Last month, Silverline sponsored an event hosted by BUILT BY GIRLS. The event, “Girl, You Better {net}Work,” was a mini-conference designed to help young women and non-binary students navigate their careers and network with confidence. 

There were 90 student attendees, all between the ages of 15 and 22; there were 70 volunteer professionals from throughout the tech industry, including quite a few folks from our Silverline headquarters.

The night featured three sessions, along with a dinner break for more practice in networking skills. The topics of presentation were:

• The Myth of the Perfect Career Path: Professionals shared their stories and reminded students that the perfect career path is a myth.
• Mastering The Humblebrag + Networking 101: Attendees crafted their authentic elevator pitch and put it into practice via speed networking.
• Resume Level-Up: Students gained tips & tricks on how to build a stand out resume.

The perfect career path is a myth

Students heard stories, tips, and advice from professionals working in a variety of roles in tech, from marketing to engineering to talent acquisition. Silverline’s Chief People Officer, Lisa Dallenbach, was a featured speaker on the opening panel. She provided insight on how her own career path has been untraditional yet successful, highlighting that oftentimes you wind up in roles you never dreamed of.

photo by JP Yim

“I had the privilege of sitting on a panel with three other women in the technology field. We talked about our first jobs, how we came into our profession and what we have learned along the way. The event felt more like a collective team working toward being our best. I learned so much from these motivated students, even though the point was for us to mentor them. We learned together how to better pursue what inspires each of us,” said Dallenbach (pictured above, right).

Reimagining your resume

As Silverline’s Marketing Content Strategist with a long history of freelance work focused on resume consulting, I was tapped to help our Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant Chris Helms lead the event’s resume workshop. Chris and I focused on quantifying experiences for a better quality message, building your brand beyond the resume — taking it to your cover letter, social media, and email signatures — and tailoring your resume to each role for which you apply.

photo by JP Yim

“Having had the opportunity to experience the BUILT BY GIRLS skills workshop and networking event first hand, I am very excited about the future of young students entering the technology workforce. The passion, drive and ambition of the young folks we had the opportunity to interact with was truly incredible. Built by Girls should be heralded for the work they do and we are proud to be a partner,” Helms said.

For my part, it was amazing to see how hungry this group of students were; they were focused, and truly paid attention to the advice we were giving. After we spoke, the event opened up into a free-for-all resume workshop. Students not only received valuable resume critiques, but made connections with the volunteer professionals to follow up and connect to possible career opportunities. I’ve already had so many of the students reach out to me afterward, and I’ve even forwarded some resumes on to former colleagues with my recommendation for internships.

Accelerating Gen Z talent

In the results of a survey shared with participants after the event, students reported feeling more confident in their professional skills because of Girl, You Better {net}Work.

Students particularly highlighted their:

• Newfound skills in crafting an elevator pitch that feels real and authentic to them
• Appreciation for the chance to connect with professionals in a safe space and learn how to introduce themselves without fear
• Ability to show their “authentic selves” and that they felt inspired by the energy in the room

photo by JP Yim

We were so grateful for the opportunity to support this great Built By Girls event as a part of our Silverline Cares initiative.

“[The event] was a dream come true and largely because of [Silverline’s] direct engagement with our staff and students. It’s not every day that our partners not only offer their financial support, but also volunteer their time and resources to interact with our exceptional, diverse, and ambitious community. We saw your dedication to answering their questions and sharing tangible advice they could immediately take with them into a job interview.” Tiana Davis Kara, Executive Director of BUILT BY GIRLS.

Interested in joining a great team dedicated to giving back to their community at large? We’re hiring.