For a decade now, General Assembly has cultivated a robust community with a strong passion to spur the growth of the tech industry. This is evident in its award-winning curriculum, career-centric support, and expansive offerings to help tech aspirants worldwide elevate their skills and portfolios.
As one of the biggest bootcamps in the world—with 39 locations in six countries and over 1,500 active instructors—General Assembly maintains consecutive efforts to break the gap in the industry and encourage more tech aspirants to transform into top-tier professionals.
With a deep understanding of how the industry works, General Assembly has collaborated with hundreds of industry experts over the years to bring the most updated tech knowledge directly to you.
This time, it’s no different. The school recently rolled out Hit Play, a new tech conference series that tackles multiple facets of the industry. All of the live events and workshops under this series are also free, leaving participants with so much to gain and virtually nothing to lose. All you need to sign up for a session is access to a laptop or computer with a strong internet connection. A working webcam and microphone are preferable to encourage active interactions.
Hit Play is divided into several different weeks, each with its own focus areas such as diversity, tech trends, minorities in tech, and other niche topics. The sessions are led by some of the brightest minds in the industry and seasoned experts in their respective fields. Not only will this guarantee high-quality discussions, but this ensures that participants walk away with expanded knowledge and skills.
This initiative is also supported by Adobe, Squarespace, Salt, Plug and Play, Black Career Women’s Network, Ladies That UX Boston, Ladies Get Paid, Dress for Success, ModelExpand, Austin Urban Technology Movement, Jugs, Planoly, Young Women’s Alliance of Austin, Blacks In Technology Foundation, Best Practice Media, VentureFizz, Creation Session, iON, M+P, and American Institute of Graphic Arts.
Hit Play was kicked off on February 10 with Diversity in Tech Week, where black, neurodiverse, and other historically underrepresented professionals shared their insights into crucial opportunities, resources, and best practices throughout the industry.
The campaign has since garnered positive responses with over 62,000 global participants expressing their interest across all sessions. Let’s take a look at what awaits in the upcoming sessions:
Tech Week
This is one of the most anticipated Weeks, which saw over 13,000 RSVPs across the globe. Topics discussed the latest tech trends of the year which include Artificial Intelligence, ethics, the future of cybersecurity, emerging tech, and FoodTech.
While most of the sessions are over, participants can still look forward to another session called Tech Your Workout: Success of the At Home Workout on March 29 at 5 pm (BST). This can greatly benefit those who are looking to keep fit at home during the pandemic.
This hour-long live stream will be led by the Founder of Upbeats Fitness Studio, Allison Axdorff, and the Founder of TF Stephens Fitness, Terrell Stephens. The duo, which shares a passion for fitness and general wellness, will be sharing tips and tricks on the best home workouts and ways to stick to your fitness programs.
Womxn At Work (March 8 – March 12)
In honor of Women’s History Month, General Assembly has curated a series of interesting sessions that will shed some light on womxn innovators and tech leaders of today. The sessions are open to all, regardless of gender and background. There is a slew of networking and interactive sessions that you can take part in and they include:
Female Funders: Womxn Investing In Womxn
Date: Wednesday, March 10
Time: 4 PM – 5 PM GST
It is reported that the underrepresentation of women in tech companies and careers stemmed from the lack of diversity in venture capital leadership and portfolios. One of the ways to break the cycle is by having women boosting each other up.
As such, this session will discuss ways to recognize and tackle unconscious bias, ways to champion other women, and ways to build a strong network, among others.
The hour-long forum will feature six female leaders; CEO/Co-Founder of soona, Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder/Community Organizer of The Pledgettes Jenn Uhen, Managing Partner of SpaceFund Meagan Crawford, CEO/Founder of Business Angel Minority Association Maria Maso, Executive Director of Beam Jess Gaffney, and Managing Partner of Rockies Vintage Fund 2021 Emily Klein.
They will also be sharing some pointers on the right ways for female entrepreneurs to make pitches to venture capitalists, along with the know-how to raise your capital.
Let’s Talk About It: Combating Imposter Syndrome
Date: Wednesday, March 10
Time: 8 PM – 9.30 PM GST
If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong in your workplace or that you are not deserving of your job and accomplishments, chances are you may have experienced Imposter Syndrome. This phenomenon is more common than you think. In fact, it’s faced by 58% of tech workers—even those who work with some of the world’s tech giants—according to a study by the Blind app.
While Imposter Syndrome may be a feeling familiar to many, it can still pose disruptions in your work and possibly hinder you from exploring your true professional potentials. If you’re looking for ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome, this session is perfect for you.
This is an interactive dialogue session with Career & Life Coach Jenn DeWall, Founder of Empowered Achievers Chris Castillo, Founder/CEO of The Daily Guru Rebecca Sparks, Owner of Go Big Coaching Micha Goebig, and Founder of PinkBoss Vanessa Parker—a team of experts who will guide you on how to navigate those feelings.
“Learn to identify and define Imposter Syndrome, distinguish between the social self and the essential self, identify fraudulent thoughts, test them against the truth and assess the physical and emotional response to fraudulent thoughts through the confirmation of truth.”
How to Change Careers After 40
Date: Thursday, March 11
Time: 8 PM – 9 PM GST
Making that career jump can be a scary step, no matter what age you are. If you’re in your 40s, 50s, 60s, or older, know that a career change is very much a viable option if that is what you desire. There is no reason to stick to your current role if it no longer poses the challenges you sought or if it’s making you unhappy.
In this session, thriving career changers who successfully made the jump after 40 will share their experiences along with invaluable advice on how to make it work for you. The session will be led by General Assembly’s own Lead Instructor Jennifer Houlihan, CEO of Workjoy Tina Robinson, Founder of Harness U Janet Majors, CEO/Founder of SecondAct|Women Barbara Brooks, and Co-Founder/CCO of SecondAct|Women Guadalupe Hirt.
Design Week (March 22 – March 26)
Hit Play’s Design Week will be bringing informative sessions that center around design, its significance, and intersections with other industries. Some of the topics that will be discussed include:
Going From Photoshop to XD With Adobe
Date: Tuesday, March 23
Time: 1 AM – 2 AM GST
In collaboration with Adobe XD, General Assembly is bringing a unique workshop for design enthusiasts of all levels. The best part is, you don’t even have to be a designer to join this hourlong workshop with XD Instructor and design enthusiast Julia Masalska.
Participants will be introduced to Adobe XD as a powerful platform for prototyping, testing, and collaborating on designs for apps and websites. Aside from covering the unique features of the software, Ms. Masalska will also be explaining the workflows of stakeholder review and developer handoff.
Indeed x GA Presents Designing An Impact-Based Resume
Date: Wednesday, March 24
Time: 12 AM – 1 AM GST
It is reported that recruiters only spend around seven seconds on a resume check so it is highly crucial for job applicants to ensure that their resumes can leave a positive impression in that short amount of time.
To achieve this, General Assembly is partnering with Indeed, a popular job site that allows job seekers across 60 countries and 28 languages to search for millions of jobs on the web or mobile.
Senior Manager of Employer Insights Training and Development at Indeed, Chela White-Ramsey will be sharing some notes on how to build a concise resume that will grab potential employers’ attention.
Aside from the basic do’s and don’ts, participants will also be guided on choosing the right format based on their experience, the importance of making an impact with your resume, and other tips on building and using their resumes on Indeed.
How to Start Your Design Freelance Career in 2021
Date: Wednesday, March 24
Time: 2 AM – 3 AM GST
Founder of StartUp Creative Kaylene Langford is here to teach you to utilize your design skills in money-making opportunities. You can also find empowerment in your job by landing a freelancing opportunity that guarantees flexibility and total freedom.
Discover what it takes to become a successful independent contractor, how to look for potential projects, how to expand your portfolio, and more. Ms. Langford will also be guiding participants—regardless of your design background—on how to set the pricing for your work, based on your experience and worth.
Upcoming Sessions And More
The Hit Play series is set to cover four more topics; Product Week, Data Week, Pride Summit, and Marketing Week, with more details to be released soon.
If you can’t wait to jump on the tech ed train, feel free to check out General Assembly’s Events and Workshops page where close to 700 online sessions are currently listed. From free Intro classes to hacks to short-term bootcamps and tech hacks, General Assembly has it all.
Industry Insights And More
2021 is the year to keep on progressing and free opportunities are just one click away. With General Assembly’s Hit Play, you can continue to learn more about the tech industry, and perhaps discover your own place in it. Take your pick from the various sessions offered, sign up for free, sit back, and tune into informative sessions that can help boost your professional goals.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
