Society of Women Engineers: WE21 Conference {my experience, tips + tricks, advice}

5 min readNov 12, 2021

Intro

This year, I was honored to be sponsored by the SJSU Society Of Women Engineers (SWE) and ten other members to attend the biggest women’s in-person engineering conference, WE21. After an eventful, exhausting, yet rewarding three-day conference, here are my tips, tricks, takeaways, and reflection on my experience!

Pre Conference Prep

Packing suitcase {business professional, going out clothes, toiletaries}
Print 20 Resumes & Keep it in a Folder
Have extra blank paper in a folder
Have a PDF Resume saved on your phone (will explain why in the career fair section)
Download the SWE app & add events that interest you

Take-Aways from Keynote Speakers + Sessions

It’s crucial to go to the ones that interest you the most! Use The SWE app to organize your events and times.

Take notes!! Whether it be writing in a notebook, typing on your iPhone, iPad, etc. These are the keynote speakers and talks I attended:

Stephanie C. Hill → Lockheed Martin

This was the perfect way to start the conference. The most important takeaway was to “Be authentic to yourself.” Stephanie talked about her inspirational journey and how we are all unique and have to embrace ourselves for who we are.

Stepanie C. Hill giving her Keynote Speech

Building Momentum In Industry, First Five Years by Lauren Keggley → Project Manager at WolfSpeed

There is a key difference in the impact a leader has vs. a manager.
She recommended this from this article, which I highly highly suggest you take a look at as well: https://hbr.org/2013/08/tests-of-a-leadership-transiti
Engineering Ego can protect and destroy us. We can overcome and handle it using Emotional Intelligence
Be organic in your networking!

Global Trotter: Expand Your Limits by Amy Yup, Filed Equipped Engineer, and Rosa Vidal chemical engineer

Interactive slides about whats our fears are of working abroad such as cultural differences, language barriers, etc.
Consider what type of international assignment you’re given in. Is it Residential (18+ months), Rotational (defined schedule), Temporary, or Business Trip?
When working on international assignments we need to keep in mind challenges, living conditions, taxes, empathy, moving allowance, documentation
Have a Positive Attitude, Be Humble, Mix w/ Locals, embrace diversity
WE ALL SMILE IN THE SAME LANGUAGE:))))

Engineering Your Finances → Danielle Schroder Bridge Engineer, content creator

FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM SHE IS AMAZING, she posts about her journey as an engineer and finance tips: @danitheengineer

HOW TO BUILD CREDIT: open up a credit card with a 0% annual fee, set up automatic payments, use it as a debit card
50/3020/ RULE: Spend 50% of your income on Needs (housing, groceries, electricity, etc.), 30% on Wants (clothes, jewelry, etc.), 20% savings(ROTH IRA, Stocks)
EMERGENCY FUNDS: $500 at least and add to it every 3–6 months {nerdcalcualtor is a fabulous source to help you with this}
WAYS TO SAVE: google flight tracked prices, read the fine print, use college email!!!

Career Fair

This is an essential part of actively seeking an internship or a full-time job. Take advantage of this opportunity to network with recruiters, employers, your peers, and of course, the free swag!!! Most companies there are actively recruiting, having on-the-spot interviews, and signing offer letters. Prioritize spending your most time here.

Don’t be overwhelmed, it’s an experience, and make the best out of it by talking to as many people and recruiters as you can!

SUBTLE FLEX: I MET @CODINGWITHKI on Instagram!! SHES AMAZING HUGE FAN ❤:)❤:)❤:)❤:)

a snippet of career fair + me with Kierra ❤ !!!!

Look clean, professional, enthusiastic. You never get a second chance to make a first impression
Have an elevator pitch ready!
Ask about the company it's a great way to start a conversation. But don't ask just to ask. Relate what they talk about to your resume, or work you’ve done in the past, or a class you’ve taken. Recruiters are human too and need a place to start, and this is a great way!! Definitely helped me to relate it to things I've done on my resume, or my passions and goals and interests!!
Have about 20–25 resumes physical copies of your resume to hand out to recruiters and be ready to explain any question they have on your resume!
Be prepared to interview on the spot. Recruiters might pull you to the side or schedule an interview right after talking to you. In fact, I got an interview on the spot and a Software Engineer Internship offer after this interview as well.
A lot of recruiters asked to submit your resume online through an SWE portal they had, so having a .pdf of your resume on your phone to submit it immediately comes in handy!
Connect with Recruiters on LinkedIn ASAP!
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE SWAG!! : candles, water bottles, razors, hand sanitizers, metal chopsticks, tote bags,