How to get the most out of Grace Hopper Conference as an aspiring data scientist ?

3 days of women-only conference in computer science, what an inspirational event! In the last GHC, I was inspired by fellow conference participants, learnt more about applications for data science, and gained valuable networking experiences with big tech companies through info session and after-hour parties. My top tips for students going into Grace Hopper is that besides the job fair, take some time to experience the conference itself and make friends! I made some new friends through the conferences and you will be surprised how those friendships flourish down the road because of your common passion in technology!

As an aspiring data scientist at that time, I was not sure what companies I should talk to. I did not know what companies were looking to hire data scientists. To be honest, most companies coming to GHC are looking for software engineers/developers. However, if you do your research well, then you can narrow down to a list of companies that have a large data science/ analytics practice and have a steady pipeline of recruiting interns / full-time. Knowing that there is a wide range between different DS roles, from machine-learning focused to those about analytics/ product development, I would recommend students to cast a wide net. Companies that I talked to last year include Facebook, Zillow, Airbnb, Nordstrom, Fidelity Investment, Amazon, Capital One, Socure, Walmart Labs, Quora, Lyft, and Yelp. Some smaller companies may be worth talking to and keep in touch since they may not immediately have an opening, but they would reach out later.

In terms of 3 days of intense “networking”, it can feel really overwhelming and artificial at times, I would suggest to be calm and open-minded. You have already accomplished a lot by making all preparations to come to the conference and to present yourself to the technology world! You totally deserve to be proud of your accomplishment thus far!

For parties and gatherings, I remember that for Twitter and Netflix were really fun with dance floors and drinks! Amazon had a game night for the selected fews. I really enjoyed meeting other female technologists through these occasions.

GHC-ers, I wish you would enjoy the conference and get the most out of it. Feel free to reach out if you have any data science-related questions. Always happy to help!