Girls In Tech

The fifty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 22 February to 4 March 2011. Representatives from Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world will attend the session. There will be a number of activities, including interactive dialogues and panels, during the two-week session. I’m in particular excited about the track panel discussion on Wednesday 23^rd- it is one of the topic that is dearly to my heart. A group of leaders from all over the world will be in discussion over access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work. Be sure to watch the live webcast this Wednesday, 23 February 2011, 10am-1pm; Or if you are nearby pls stop by the conference room #3, North Lawn building.

This year following highlights key focus areas of CSW 2011.

• Priority Theme: Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work
• Review Theme: The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child
• Emerging Issue: Gender equality and sustainable development

Panel 1 Track- Key policy initiatives and capacity-building on gender mainstreaming: focus on science and technology

Moderator: Ms. María Luz Melon, Vice-Chair of the Commission (Argentina)

Panelist:

Ms. Sesae Mpuchane, Professor, University of Botswana, Botswana(paper)

Ms. Hagit Messer, President, Open University, Israel(paper)

Ms. Londa Schiebinger, Professor, Stanford University, USA

Mr. Bunker Roy, Founder and Director, Barefoot College, India(paper)

Ms. Anne Miroux, Director, Technology and Trade Logistics Division, UNCTA(paper)

If you are interested in watching day 1 high level round table web live cast, watch now!

Tags: 24notion, CSW, economy, education, entrepreneurship, gender equality, Gender Initiative, Girls, girls in tech, ivo, Ivo Lukas, jobs, justice, Leadership, NGO, Science, technology, training, UN, united nations, UNwomen, Women in Education
Posted in All Chapters, All Chapters, Girls In Tech | 1 Comment »

So, you’re looking for a social media job. You want to be a content coordinator, a social media marketer, an editorial executive, whatever. You’ve polished up your resume, rounded up your references and picked up the perfect pair of interview shoes. You email every job post on the web. And then you wait. And wait. And wait. And meanwhile, I’m sitting at my desk, sifting through resumes and wondering why we can’t find anyone halfway decent for social media openings at our company.

So why aren’t you interviewing with me? Well, assuming you’re a qualified candidate, then the problem is probably your cover letter.

You see, your cover letter is a lot more than a simple intro for your resume and references. It’s a first impression of your qualifications. And, in many cases, it’s the only impression that busy person on the other side of the screen is going to get before they decide to dismiss you completely.

So, how do compose a killer cover letter? Simple. Just follow the three P’s. Personality, profiles and proofreading.

Personality is probably the trickiest of the trifecta. Social media certainly ain’t a 9-5 gig, so when I’m screening resumes, I’m always aware that I’ll probably end up spending more time with the person we pick than I do with my friends and family combined. A little personality in your cover letter is a great barometer for me when making those decisions. But, show too much personality, and you might come across as unprofessional. So, I’ll gladly read colloquialisms, creativity and even the occasional quip. Emoticons and excessive exclamation on the other hand will probably get a less positive response.  And don’t forget, one person’s treasured triple-exclamation-point sign off might just be another one’s personal pet peeve. (Hint, hint).

If you’re applying for a job in social media, the profiles part should be the easiest part of this equation. Just make sure you include links to all of your social media sites. And you might as well include the personal and professional. Don’t think I’m not gonna google it if you don’t. When we’re hiring for a heavy social media job, we want to see people with a presence on the social web. So,I’m looking at your ratio of Twitter followers to followers, your number of tweets, your social aggregator accounts, your blog, your boyfriend’s blog — whatever I can find to prove that you know your way around the web. You don’t need to have your fingers in every profile pie, but you should have some background in this whole social networking scene. If you don’t, then you better have a backup plan for proving to me that you’re the person for the post.

Last, but not least, make sure you proofread. If I had a nickel for every typo, grammar gaffe, misused word or spelling mistake I’ve seen in cover letters over the past year, I could probably afford to just fund the invention of a robot who would cover all of our open job posts, so I’d never again have to stare in disbelief at the cover letter of a college graduate who can’t tell the difference between ‘their’ and ‘there.’ Seriously, I can’t stress the importance of proofreading your cover letters enough. This is also true for emails sent from mobile devices. If it’s the first piece of writing I’m going to be seeing from you, it’s worth a few extra minutes of meticulousness.

At the end of the day, crafting a killer cover letter comes down to this: you could have the best background of anybody on the web, but if your cover letter is awful, it’s like hiding a gorgeous gown under a crappy coat. What’s the point? If you’re going to invest in the gown, make sure you spend some time on the outerwear too. After all, it’s the first layer of your first impression. And, the first step towards scoring a chance to show off those interview shoes.

Tags: careers, hiring, jobs, socialmedia, tech, web
Posted in Los Angeles | 4 Comments »

Resume Best Practices Workshop

Sponsored by Kosmix: The web organized for you

Have you ever wondered what it is, exactly, about your resume that will turn a recruiter on/off to your potential as a candidate for employment? Find out with Girls in Tech Silicon Valley, on November 19, as we invite a variety of  managers / recruiters to share resume best practices and knowledge around how to make yourself an attractive professional in today’s competitive market.

During the evening, participants will be breaking out into intimate groups to do peer resume reviews while Hiring Professionals provide valuable insight and feedback.

Professionals from the following industries and others will be joining us:

Lizelle Baylon, Principal Recruiter at Boston Scientific (Medical Devices)

Debbie Donovan, Sr. Manager, Practice & Hospital Market Development at Intuitive Surgical (Medical Devices)

Kiran Prasad, CTO at Sliced Simple, Inc. Former Senior Director WebOS Emerging Technologies at Palm (Mobile)

Cindy Wang, Product Manager at Tiny Prints Inc. (Online Retailer)

Stephanie Lonn, Technical Recruiter at Zynga (Social Media / Games)

Isabelle Mitura, Recruiter at Zynga (Social Media / Games)

Spots are first come, first serve. Refreshments and snacks will be provided!

Doors open at 6:45, breakout sessions begin at 7:00pm
$10 in advance (register at Eventbrite)
$15 at the door

Kosmix
444 Castro St
(Entrance on Mercy St)
Mountain View, CA 94041

Tags: interview, jobs, Resume, social net, workshop
Posted in Events, Silicon Valley | No Comments »

Communications Manager, Multiple Focus Areas – Mountain View

The area: Communications

It’s our job to help inform and educate consumers, partners and opinion formers about the benefits of Google’s products, our distinctive business ethos and approach to the big public policy issues of the day. We are looking for quick witted, entrepreneurial and intellectually curious people to join the team. To succeed here you’ll need to be able to combine creativity with the organizational skills to manage numerous different projects to tight deadlines all at once, as well enjoy pitching to all kinds of journalists, bloggers and commentators (we find it hard too!). Things happen quickly at Google and to get stuff done here you need to be an enthusiastic team player – a self-starter who can work cross-functionally and isn’t frightened to take risks or try out new ways of doing things.

The role: Communications Manager, Multiple Focus

As a member of the Communications team based at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California you will work cross functionally (and with our team) to help communicate Google’s developer products and programs, devise specific campaigns that establish solid contacts with journalists, face-to-face meetings with commentators and other opinion formers and develop print and web-based materials targeted at a range of different audiences, and counter misinformation and mitigate negative media coverage that might lead to unnecessary regulation or interfere with our business and ability to serve our users in other ways. Managers are very strong writers who can process complex technology issues – through blog posts, FAQs, video scripts and more – and explain them in clear language internally and externally.

To apply for this job or to learn about other job openings, please email Arne at arne@google.com

Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, Arne, girls in tech, Google, jobs, Silicon Valley, women in tech
Posted in Silicon Valley | No Comments »

Like many of you, I am also job hunting. I am searching though job listings, using my network, and trying to expand it. We hear many, many stats telling us that of all the job-hunting techniques, networking is the most effective. But, what if networking is not working for you? Your industry is going through restructuring. Your contacts are going through the same thing you are. Now what?

So, I came across this book at the bookstore – Get Hired Fast, Tap the Hidden Job Market in 15 Days.  Okay, I am not naïve enough to believe the title, but it did get my attention. Quickly flipping through it, it provides a 15-Day Action Plan to tap into the “hidden job market”.  The argument here is to use the direct-calling approach – calling people you have never met. You target people in key hiring position with companies you are interested in. It provides advices on how to cold call. Of course, you need to do in-depth research first, such as company mission, competitors, current company projects, what you can bring to the company… Next, you need to get at least 150 contacts. How? Google, Hoovers, Yahoo Finance, alumni associations… The point is not to know them personally, just people to call.

Then, call them.  Make 5 calls in the mornings. Make 5 calls in the afternoons. Arrange one to two in-depth conversations with hiring contacts within a selected company. Per day. This is hard work. You will get rejection. 50 calls can lead to only 8 connections, to 1 interview.

Call with confidence. Call before work day starts (6:30 to 8 am) or after work days ends (5-7pm). Call at 50 minutes past the hour, when the contact just finish a meeting, with a few minutes before the next one. Call with a rehearsed script. And call.

The book really pushed you out of your comfort zone. It goes against your natural job hunting instincts. But if you are frustrated with how things are now, it is worth a shot.

Be on the lookout for details of the GIT Silicon Valley launch event on Thrusday, 9/10.

http://gitiphoneapps.eventbrite.com/

Tags: Getting a job, jobs, networking
Posted in All Chapters, Silicon Valley | No Comments »

SGN’s Global Communications/Marketing Intern will assist with media relations, blogging, media research, preparing presentations, and producingreports/analytics/audits. All tasks will be managed by our Director of Global communication with the objective of producing a positive public image of SGN products and industry presence. Qualified candidates possess strong writing skills, enthusiasm for the tech industry, and a natural journalistic curiosity. Ultimately, the Intern may be empowered to take action on behalf of SGN as deemed appropriate by his or her mentor.

All candidates must submit the following to HR@SGN.com: 
Letter of inquiry
 Resume/CV
. Please use the subject line “PR Intern”.
 Applicants who fail to use the correct subject heading or provide the required materials will not be considered for the position.

Tags: gaming, girls in tech, jobs, SGN, Silicon Valley, Social Gaming Network, women in tech
Posted in Silicon Valley | No Comments »

The cold and dreary weather in New York has finally disappeared. The warm and sunny weather brings a sense of renewal and optimism, particularly important in the difficult economic times that we have experienced. Companies, too, are slowly starting to thaw from the deep freeze of the last several months and beginning to seek out talented individuals.

Girls in Tech NYC is fostering that spirit of renewal by hosting a co-ed TalentSeeker social at Kush lounge that will allow individuals to engage each other in a casual and relaxed environment. As a complement to the event we are featuring two motivational and powerful women within the NYC business community: Dina Kaplan, co-founder and COO of Blip.tv and Peg Samuel, CEO of Social Diva Media and author of How to be a Social Diva. Of course there will also be fabulous swag thanks to our generous sponsors: Beautiful Stranger.tv, Smashing Darling and SkinCeutials, who is providing a special giveaway!

This event has everything you need to network and engage in a chic and relaxing environment. All you have to bring is yourself, a friend and a business card!

DATE: Wednesday, May 27
TIME: 6:30 – 9:30pm
PLACE: Kush Lounge, 191 Chrystie Street (Lower East Side)http://www.kushlounge.com/

COST: $10 in advance, $15 at the door
RSVP: http://snipr.com/hhria (Meetup) or http://snipr.com/hhrjp (Eventbrite)

Last call for job listings and talent seekers!

We are compiling a PDF of available roles for our attendees to download beforehand (Tuesday evening). If you have a job or project you are seeking talent for, contact Tommy Jenkins at tommy@girlsintech.net to get on the listings, and join us for the event!  You’ll get a nametag identifying you as a talent seeker so those looking for work can introduce themselves and you can get to know each other in a relaxed, low-pressure environment!

Tags: Amy Cham, dina kaplan, jobs, New York, peg samuel
Posted in Events, New York | No Comments »