If you're a woman/nonbinary in tech reading this, hopefully you already know about GHC (Grace Hopper Celebration). It's an amazing conference for networking and career development (not to mention all the free swag if you're lucky enough to attend in-person!).
Keep reading to learn all my tips and tricks for making the most of GHC!
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT IS IN ALL UPPERCASE LOL. Many companies will p
Make sure you put your most recent projects, internships, awards, etc.
I put my website link on my resume, and it is nice to have things to show if interviewers or recruiters ask about projects!
Many people who attend GHC will add "#GHC23" or whatever year to their LinkedIn headline. It makes it easy to connect with other attendees and companies will also be active on LinkedIn (so connect with them there too!).
I know this is cliche, but you need to be able to pitch yourself confidently and effectively. Try to find one thing about the recruiter that you can relate to or talk about something other than internships/careers! I found that my most meaningful connections came from meeting people while in line to take pics in front of the GHC sign or by talking about a personal aspect of my life.
Here is a list of items to bring to GHC - this is basically copy and pasted from my own packing list
Because GHC has been hosted at the Orlando Conference Center (not anymore after GHC 2023 - read about the change here), it's typically pretty hot. At the same time, the dress code is business casual (especially if you're participating in the career fair). This makes it tough to stay cool, especially between the shuttles and hotels.
So most mornings, there is light breakfast and refreshments at the career fair. You can rely on that for breakfast. However, there is no lunch or dinner included at the conference. What my friends and I did were to go to the closest grocery store and buy a bunch of ingredients to make sandwiches. This was super smart since I went with a large group of friends from my university, so we had many sandwiches to go around for everyone.
I would also recommend picking up granola bars or fruits for a quick snack.
If you are lucky enough to be invited to a company's networking happy hour, most of these events will have appetizers that will be enough for dinner (and super yummy!). One highlight was from the Amazon Prime Happy Hour at GHC22, where they had plenty of actual dinner food.
If you are a senior about to graduate, it is in your best interest to hit all the booths you are interested in and network. Because I was able to secure my full-time offer at GHC my senior year, I was able to go the rest of my year not having to worry about graduating with no job. I got to enjoy my senior year focusing on both classes and my friends.
Connections can come from everywhere. The best thing about GHC is that there are so many knowledgable, succesful, and aspirational women at this conference.
The swag you can get at GHC is insane. So many water bottles, tote bags, tshirts, tech accessories, and even a blanket! Make sure you leave some space in your luggage for the swag to bring home! So don't even bring a water bottle to GHC because most likely, you will get one (or 5).