Alex Stobe shares some tips at #DevTO for developer networking and career planning

1. NETWORKING!
It’s not just free beer and pizza
Sunday, 23 October, 11

2. NETWORKING
The Game Plan
• Why are you here?
• Pitching yourself
• Matchmaking
• Exploratory coffee
• “If” & “When” are powerful synonyms for “No”
Sunday, 23 October, 11

3. What Do You Want?
Develop A Networking Objective
• Have you thought about your career path?
• Wanna be a CTO? VP of R&D? Co-Founder?
• Who are you?
• Fortune 500 or a startup person?
• What kinds of projects/problems do you love?
Sunday, 23 October, 11

4. Your Personal Pitch
A Reason To Remember You
• You have less than 2 minutes to make a
lasting impression. Remember:
• Passion Speaks
• Experience Proves
• Ideas Intrigue
• Make people want to reach out to you
Sunday, 23 October, 11

5. It’s Who You Know
A Cliché For A Reason
• Opportunities come from various sources
Sunday, 23 October, 11

6. Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Should You Have Coffee With This Person?
• Speak with many people. Meet with a few
• When deciding if you should network with
a peer, ask yourself:
• Could I work with this person?
• Do they share my vision?
• Can I learn something from them?
Sunday, 23 October, 11

7. Headhunters!
Do You Want To Be Caught In Their Net?
• When deciding if you should network with
a recruiter, ask yourself:
• Do they work with interesting companies?
• Are they a specialist or a generalist?
• Do I feel comfortable speaking with them?
Sunday, 23 October, 11

8. Sometimes It’s Just a Coffee
Exploratory Conversations Open Doors
• Meet with recruiters & hiring managers to
• Make contacts with the right people
• Learn something new about your industry
• See if the grass really is greener
Sunday, 23 October, 11

9. Sometimes It’s Just a Coffee
How To Play The Field
• Manage expectations
• Keep it casual
• Choose your meetings wisely
• Keep an open mind
Sunday, 23 October, 11

10. Say No & Stay Friends
• Decline offers & inquiries in a manner that
creates future opportunities
• Use your pitch & talk about timing
• Let them know what you want
Example response to a recruitment email:
“Thanks for your interest. This does look like a great opportunity. However, my team is in the middle of
an important product launch and I couldn’t leave for at least 6 months. Also, while most of my
experience has been with enterprise level Java apps, I’ve actually been using Objective-C
recently and am loving native app dev. Ideally, my next move will allow me to build on my mobile
experience and/or move into more of a leadership role.“
Sunday, 23 October, 11

11. NETWORKING
• Think about who you are and what you want
• Learn to articulate your selling points
• Know who you know & who you should
• Have coffee with the right people, even when it’s
the wrong time
• When declining an opportunity, state what you’re
ideally be looking for
Sunday, 23 October, 11

12. My Shameless Plug
If you’re a startup person and want to reach me:
Email: alex@laudi.com
Linkedin: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/
alexstobe
Twitter: @alexStobe
Looking for a ‘foot in the door’ opportunity?
REDJR.CA
Sunday, 23 October, 11