connections.
• Get your Resume Reviewed: Make sure that your resume is as polished as it can be because this will most likely be your first impression at GHC. This is also the perfect time to publish your resume on the GHC Resume Database. I was able to secure three interviews through the resume database even before I attended the conference.
• Download the GHC app .
• Try booking 1:1 sessions ASAP.
• Mark events you want to attend and put them on G-Cal.
• Prepare questions for recruiters.

❗Keep in mind: Recruiters are human beings, and it’s important to recognize that. Unfortunately, I’ve observed many individuals treating them merely as a means to an end, pushing them around, or engaging in insincere conversations. Keep in mind that recruiters are the ones advocating for you, and they are likely the ones who will advance your application. Ensuring a positive first impression is crucial. When interacting with recruiters, ask questions that authentically interest you because, believe me, they have a keen sense for genuineness, and it can be sensed from a mile away.

At GHC

• Beyond what I have already mentioned, keep track of the GHC links that you are getting as well as the names of the recruiters/employees you are meeting! Especially keep track of people that you were able to make a unique connection with and what that unique aspect of the conversation was.

After GHC: Keeping in Touch (Going for the Home Run)

• 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 for.
• 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.

Final Thoughts

I hope this article was helpful to you! I am more than happy to go more in depth about my experiences at GHC and answer any questions you might have. Please reach out to me because there is so much more I can say about my experiences at GHC that I wasn’t able to encapsulate in this article.

If you did not find this article helpful, I still want you to take away two things:

• Be your authentic self — people will definitely recognize that
• You will reap what you sow — the effort you put into it is what you will get out of it.

Thanks for reading :)