GDIC Career Discussion

If you’ve finished a class or attended Girl Develop It events but the tech career process is still a mystery, join us for an informal career discussion led by Cassandra Faris (Improving Enterprises) and Sue Johnson (HMB).

We’ll be discussing topics such as:

• The coding and general skills employers look for, especially in Columbus

• How to navigating the interview process, including those beloved code exercises

• Salary negotiation for entry-level developers

• Finding opportunities in Columbus, especially if you’re switching careers, just getting started, or have followed a “non-traditional” career path

We’ll also have plenty of time for questions, so bring yourself and any women-in-tech career questions, and we’ll do our best to demystify the process!

About the speakers

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Susan Johnson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Communication and more than 15 years’ experience focused exclusively in IT recruiting and executive level sales in the central Ohio market. Over her tenure she has had considerable exposure working with private sector consulting and Fortune 100 firms. Susan has participated in numerous training initiatives including training and development from Mahan Khalsa, a world-renowned expert in business development and former Vice President of the Sales Performance Group at Franklin Covey. Additionally, she was selected to participate in one of the country’s top leadership and management programs for the Walt Disney World Company. She is the owner and Founder of 360 Talent Group, a private search firm dedicated to working with technology based firms in Columbus, and is the acting Recruiting Director for HMB, an Ohio based consultancy. Susan has worked with many colleges and Universities to help promote programs based on encouraging women in technology and helping young talent effectively navigate the job search process.

Cassandra Faris is the Talent Manager at Improving Enterprises, a software development and training company that has been named Best Place to Work by Columbus Business First. She is highly involved in the Columbus IT community, and is the Marketing Lead for the CloudDevelop and Dog Food Conferences. She has a BA in Political Science and Philosophy and an MBA in Organizational Leadership and Marketing. In her spare time, she is a foodie, gamer, and short-distance triathlete who travels as much as possible.

Talking with developers all day made Cassandra want to learn some code herself. She has taken HTML/CSS and JavaScript classes through Girl Develop It and continues to be involved with the organization. She is committed making technical careers accessible to women, and helping them grow in those careers.