As part of our ongoing efforts to empower and support women in technology, we are excited to invite you to join us for an enriching discussion that combines expert knowledge with personal experiences, empowering you to take charge of your professional journey.

This meet-up is specifically designed to address a crucial topic that resonates deeply with many professionals in our field: identifying and filling skill gaps to further your career.
The OOP conference has consistently demonstrated a commitment to diversity, with over 30% of its speakers being female. We believe that your expertise and experiences would be invaluable contributions to our meet-up, and we are eager to hear your insights on this topic. 

Our meet-up aims to provide a platform for women in tech to share strategies, tools, and personal stories on how to identify skill gaps and develop targeted plans to address them. Your participation would not only enrich the discussion but also inspire and motivate others to take proactive steps in their career development. 

Key areas we would like to explore during the meet-up include:

• Self-awareness and gap analysis: How to conduct a personal gap analysis to identify areas for improvement and set clear, actionable objectives. 
• Skill development strategies: Effective methods for acquiring new skills or enhancing existing ones, including leveraging online courses, workshops, mentorship programs, and networking events. 
• Overcoming barriers: Strategies for overcoming common challenges such as imposter syndrome, unconscious bias, and systemic barriers that may hinder career advancement. 

Note: This meet-up is free, everyone is welcome – regardless of gender.

Register for free:
https://www.oop-konferenz.de/de/programm/side-events/womenatoop/#c21433

Agenda:
9:15 Doors open
9:30 Welcome/Intro & Ice Breaker
9:45 Lightning Talks incl. Q&A
11:00 Networking
11:15 Closing

Skill Development for Software Professionals
Emily Bache

Success as a software professional involves far more than simply being able to write working code. A large amount of what makes a great developer is the techniques they have learnt on-the-job that enable them to understand what the user really needs, and evolve an existing system to better support that. They are also working in the context of a team or many teams all contributing to the same goal, so collaboration skills are important. All these skills are essentially practical – it matters that you can actually do them, not only talk about how to do them. In my experience most developers gain practical coding and collaboration skills ad-hoc through mentoring and code review. It’s time to think more strategically about practical skill acquisition. In this talk I’ll explain the Hartman proficiency taxonomy and how software professionals can use it to assess where they are, where they want to be, and how to get there.

Beware of Glue Roles
Diana Montalion 

My communication, empathy and social organization skills have always been a valuable asset in my career. Alas, they have not always been *valued* as leadership skills. This quick talk describes strategies for avoiding invisible labor and increasing your impact.

Sketchnotes in IT
Lisa Maria Schäfer

We all take countless notes in our day-to-day work - from presentations, meetings, complex tasks, ...
Most of these notes suffer from the “long and illegible” syndrome, which is why they quickly end up in the waste paper. These notes often don't help us to remember the important things. But that's exactly why we created them!

In my presentation, you will see how you can integrate sketchnotes into your everyday work as a techie and what advantages they have for you. You'll find out what sketchnotes are, how you can use them for your purposes and how they ensure that you can finally remember the important things. So that you go home with all the important tools, we will draw some frequently used symbols in software development and architecture together step by step.

You've come to the right place if you finally want to make your notes more helpful. You don't need an A in art to do this, just a desire to try something new.

Get your pens ready, go!

Boosting Women's Representation in IT: How Can We Achieve This?
Carola Lilienthal, Dehla Sokenou

For eight years, Carola has helmed WPS - Workplace Solutions as Managing Director. Alongside Dehla, a five-year WPS veteran, and other colleagues, she spearheads initiatives to champion women in tech. WPS has recently implemented several forward-thinking measures: workshops on 'Projecting Confidence', mentorship schemes, women's networking socials, and focused discussion groups. At WPS, maternity leave doesn't derail career progression, and flexible project management is the norm - a practice equally valued by male team members. The result? An impressively high proportion of women in the company. To nurture the next generation of female tech talent, WPS actively participates in Girls' Day and partners with women-focused computer science degree programmes. Drawing from their personal journeys and pioneering initiatives, Carola and Dehla will showcase how women can effectively support and elevate each other in the IT sector.