🎒 Conferences

Tech conferences can be really great opportunities to advance your career. In my opinion, the two main benefits are 1) meeting tech folks outside of your job, and 2) keeping up with the latest updates in the tech community.

• Maximizing Your Conference Experience: A Comprehensive Guide for People of Color in Tech

• First Time Tech Conference: Things You Need to Know

• What’s the point of tech conferences?

• Tech Conferences for the Uninitiated

tip

If you're introverted, conferences might feel daunting for you. A couple of tips:

• Feeling overstimulated: It's ok to skip a talk or event during the conference if you're feeling overwhelmed and need some time to recover & process. Depending on the venue, you could go for a walk, find a nearby coffee shop, or even just find somewhere to sit in the lobby. Preview the schedule and identify time blocks when you might want to duck out if needed.
• Meeting people: It can feel a lot less scary if you know someone else there. Ask around and see if anyone else you know is going, or if you can convince someone to go with you! Some conferences also have forums where you can meet fellow attendees ahead of time.
  • But don't use this as a crutch not to meet anyone new! Instead, now you can be the welcoming person that notices someone standing alone and invites them to join your group 💕