SFWoW

San Francisco Women on the Web: serve, educate, empower

Wednesday night, SFWoW hosted its first-ever recruiting party: CANWOW! The CANWOW (Career Advancement for Women on the Web) goal was to assist our skilled and talented women in the Bay Area move up into higher level jobs in the technology industry.

From my very biased opinion, it was a huge success! Recruiters and hiring managers mingled and chatted with SFWoW members and guests in the private room of the Bubble Lounge. Business cards were exchanged, champagne was drunk, and networking relationships were established.

For me personally, I was energized and inspired to be in a room with so many successful and supportive women. I think the Bay Area really is a unique and special place where all of us geeky, techie women can support and encourage each other as we advance through our careers.

A special thanks to Rebecca Kidder, SFWoW Vice President, and Anna Billstrom, SFWoW President, for their crazy energy and dedication to make this event a reality. And thank you to all of the volunteers who helped organize the event, and who volunteered that night.

And thank you again to our wonderful sponsors, WordPress and Tatu Digital! We are grateful for companies who support and value diversity in the technology industry!

Check out more pictures from the night, and if you were at the event, please add a comment about what you thought of the evening.

Recap of 2/28 Interview Panel
We had a great WoWser turnout this week to the Interview Panel event held at the Craft Gym! The panel of experts did not disappoint, and we all came away with a keen appreciation of how preparation leads to interview success. As a project manager, this should not have been a surprise to me – “plan & prepare” is my mantra! Sure enough, these actions are keys to success in acing the interview process and landing the job.

Irene Marshall, (http://www.toolsfortransition.com/) a career coach of many hats, started the evening by discussing the criteria, methods of contact, and types of interviews we are likely to encounter. Irene’s straightforward breakdown made it easy to understand how to best present oneself at each phase in the interview process.

Sarah Kidder, etiquette trainer extraordinaire, reminded us how important the seemingly small things can be. How we dress, speak, and carry ourselves play as big a role in landing the job as our qualifications.

Alicia Streight, career specialist and technical recruiter with K-Force, provided savvy interview techniques and shared valuable insight into the minds of recruiters and interviewers.

Key tips that will set you apart from the pack:

• Remember that you’re interviewing the company, too! Demonstrate your interest and commitment by researching the company in advance and asking questions.
• Wear a suit – even if your interview falls on “Casual Friday!”
• By the time you reach the interview phase, interviewers already know you can do the job. Now is your opportunity to let them get to know you and why you are the right person for the job.
• Send a hand-written thank you note to your interviewers. Sure, you can also send an email, but the personalized note will make you a stand-out.
• Make sure your references know about your job search and will say good things about you.

These are just a few of the many valuable points learned from an incredible evening.

Many thanks to Rebecca Kidder for organizing and moderating the event, to Susan Stearman for leading the volunteer effort, and to the Craft Gym for graciously hosting our gathering.

A reminder that SFWoW is hosting the CANWOW recruitment event next week. Details and RSVP on the sfwow.org site.

Thanks again to all who made the event possible, and to the attendees who asked such amazing questions!

See you at the next event!
–Lee Sahlaney
photo credit: banane