Five reasons to attend the IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference

If you work in tech, you probably know that IEEE Women in Engineering is the largest international professional organization for women engineers, technologists and scientists, and that their third annual conference is a big deal. On May 23-24, hundreds of women in engineering and tech will meet in San Jose, California to fulfill IEEE's mission "to inspire, engage and advance women in engineering." Here are five great reasons to join us in San Jose in May.

1. If you're a woman working in a STEM field, there's no better place to network.

The conference offers plentiful networking opportunities, including lunch and dinner receptions, as well as the chance to collaborate with other women in your field at conference workshops and breakout sessions.

2. You'll have the chance to meet inspiring women leaders at Verizon.

Verizon leaders like Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Rose Stuckey-Kirk, EVP, President of Product & New Businesses Innovation Marni Walden, and Executive Director, Enterprise Product Management and Pricing Catherine Sugarbroad will be giving talks and moderating panels at the conference, as well as mingling with attendees at networking events.

3. Learn from the best in your field.

The conference program schedule is already out, and offers so many fascinating and career-boosting talks; it will be tough to pick which ones to participate in. You can choose from five tracks (including Empowerment, Innovation and Entrepreneurship), with talks like "Unconventional Leadership," "Finances for Entrepreneurs," "Unleashing the Power of Diversity," and many more. In addition to panels, talks, exhibits and workshops, the conference also features a hackathon and a start-up pitch session.

4. Get to know Verizon's company culture.

We'll be there demonstrating how we are delivering the promise of the digital world through our product demos and exhibits. You can also network with many of Verizon's top women leaders, try out new products, and meet people who are passionate about women in tech and want to collaborate to build new things together. You can also take the opportunity to connect with our recruiters prior to the conference. Alex Henry, Lavanya Borra and Sonia Jani are just some of the recruiters who will be in attendance.

5. Find your next career — or jump-start your current one.

In addition to the organic networking opportunities that come from having so many people in your field all in one place, the conference features a career fair, as well as workshops by executive coaches, and talks like "Getting to the Corner Office" and "Develop Your Leadership Story" that can help you accelerate your current career path.

Learn more about this year’s IEEE WIE International Leadership Conference by joining our talent network. See you May 23-24!

Melanie Cerqueira joined the Verizon HR Leadership Development Program in June 2014. Currently, she is part of the employer brand team handling social strategy and content for our Careers site.