热闹的聚会与尴尬的聚会
The best advice I received about securing my first job as a web developer was to attend meetups. You can read more about why it's a good idea to attend meetups in Dominic's article here: Want to get into tech? It’s never too early to start attending meetups.
我获得的关于确保我作为Web开发人员的第一份工作的最佳建议是参加聚会。 您可以在此处阅读更多有关为何参加聚会的好主意,请参见Dominic的文章: 想进入技术领域? 开始参加聚会永远不会太早。
But assuming you already think it's a great idea, how do you actually overcome your nerves and step out into the meetup scene for the first time? Here's how I, a raging introvert, step out of my comfort zone at meetups – and even got my first programming job as a result!
但是,假设您已经认为这是一个好主意,那么您如何真正地克服自己的紧张情绪,并首次进入聚会场景? 这是我一个内向的人,在聚会时走出我的舒适区–甚至因此获得了我的第一份编程工作!
开始之前–作业 (Before you go – Homework)
研究 (Research)
The obvious first port of call for finding meetups in your area is meetup.com. Simply searching for terms related to the tech stack you like (React, Node, Mongo, Ruby, Docker, etc) or for the job you have, or want (Front End Developer etc), can turn up an incredible number of niche communities for you to join.
在您所在地区寻找聚会的明显的第一通电话是Meetup.com 。 只需搜索与您喜欢的技术堆栈(React,Node,Mongo,Ruby,Docker等)相关的术语,或者寻找您拥有或想要的工作(前端开发人员等)相关的术语,就可以建立数量众多的利基社区您加入。
Some meetups choose not to list on meetup.com because of the costs, so you can also try straightforward web searches, or search on Twitter, for those. Contacting your local library can also give you a good idea of local meetups, especially those aimed at beginners.
由于成本原因,一些聚会组织选择不在metup.com上列出,因此您也可以尝试直接进行网络搜索,或在Twitter上搜索这些内容。 与您当地的图书馆联系还可以使您更好地了解当地的聚会,尤其是针对初学者的聚会。
It's worth looking into the meetups you find to see if you think it's a good fit for you - for example, do they have a code of conduct you are comfortable with, or do they appear to have a diverse community that values inclusion?
值得调查一下您发现的聚会,看看您是否认为这很适合您 -例如,他们是否拥有您满意的行为准则,或者他们似乎拥有重视包容性的多元化社区?
Also try to determine the format of the meetup ahead of time. Some meetups focus heavily on coding together – many freeCodeCamp meetups do this. Other meetups might be strictly social affairs where it's best to leave the laptop at home. It can feel comforting to take a laptop to a social event, and use it to deflect social interaction, but that's not really the point of going!
另外,请尝试提前确定聚会的形式。 一些聚会非常集中在一起进行编码–许多freeCodeCamp聚会都这样做。 其他聚会可能完全是社交活动,最好将笔记本电脑放在家里。 带着笔记本电脑参加社交活动并使用它来偏转社交互动会感到很安慰,但这并不是真正的意义所在!
编写一些热烈的介绍 (Develop some warm introductions)
If attending a room full of strangers feels too overwhelming, you can try to reach out to other attendees or the event hosts beforehand. Asking an attendee or the host what to expect lets someone there know someone new is coming – I've yet to meet an organiser or regular attendee that wouldn't respond to this by looking out for you and maybe even introducing you around to people on the night. On meetup.com you can see a list of attendees, and many of them have private messaging turned on, so find a friendly face and introduce yourself.
如果到处都是陌生人的房间感觉不堪重负,则可以尝试与其他与会者或活动主持人联系 。 询问与会者或主持人的期望是什么,使那里的人知道新来的人–我尚未见到组织者或常规与会者,他们不会通过寻找您甚至向周围的人介绍您来对此做出回应晚上。 在meetup.com上,您可以看到与会者列表,其中许多人都打开了私人消息收发功能,因此请脸色友好并自我介绍。
Your first meetup may be a daunting enough affair without the possible pressure of thinking about how you are going to get your first job in the industry. That said, it's worth taking a moment to think about how you'd like to come across at the meetup, and thinking explicitly about what you plan to say about yourself.
您的第一次见面可能会令人生畏,而无需考虑如何在行业中获得第一份工作的压力。 就是说, 值得花点时间考虑一下您想在聚会上遇到什么,并明确考虑您打算对自己说些什么。
It's not just about you, and treating it solely as a job fair won't be as enjoyable as it could otherwise be. But doing a little 'interview prep' beforehand, when the stakes are much lower than a real interview, can really boost your confidence should the opportunity to sell yourself come along.
这不仅关乎您,而且仅将其视为招聘会就不会像以前那样令人愉快。 但是,当赌注远低于真正的采访时,事先做一些“面试准备”可以真正地增强您的信心,只要有机会推销自己。
准备单飞 (Prepare to fly solo)
It is tempting to take a friend with you. I would strongly advise against this, or at the very least, if you do take a friend, split up and act like you're both going solo while there. It is far too easy and tempting to solely rely on each other and avoid meeting new people if you have an easy alternative with you already.
和你一起带一个朋友很诱人。 我强烈建议不要这样做,或者至少,如果您确实要带一个朋友,分手,然后就好像你们俩都在那里独奏一样。 如果您已经有了一个简单的选择,那么仅依靠彼此并避免结识新朋友是非常容易和诱人的。
当你在那里 (While you're there)
You made it! You actually set foot inside a room full of strangers gathered around their shared love of serverless architecture, or functional programming, or pushing divs around a screen! These are your people – relax and enjoy your night!
你做到了! 实际上,您走进了一个充满陌生人的房间,他们聚集在他们对无服务器架构,功能编程或将div推向屏幕的共同热爱中! 这些都是您的人–放松身心,享受您的夜晚!
破冰船和对话 (Icebreakers and conversations)
Talk to people. Some will call this networking, and you may think that is a dirty word, but you came here to meet people, so go meet them.
与人交谈。 有人会称其为“网络”,您可能认为这是一个肮脏的词,但是您来这里是为了认识人们,所以去见他们吧。
My 100% successful tactic for starting a conversation at a meetup is this:
我在聚会上开始对话的100%成功策略是:
- find someone standing on their own; 找到一个人站着;
- walk over to them at an unhurried pace; and 毫不动摇地走向他们; 和
- say 'Hi! I'm {insert-your-name}' 打招呼! 我是{insert-your-name}'
- you can also extend a hand for a shake if that's your bag. 如果这是您的手提包,您也可以伸出手握手。
- They will then reciprocate, so listen carefully for their name, and repeat it back to them, like 'Hi {insert-their-name}! Nice, to meet you.' 然后他们会往复运动,因此请仔细听他们的名字,然后像“ Hi {insert-their-name}! 很高兴见到你。'
Then ask them if their interest in {reason-for-the-meetup} is because of work or just for fun.
然后问他们对{reason-for-the-meetup}的兴趣是因为工作还是出于娱乐。
This is the best icebreaker because it's open and allows them to start talking either about their work or just their interests in general. It has never let me down.
这是最好的破冰船,因为它是开放的,可以让他们开始谈论他们的工作或只是他们的总体利益。 它从来没有让我失望。
The trick to engaging with people well at meetups is to ask thoughtful questions and listen to their answers. It can be tempting to jump in with your unsolicited elevator pitch about yourself as soon as you get a whiff of the possibility that someone might have a job vacancy, but you are much better served by conversing naturally with people and probing into what they tell you with more thoughtful questions.
在聚会上与人们进行良好互动的诀窍是提出深思熟虑的问题并听取他们的回答。 一听到某人可能会出现空缺的可能性,便会以您不请自来的电梯音调进入自己的位置,这很诱人,但与他人自然交谈并探究他们告诉您的内容会为您提供更好的服务还有更多周到的问题。
Generally, asking people about their experiences or soliciting their ideas about a topic are the best way to go.
通常,向人们询问他们的经历或征集他们对某个主题的想法是最好的方法。
- Oh, what was your experience with that particular technology like? 哦,您对这种特定技术的体验如何?
- What would you recommend to someone that was just getting started with that technology? 您会对刚开始使用该技术的人有何建议?
- How did you find the interview experience at that company? 您是如何找到该公司的面试经验的?
- What sort of challenges are you facing with this stuff at the moment? 您目前正在面对这些挑战什么样的挑战?
That kind of thing.
那种事
Another tip I picked up from an excellent meetup and conference organiser, @LJKenward, was this: when chatting with others, stand in open circles (a.k.a the Pac-Man rule). It can be hard enough approaching strangers without physical barriers. Try to stand in circles with gaps, so other people can join you.
我从一个出色的聚会和会议组织者@LJKenward那里得到的另一个建议是:与他人聊天时,站成一个圆圈(又名吃豆人规则)。 没有身体障碍,很难接近陌生人。 试着与周围的人站在一起,以便其他人可以加入你的行列。
赋予电梯音调的微妙艺术 (The subtle art of giving your elevator pitch)
If you are looking for work, you will likely have the opportunity to tell people about your situation and skill set at some point.
如果您正在寻找工作,您可能会在某个时候向人们介绍您的情况和技能。
Keep it brief:
保持简短:
- what kind of role you're looking for; 您正在寻找什么样的角色;
- what kind of values you have that you think a team would benefit from; 您认为团队将从中获得什么样的价值;
- what projects you've worked on that have allowed you to develop your technical skills. 您从事过哪些项目,这些使您得以发展自己的技术技能。
This is not a moment to be self-deprecating. Talk about yourself confidently and show your passion for the technology you like to use. If this is an opportunity that was meant for you, this is all you'll need to do for now!
这不是自嘲的时刻。 自信地谈论自己,并展示您对喜欢使用的技术的热情。 如果这是给您的机会,那么这就是您现在所要做的!
之后–作业,第2部分 (Afterwards – Homework, part 2)
Amazing! You did it! The thrill of going to your first meetup and it having gone well is hard to describe.
惊人! 你做到了! 很难描述第一次见面的兴奋感。
Now that it's over, find a few of the people you met (either through Twitter or the Meetup.com private messages) and send a short message about how much you enjoyed meeting them. Following on Twitter is great for this, since it allows you to remain reasonably passively in touch, while still developing your connection after the event.
现在结束了,找到一些您遇到的人(通过Twitter或Meetup.com私人消息),并发送一条简短的消息,告诉您您有多高兴见到他们。 在Twitter上关注这一点非常有用,因为它使您可以保持相当被动的联系,而在活动结束后仍可以建立联系。
From here, simply decompress, and fill your calendar up with all the new meetups you want to attend next!
从这里开始,只需解压缩,然后在日历中填满您要参加的所有新聚会吧!
If you see my name down for a meetup and want to connect beforehand, I'm always willing to do so. Or if you just want to discuss dev things, you can reach out to me on Twitter @JacksonBates
如果您看到我的名字参加聚会并想事先联系,我总是愿意这么做。 或者,如果您只想讨论开发人员的事情,可以在Twitter @JacksonBates上与我联系。
热闹的聚会与尴尬的聚会