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November 10, 2015 By Lisa Ghisolf Leave a Comment

Why Speak? Tips for the Unsure

This entry is in the series 2015 Scholarship Recipients

Speaking at a conference can be a harrowing prospect: Dozens, if not hundreds of faces listening to your every word, your possible stumbles. Will they disagree with you? Do you even know what you’re talking about (imposter syndrome, anyone?)?

As a career move, speaking is a great way to establish your expertise and garner networking opportunities. But how do you get started? How do you overcome the negatives?

Although we had a Speak day at WriteSpeakCode, I feel like the start is actually in blogging. Here, you can test out ideas and work out where you have a true voice.

On both Write and Speak days we did five-minute topic brainstorming – coming up with at least 10 topics, with no editing. It’s here where I feel like other relevant topics, like digital nomading, come to light. And it’s these unique perspectives that seem to call me most, though finding their venue may be tougher. But it’s inspired me to keep a list of topics to draw on in Evernote, so inspiration doesn’t have to strike when I need a new idea done, now.

Passion for your topic and clearly delineated benefits to the attendee were stressed as musts for any proposal you submit. Giving a topic your own personal spin wins out, as does talking about a situation you’ve overcome.

And finally, what do you know? More than you think. Some WSC attendees stressed how they’ve learned from newbies as much as from pros in their respective tech spaces, and a fresh perspective keeps us grounded. Regardless of your skill level, there’s always someone who will need to learn what you know, and appreciate your perspective.

Many conferences are starting to designate themselves as safe spaces, so real dialogue is achieved. One WSC panelist noted that she saw a female programmer taking questions after a conference talk, and she was only asked about what she was wearing – not the topic of her talk.

A few conferences are designating watchers to shut down negative and debasing talk, even going so far as to eject participants for egregious behavior. WBC panelists stressed shutting down this talk with a statement that you are keeping to the topic, or simply not allowing questions, is the speaker’s prerogative.

This is an issue without a clear solution, but clearly one that needs to be addressed. And I must say in the speaking gigs I’ve had, I’ve not met with doubters or negative talk, but I’ll be sure to have a statement ready should this become an issue.

The takeaway that has stayed with me most, is that the audience wants the best from you. Few attend a talk to see the speaker fall: They want to pick up your perspective or knowledge, and walk away better for it. I always try to imagine them cheering me on, and focus on the smiling faces in the crowd.

As for questions that are tough to answer, I usually defer them to look into – as so many are often deeper conversations that require more than an off-the-cuff answer. But this can be an opportunity for networking and deepening your connection to an attendee, or even an inroad to a new topic of interest.

And as WSC speaker Neha Batra put it, just get out there and do it. Because you have nothing to lose by doing so, and nothing to gain by not giving it a shot.

Sponsored by

wp-content/uploads/2016/05/hbo-logo-1.png

America’s most successful premium television company, Home Box Office delivers two 24-hour pay television services—HBO® and Cinemax®.

HBO continues to take advantage of the latest technological innovations with advancements that include the availability of HBO programming online though HBO GO and MAX GO, as well as HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand® in HD.

Just as HBO is a company noted for its commitment to excellence in the products and services it delivers to consumers, it makes the extra effort to create a work environment in which fairness, equity, trust, and individual responsibility are valued.

HBO is committed to retaining and recruiting skilled and motivated employees, placing a priority on qualified team players who contribute to the diversity of their workforce.

HBO offers competitive benefits to include medical, dental, vision, a matched 401(k) plan, flexible spending, a commuter benefit program and tuition reimbursement.

Filed Under: Conference, Speak

October 13, 2015 By Lisa Ghisolf Leave a Comment

Conquering the CFP

This entry is in the series 2015 Scholarship Recipients

Calls for Proposals (CFPs) always seem to give me pause. Trying to fit one’s knowledge into a short time slot, selling it to the organizers as something their users will enjoy, and packaging oneself as an expert are all daunting, if indeed I take the time to apply.

Our Speak day panel of conference organizers Rebecca Miller-Webster, Rachel Ober, Celia La, Carol Willing, and Sarah Guido confronted this issue head on. With so many tech conferences starting up every day, there’s a very good chance that your expertise can be showcased.

Important to all organizers was specificity – not vague topics, but clearly outlined subjects along with how you will address them. Full slides usually aren’t required, but knowing how you’ll answer the questions you present will give the organizers more with which to work.

Coraline stressed that passion and personality are key, and a video of your past speaking experience – even from Meetups or other informal settings – can give a better idea of your presentation style and how engaged your audience will be.

Selling is a no-no across the board: Don’t pitch at  organizers with marketing speak, but share how the attendees will benefit. Focus on the audience and what they will learn as opposed to what you will show them.

And organizers love it when you spin a topic to your own perspective – as a newbie coming in, or a specific situation you overcame.

The CFP isn’t as daunting as I’d previously thought – and with practice I’m sure to build my armor and my speaker cred.

Sponsored by

wp-content/uploads/2016/05/hbo-logo-1.png

America’s most successful premium television company, Home Box Office delivers two 24-hour pay television services—HBO® and Cinemax®.

HBO continues to take advantage of the latest technological innovations with advancements that include the availability of HBO programming online though HBO GO and MAX GO, as well as HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand® in HD.

Just as HBO is a company noted for its commitment to excellence in the products and services it delivers to consumers, it makes the extra effort to create a work environment in which fairness, equity, trust, and individual responsibility are valued.

HBO is committed to retaining and recruiting skilled and motivated employees, placing a priority on qualified team players who contribute to the diversity of their workforce.

HBO offers competitive benefits to include medical, dental, vision, a matched 401(k) plan, flexible spending, a commuter benefit program and tuition reimbursement.

Filed Under: Conference, Speak

October 6, 2015 By Tamara Y Washington Leave a Comment

My Experience at Write/Speak/Code 2015 Conference

This entry is in the series 2015 Scholarship Recipients

At some point, I came across an email about Write/Speak/Code (which I’d never heard of before early 2015). I clicked on the link in sheer curiosity, thinking nothing would come of it.

I started reading about the conference, looked at the schedule and my curiosity began to peak. Here was an intense three days of writing, speaking and learning to code with women who have a passion for technology. Can you say, #Score!?!

I am reading this and saying, “Clearly, I am 0–3 right now!” Glad that this was a LEARNING and TEACHING moment for little grasshoppers such as myself!

I entered the conference, not knowing what to fully expect. I knew no one attending and was honestly, scared because the skills being taught were things that I needed and wanted to learn, but lacked in parts, big and small.

Day One — Write. We developed a list of topics to write or speak about and an outlined draft for one topic. I am thinking, “Are we seriously going to have to present this in front of others?!” The steps we learned to develop a topic, outline the topic, further develop the topic, I am thinking, “Where was this 20+ years ago?!” #WriteRocks

After Day One, I was completely exhausted, but utterly untroubled with the amount of information as well as the information, itself, learned that day. I was blown away by the diversity of cultures, level of knowledge in tech and ages of the women who were participants as well as speakers. For the first time in a very long time, I went to bed tired, but woke up, refreshed, before my alarm and ready to see what day two held.

Day Two — Speak. Further developing from what we wrote on Day One, my partner for the day and I presented our topic to our small group and it was well received with good feedback. WHEW! Relief. We also learned about how to submit to speak for conferences, what conferences are looking for and how to develop lightening talks! Talk about an eventful and jam packed day! #SpeakRocks

Day Three — Code. I am clearly thinking, “YIKES” in my head. I mean of the three days, THIS one was my weakest link. I’d met a few of the ladies and knew about their background. I was in INTIMIDATION mode at this point. I mean, my coding skills are non-existent other than going to a few forums and Meetup groups. I was proved WRONG, again. The ladies, from all levels of coding knowledge, were EXTREMELY helpful and the Code Montage set up class was super helpful with getting Github set up. By the end of the day, I knew how to use Git and GitHub as well as I’d done my FIRST pull request on GitHub. #CodeRocks

I can’t thank the ladies enough of Write/Speak/Code for having a lasting impact on my life. In those three days, I met so many women in tech or who want to be in tech, who LOVE what they do and have a passion for technology. I honestly didn’t want to leave due to the amount of knowledge I was attempting to absorb. I have PAGES of notes, several new bookmarked web pages, new Slack channels I’ve joined, new Twitter friends and a new tech family. I am STILL reviewing and reading information from the conference as a reference in my tech self-study.

I proudly have my Write/Speak/Code sticker on my laptop case with no other stickers overlapping, etc. I want the WORLD to know what the conference is and the impact it’s had on my life. I am a LIFE advocate of the conference.

Thank you to the generous sponsors for believing and supporting a conference such as Write/Speak/Code. The life-long impact of these three days can’t be described, fully, in a blog post.

Thank you could NEVER be enough, ladies of Write/Speak/Code <gracefully bowing>.

Sponsored by

wp-content/uploads/2016/05/hbo-logo-1.png

America’s most successful premium television company, Home Box Office delivers two 24-hour pay television services—HBO® and Cinemax®.

HBO continues to take advantage of the latest technological innovations with advancements that include the availability of HBO programming online though HBO GO and MAX GO, as well as HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand® in HD.

Just as HBO is a company noted for its commitment to excellence in the products and services it delivers to consumers, it makes the extra effort to create a work environment in which fairness, equity, trust, and individual responsibility are valued.

HBO is committed to retaining and recruiting skilled and motivated employees, placing a priority on qualified team players who contribute to the diversity of their workforce.

HBO offers competitive benefits to include medical, dental, vision, a matched 401(k) plan, flexible spending, a commuter benefit program and tuition reimbursement.

Filed Under: Conference, Write, Speak, Code

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