Why NOT going to GHC isn’t the End of The World…
…or your Career!
Hi there!
If you haven’t scored a ticket to The Great Hopper Conference (see what I did there, hehe) and are feeling left out, disheartened and hopeless, then I am here to tell you that you are wrong for feeling so.
It is INSANE how desperate people are to attend The Grace Hopper Celebration- the tickets selling for 3x the original price!! The entire sanctity of the conference seems to be gone. As a moderator of one of the FB groups for GHC, it is astounding how many messages I am getting about people being scammed or being disappointed over not getting a ticket! I have had people demanding tickets from me, and I am just a student attendee!
Also, now feels like a good time to give the following disclaimer:
First, the group is NOT an official GHC group, and I am not affiliated with the Grace Hopper Celebration or AnitaB.org in any way. I am just an attendee. Second, I write this article with everyone’s best interests at heart, especially hoping to reassure the fallen- those who are genuinely sad and discouraged because of not getting a ticket in the Great Hopper contest (GHC, geddit? ..hehe). I absolutely do not mean to put down GHC, undermine it OR portray it in a negative way. The Conference gets all the credit for being a GREAT, GREAT, AMAZING platform for all women around the world. We are (I am) truly grateful.
So, now that we got that out of the way, let’s go over all the reasons you will be just fine without GHC:
(1) The MVP- the CAREER FAIR!
I admit the career fair is probably (arguably?) the best career fair out of all to get a job BUT it only matters if you think you cannot apply for any particular job from where you currently are. A lot of you are coming from great schools and cities, and so I think you will be just fine without it. It’s true that companies recruit a lot through GHC- but it’s not like they have more positions open for GHC attendees or that they will take you even if you aren’t as good, just because you happen to be there.
If the main point is getting yourself noticed then there are other ways- LinkedIn and FB groups like this one! Cold emailing may not work (it does, TRY), but connections do. Your friends, professors, career coaches, colleagues, etc. at your school and outside are more connected than you think and you HAVE to tap that resource. You really do. You will have to work just as hard and you will have to dedicate yourself to writing personalized messages, emails, and meeting people over coffee. You will learn to form better, deeper connections over time, and if you spend the same amount of money and time going to local events or visiting offices, it will get you even more one-on-one time! Local meetups and gatherings are great to attend, smaller companies have amazing work culture and your school’s career fairs and career centers have a more vested interest in you and are really dedicated to seeing you succeed.
So, unless there is some company visiting that is not on the internet at all and cannot be reached outside of GHC- you really shouldn’t abandon all hope.
Also, granted that a few hundred companies are going (most of them will only have a handful of jobs to give away), but thousands of companies from cities around you aren’t going as well. How do you think they will recruit?
Stay strong, my friend. We are in this (job) hunt together, and while thousands are attending the conference, millions aren’t!
(2) A lot happens BEFORE GHC!
I feel that the days before going to GHC pass by slowly and there is so much to do in the one to two months leading up to it than the actual conference which goes by in a snap!
Seriously, a lot of the networking, scouting, conversing, applying for jobs, etc. happens before GHC and it all takes place on public platforms like FB groups, LinkedIn and Twitter. #GHC19, amirite?!
GHC’s official resume database is open to all. All Companies share the open positions publicly and their recruiters post on LinkedIn about their company’s presence at GHC. A lot of good people share amazing resources (like this one and this) that even though seem specific to GHC, can be generically applied to your job search. All of this is out there and available for all! You don’t need to spend a thousand dollars for that!
GHC is a very fast-paced, action-packed conference. It’s crowded, there is a lot going on and you don’t really get any “quality” time with anyone. You make a lot of connections, yes, and the experience is overwhelming (in a good way), but a lot of people are going for the same things you are. A ticket doesn’t mean you will get to attend everything and will be able to have meaningful conversations with everyone. Truth is, you will be spending a lot of time in a frenzy even then, ESPECIALLY if you didn’t plan it right and it is your first time attending.
(3) The younger GHCs!
So, you may not believe this right now, BUT there was once a time when GHC was not really this much in demand! Surprising, right? Can you imagine a time when people weren’t fighting for GHC? According to this official post, GHC 2015 took almost a week to sell out, and not 20 minutes after opening registration like this year! Wow!
Girls, there are other conferences out there that are just as amazing, and have the potential to be just as big as GHC! They also have career fairs and are attended by big companies, but are not as popular and are smaller- which is better, trust me!
Conferences like Tapia, SWE, RedHat, etc. are just a few big ones and we should really make an effort to attend these as well. Just like these platforms are made to support women like us, I think we should also support them by attending them.
I have marked my calendars for next year and so should you! They deserve our talent and attention too!
(4) YOU matter no matter where you are!
Yes, you do. And I don’t only mean this in a superficial way, but that YOUR attitude and your skillset matters, and is ultimately what is going to get you a job. Yes, being at the right place and the right time matters, but you should rely on yourself more than relying on GHC. No one will even care about this in the long run- if getting your job is the only thing you are worried about!
GHC happens for 3 days in the fall semester. Recruiting happens for months in the fall AND spring semesters. I would say being active outside of GHC is just as important, and probably more!
Stay confident. Look for what you can do best right now. Continue the hunt online. Stay motivated.
In fact, join others who aren’t getting to go and ask them what they are up to. Stay in touch with those who are going even after the conference- that networking is important.
(5) The right reasons!
Again, I have come across an alarming number of people JUST going to GHC for the Career Fair and being so obvious about it that it comes across as disingenuous, and I think we are all responsible for the hype!
Read the GHC impact reports and you will realize that the students only spend 55–65% of their time in the Expo. All other time is spent in the sessions and in other parts of the conference. If you go with the right attitude, GHC will impact you in more ways than the just one of getting you a job. You will meet amazing people, gain so much insight and clarity into different types of careers, learn about the latest technologies and what the world is up to in tech, etc.
Do you know how else you can get the same kind of exposure while sitting in the comfort of your home?
By reading books, following the right people on social media, reading news articles and being an active part of online tech forums and social groups!
I give all credit to GHC where it deserves, but again, I think it’s important to remind people that aren’t going that they shouldn’t lose sight of what’s happening outside of GHC.
Staying updated in the field of tech, learning new things, following ambitious/intelligent women and networking with industry professionals should be a way of life year-round and not just for three days a year.
You can do just as good, if not better outside of GHC.
***
For all these reasons and more, I don’t think not going to GHC is the end of the world. I write this article in hopes of preventing GHC from becoming a toxic space and reminding people that it is a celebration! You can (and should) try to be a part of the bigger movement it represents even if you don’t get a ticket and carry that spirit with you throughout the year- not just for Grace Hopper but for the community you are a part of in general- that of women technologists! The entire objective of GHC is to make you feel like you belong in tech and are inspired year-round! Use this to inspire yourself to come up with other ways you can do so.
All the best to you and I sincerely hope you don’t let this slow you down. We are united by what we do and not just what we attend!
Cheers!
Priyanka ❤
