Curious about submitting a talk to an upcoming Women Who Code event? New to public speaking or submitting a CFP? Want to be sure you get selected as a conference speaker? Here are some resources to get your creativity flowing!
We believe that an organization dedicated to making our industry better should reflect the diversity within it. We take our Code of Conduct seriously, and encourage those of groups traditionally underrepresented in technology to apply. All speakers will find a supportive environment as you prepare for your talk.
📆 WWCode Speaking Opportunities:
- CONNECT Recharge - May 26, 2022
*deadline to submit: April 25 - Collaborate with a WWCode Technical Track
*talks received on a rolling basis
🎬 Watch Past CFP Speaker Series Events:
🗣 Additional Resources
- WWCode's Youtube channel is the best place to get inspired and view talks from past WWCode Conferences
- WWCode Tokyo: Introduction to Public Speaking Workshop covers how to make a great presentation, from deck creation to delivery, where to get your first speaking gig, how to handle audience questions, and advice on how to give online vs. in person presentations!
- WWCode Boston: How Building an Alexa App Helped Beat My Imposter Syndrome Imposter syndrome is real, especially for upcoming female coders outnumbered 20:2 by males. If you want to boost your confidence this overview shows how to make an Alexa skill app using the AWS developer Console and an AWS lambda serverless backend triggered by Alexa!
🌟 Check out actionable advice and best practices shared by Women Who Code leaders from our monthly Leader Hangouts: Leader Hangout CFP Training
💭 CFP FAQ
Q. Is there a required competency to be a speaker? Do I need to be a CTO/have a PhD etc.
No, you do not need to be those things! If you have knowledge about particular technical subject matter, please share! We support and encourage first time speakers to apply.
Q. What should I present on?
You can present on core technologies and a solution, a work project & its challenges, a project you created for fun, etc! You can find inspiration from past talks on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/womenwhocode
Q. I’m located in a different timezone, will I be able to participate?
Yes! Our community is global, and we host events across many different timezones.
Q. Can I submit a talk with another speaker?
Absolutely! We accept joint talks and ask that each speaker still apply. In your applications please use the same talk title, description, and a note to let us know you have a co-speaker.
Q. What information should I include in my speaker bio?
We love to share this easy template, from Heidi Waterhouse's helpful blog post "Lady Conference Speaker: Speaker Bios"
Template:
[Name] is [title] at [company], [pronoun] has [#] years of experience working with [topic(s)]. [Pronoun] is an expert in [other topic]. When [pronoun or name] is not [activity, skill, or hobby], [pronoun] enjoys [other activity/skill/hobby].
Here's what that looks like in action:
Heidi is a developer advocate with LaunchDarkly. She delights in working at the intersection of usability, risk reduction, and cutting-edge technology. One of her favorite hobbies is talking to developers about things they already knew but had never thought of that way before. She sews all her conference dresses so that she’s sure there is a pocket for the mic.
Q. How can I make my talk title stand out?
For title ideas, be sure to describe what topics/frameworks you will cover in your talk. If you are starting out with "Backend for Beginners" what specific outcomes are you addressing beyond the big topic of backend development?
Backend for Frontend Developers + Building a Database in Node.js
What It's Like Developing Critical Web APIs in Golang as a Backend Developer
Backend Special: Introduction to Maven Plugin Development
You can try filling in the blanks:
How I did ___ as a Backend Developer
_____ for Backend Development
Building ____ with ___ and ____
Here are some examples of introductory/beginner talk titles:
Git Commit (to Memory): Intro to Open Source and GitHub
Angular Study Group: Introduction to Components
Introduction to Spatial Data: How Reality Is Captured from Above
Level Up Your Code: An Introduction to Vue.js
Kintone Virtual Workshop: Intro to Promises
Q. What do I write in a talk description?
Descriptions let the audience know what to expect in your talk. Try the following formula and add or remove details that seem exciting about your presentation!
In this session, attendees/you will learn to ______________. [SPEAKER NAME] will explain ____________________. Learn how to ______________________.
Another approach is starting your talk description with a powerful statement / fact. This statement defines the need for your session. Here's an example we loved from a wellness break session, though you can make this format work for a technical talk easily:
Our brain is built to detect and respond to change. So no matter how fantastic the content, one of the best things you can do to stay engaged and focused, is to give your brain a micro-break. We’ll be taking a few minutes to look away from the screen with some stretches and breathing techniques so you return to the agenda all set to retain the awesome content coming your way.