#ghc14

The only people who don’t need elevator pitches are elevator salesmen. I once tried to sell an elevator to a man who owned a one-story building. He didn’t buy from me, but he did sell me on the benefits of leaving his lobby without any bullet holes in my body.

-Jarod Kintz

Crafting your elevator speech can be a bit overwhelming. Here are some tips I can offer to help you begin crafting your elevator speech.

Be clear on what type of role you are looking for

Write everything down

Format it

Tailor tailor tailor

Eliminate jargon

Practice, practice, practice

Nail it.

It is quite difficult having some idea what you'd like to do straight out of college, or even if you are in college. If you don't know what you are looking for, perhaps jot down some areas of technology that excite and inspire you.

Remember, your elevator speech is ~30 seconds long. I make a list of all of my accomplishments, past internships/ experiences, and skills that are relevant to the position I seek. Then I cross out everything that isn't critical to my pitch leaving key bullet points.

It should answer 3 questions. Who are you? What do you do and What are you looking for.

I make sure to tailor my elevator speech to a company, not to myself. Be sure to focus on their needs and how you can help them achieve their needs.

I tend to use technical terms sparingly. The last thing you'd want to do is make your listener feel uninformed.  

Practice out loud. In the mirror, to your cat, to your mom or to your professor. Make sure you don't sound like an informercial and make sure their idea of your objective is your objective. Ask for honest feedback and incorporate it as you make adjustments. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will be with it. It is worthwhile to craft different variations of your elevator speech.

I wanted to share a few things that are in my portfolio as I pack for Grace Hopper.

Resumes

Business cards

Fancy pen

Notepad

Thank you cards

Gum

I have two variations of my resume and plenty of copies. A traditional resume, and a creative resume.

Plenty of business cards to exchange while networking.

It's not fancy. It is a Zebra pen. You can buy them at Walmart.

Legal size. You can pick them up at Staples. I use this to take notes and write code during interviews.  

I love stationary. I have a few thank you cards hidden because you don't know when you will need some.

Let’s take a moment to remember our middle school dances. Awkward.

I hope you remembered to pack your dancing shoes! The conference offers two dances, both to be a blast.

   Disclaimer: I’ll be honest and say I have two left feet and only know where my hips are without the slightest idea of how to sway them.

Let’s break down the dances

Dance One:

   A smaller version of the end of conference celebration dance, filled with music of all sorts. Surely to prep you for the E.O.C. celebration dance. Last year, I was delighted to dance the night away with my new friends, and cool off with some ice cream (bomb stick mmm). We danced everything from salsa to hip hop, formed more than one Congo line and had miniature dance offs. Can’t dance? Neither can I and it doesn’t matter. The dances are another way to meet new people, make new friends, and a great alternative to hitting the gym.  

Thursday, 8:30 -12:00 AM ,North 120 Ballroom

End of Conference Celebration:

   Sweet tooth lovers unite! The end of conference celebration is a do not miss event! Microsoft and Google sponsor the event and boy do they know how to put on a party. Pick up a t shirt from either one (Note*  *In past years, the shirts have run a bit small, so keep that in mind) or both. Last year, a stand up comedian made us laugh while we dined on all sorts of sweets.

And by sweets I mean:

Ice cream station (full fledged, with nuts, sprinkles, cherries, whipped cream)

Cake pops

Cookies, Brownies

Fresh fruit

Water and coffee are served as well.

Glow sticks are passed around and the dance begins. The DJ spins beats that span everything from electronic to pop (and all things in between).

...

Today marks a week since Grace Hopper began. Have you followed up on the connections you made? I’ll be the first to admit I have no problem meeting new pals, I sometimes have issues following up with them. Please don’t let those good ole times spent bonding over waiting to get your caricature drawn or stalking the snack areas go to waste!

I HAVE THEIR BUSINESS CARD..

I recognize it may be a little weird making the first move but people do it all the time. Deep breath and send that email!

Things to include:

   A reintroduction

   How you guys met

   What you’d like to do with your new found personal/professional friendship.

This:

   Dear Miss Piggy,

       I certainly hope you got home safely and you enjoyed the remainder of your time at Grace Hopper. I had a lovely time meeting you and discussing your thoughts on the future of wearable technologies while we waited for the panel to start. I wanted to take the time and connect with you via email in hopes we could continue exchanging ideas about where fashion and tech could collide next. Warmly, Vanessa

Not this:

   Dear Kermit,

       I’m Vanessa and we met at Grace Hopper. I wanted to follow up with you in hopes you’d send me some recently published articles about how I can catch flies better. Thanks again, Vanessa

I FORGOT HOW/WHERE WE MET…

   In a crowd of 8000 people there’s a countless number of possible interactions. It’s perfectly normal to not recall how or where you met exactly. I’ve found touching base on a higher level is normally the best option.

   This:

   Dear Miss Piggy,

   Can you believe it’s been a week since Grace Hopper began? It most certainly feels like yesterday to me, I can hardly contain myself. I wanted to touch base and see how your flight home was. I’d also like to connect with you via Linkedin/Twitter/email. As a recent grad, I’ve learned one of the best things I can do is surround myself with successful women and I’d love to have you in my network. Kindest Regards, Vanessa

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People to follow.

This year may have been my 4th year attending Grace Hopper but boy did it leave a lasting impression on me. This by no means is a complete list but I managed to track down a few people on Twitter. Feel free to follow them.

Cate Hudson

Clint Zeagler

Jennifer Arguello

Jo Miller

Matt Wallaert

Megan Smith

Michelle Six

Patty Lopez

Rose Robinson

Ruthe Farmer

Telle Whitney

Below are some communities you'd want to follow if you'd like to be more involved or stay up to date with the happenings of Grace Hopper.

Systers Community

Grace Hopper Community

Anita Borg Institute

DVF, Hermes & Ralph Lauren oh my!

A few icons mentioned to a packed room, all of whom were interested in learning about the Future of Fashion Technology. As someone who spends the last Saturday morning of every month reading the latest Vogue, Marie Claire and Glamour this was by far the session for me.

While we are all aware of [wearable] technology currently out in the market, many people in both the technology and fashion industry are starting to wonder where it goes from here. Will we be stuck with things that remain on our wrists?

In order to understand where we are going, we need to know where we've been. Fashion isn't new and it isn't going anywhere as long as there is Fashion Week. That’s the thing though. We are at a point where Fashion meets Tech but we don’t understand each other. I got to the session early and made a pal while we waited for the panel to take the stage.

Women follow trends and want what is current

- Clint Zeagler

Thing is, current fashion are things that were trended 3.5 years ago. That’s just the way things are, explained Roger Wood. No surprise there, as I lusted over Kate Spade’s 2015 Ready to Wear Collection. The panel discussed the underlying value of fashion, why people choose to spend (what some people believe) are outrageous amounts of money on fashion. There are 3 pillars: Utility, Social Purpose and Psychological Purpose, noted Wood. Utility in that yes, even the smallest bags are meant to hold something. Social purpose also played a role lending to tribal affiliation, the idea of the girl sitting across the row wearing the same Sam Edelman shoes that I had at home, and I understood that a pair of silver heels always spiced up the most classic of button down denim dresses. Psychological purpose, the notion that we can use fashion to express feelings.  

Hermes is about adventure in the end..

-Roger Wood

WHAT ABOUT TECH?

Fashion is my first love with technology being in close second. As I sat and thought about whether we'd see Glass die out in the 60 months Wood gave it to live, I worried what are the icons of the tech industry? I have a closet full of vintage clothes but only kept my Vtech laptop (circa 97). Why is that? I don’t keep my old cell phones in hopes of bringing them out of hiding for the world to see nor would I ever pay for a cell phone circa 1999. Technology is progression and I know that. We [the tech world] are always on the next sprint, the next step, always looking ahead, worried about things like performance and ascetics. While some people trade pain in for the sake of fashion, I strive for my cell phone to be less than 2 generations old. Why?

The panel offered insight, noting things like seamless integration (into our daily lives). While I understood that, I don't want to be bogged down by an armful of tech candy. I don't see the need for a fitbit, moto360 and a jawbone especially if they are pink. (Note: I don't have an issue with pink, unless it clashes with my outfit). Actionable insights, Boeckman explained, are of importance if we decide to truly meet at the corner of fashion and tech. The idea of having notifications that show up when they are most relevant, is something I know plenty of people would embrace. [No, I can't have that donut if I’m trying to lose weight.]

HOW DO WE GET THERE?

We need to quit playing the ‘we know everything' card. We need to begin with collaboration. DVF has her line of Glass, and Tory Burch has her collaborative line of Fitbits. Angela Ahrendts, former Burberry executive going to work for Apple? Good idea. Going the other way around? Probably not so much.

WHAT’S THE H&M OF WEARABLE FASHION?

A question that burned in the heads of many was asked. Sure, I'd love to own glass. Did I shell out $1500 to be one of the first explorers when I landed an invitation? No. I couldn't justify its cost. The panel discussed integration into fabric. With lower price point comes lower bells and whistles. Think about it.You could purchase a Lexus and let the car parallel park itself, or you could opt for a more affordable vehicle and purchase a Toyota. No you don't get heated seats, a rear view camera and have to *gasp* parallel park yourself but, like a Lexus, that Toyota can get you from point A to point B.