- I didn't get my first tech job from applications. - I didn't wait for recruiters to find me. - I've never relied on "spray and pray" job hunting. - I didn't think networking was "too salesy" or "fake." We've been taught the "submit and wait" approach for so long. Apply Online → Wait for Response → Hope Someone Notices → Get GHOSTED It's the "safe" approach, yes. But does it actually work? Rarely. Here's what changed everything for me: ✓ I attended the AfroTech Conference and talked to dozens of companies face-to-face ✓ I collected contact info from every meaningful conversation ✓ I followed up AFTER applying to each role (this is where most people fail) ✓ I got 10+ interviews from that single event The result? My first tech offer. Networking isn't about what people can do for you. It's about what value you can bring to them. Stop hiding behind applications. Start having real conversations with real people. What's the best networking event you've attended? Drop it below! 👇

- I don't have a CS degree. - I've never taken a DSA class. - I've never taken a computer science course. - I didn't land my first job from cold applications or referrals. We've been fed the "traditional tech career path" story for so long. CS degree → Internships → Big Tech → Success It's inspiring, yes. But does it mean it's the only way? No. Here's what's also possible: ✓ You can break into tech through bootcamps, self-learning, or career pivots ✓ You can build real projects that showcase your skills better than any degree ✓ You can network authentically through communities, not just cold outreach ✓ You can start in smaller companies where you'll learn faster and have more impact The tech industry needs diverse perspectives and non-traditional backgrounds. Your unique journey isn't a bug—it's a feature. Stop apologizing for the path you didn't take. Start owning the one you're on. Do you know anyone who doesn't have a CS degree but has successfully broken into tech?

When I started my career, I thought being a “real” developer meant typing everything out by hand and not relying too much on shortcuts. I rolled my eyes at things like autocomplete, code snippets, or frameworks that seemed to “do too much” for you. My mindset was: if you can’t build it all yourself from scratch, do you really understand it? Looking back, that thinking held me back. Experienced engineers helped me realize that good developers don’t reject tools, they figure out how to use them to build faster, cleaner, and more reliable software. I learned to embrace modern IDEs, linters, frameworks, and CI/CD pipelines, and my productivity skyrocketed. Now I see the same skepticism with AI coding assistants. Some devs scoff at them the way I used to scoff at autocomplete. But here’s the truth: these tools aren’t here to replace your skills, they’re here to amplify them. Sure, if you don’t know the fundamentals, AI might just help you make mistakes faster, but that’s not the fault of the tool. The developers who grow the fastest are the ones who stay curious, adapt, and leverage the best tools available. That was true when I got started, and it’s even more true today.

Stop wasting hours cold applying to tech jobs. Real traction comes from making connections at the right events. If landing a tech job by 2026 is the goal, virtual career fairs and conferences are the place to be. Here are the top US virtual tech networking events and conferences for Fall 2025, along with direct signup links for each event: MIT Virtual Fall Career Fair (October 17, 2025) — Free Registration page: https://capd.mit.edu/fcf-virtual/ This premier event connects students and professionals with leading tech employers like Google, Amazon, Apple, IBM, Raytheon, and more through scheduled virtual chats, group sessions, and resume drops. Women in Tech Job Fair & Career Summit (October 16, 2025) — Free Registration page: https://www.womentech.net/career-jobs/events/women-in-tech-job-fair-career-summit A high-impact event offering live networking, workshops, and recruiter access, with recent years attended by representatives from Microsoft, Google, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, and US-based startups.womentech WiCyS Fall Virtual Career Fair (September 24, 2025) — Free for Members Registration page: https://www.wicys.org/event/wicys-fall-virtual-career-fair-2025/2025-09-24/1/ A networking event geared toward women in cybersecurity, featuring companies such as Deloitte, AWS, Northrop Grumman, Cisco, and CrowdStrike.wicys New York Virtual Job Fair (September 25, 2025) — Free Registration page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-york-job-fair-september-25-2025-new-york-career-fairs-tickets-1041523634227 Features opportunities to network with recruiters from Meta, Wayfair, Capital One, Accenture, and tech startups.eventbrite TechTalk Summits: Thought Leadership Thursday – September (September 25, 2025) — Free

I used to get really nervous before interviews, often frantically researching common questions and struggling to articulate my project experience clearly under pressure. My responses were never concise or consistent. I would have a different response for the same question every single time I interviewed. I was never able to learn from my mistakes because my responses were always different. Everything changed when I finally decided to practice my responses for the most common interview questions. Call it somewhat of a systematic interview preparation process. The most important part of the process was that it helped me build confidence through structured practice. If I were struggling with this problem today, here are some AI-powered practice systems that can identify your weak spots and help you craft compelling responses. Same technical skills, but dramatically improved interview performance. Interview Prep Tools That Ended My Interview Anxiety: Pramp (pramp.com) - Free peer-to-peer mock interviews with real-time feedback and scheduling automation for consistent practice. InterviewBuddy (interviewbuddy.in) - On-demand mock interviews with industry professionals, automated scheduling, and detailed performance analytics. LeetCode (leetcode.com) Premium - Automated practice problems, progress tracking, and interview simulation for technical roles. Big Interview (biginterview.com) - AI-powered interview practice with automated feedback on your answers, body language, and speaking pace. Notion Interview Templates - Build automated databases of your project examples, STAR method stories, and company research with easy filtering. Loom (loom.com) - Practice your elevator pitch and common answers, then use AI transcription to identify filler words and improvement areas. Calendly (calendly.com) + Typeform (typeform.com) - Automate interview scheduling and pre-interview research collection to show up fully prepared.