Amazon employs 1.3 million people worldwide, 950,000 of which work in the U.S. That means one in every 153 American workers is an Amazon employee, Business Insider reports, and the tech giant also boasts a team of 1,200 recruiters. Simone Porter is a part of Amazon’s recruitment team. She focuses on attracting talent for non-tech roles. She’s been working for the company for roughly four and a half years in various roles, so she knows what it takes to land a job and climb the ladder. In case you missed it, Porter shared some of her recruiting and hiring tips at AfroTech Conference during her “Getting Hired Hacks: The Resume that Wins the Job” solo session. And it is safe to say, she took a deep dive into how to personalize your resume and make it stand out. “You can think of the resume as your 30 second, written elevator pitch,” Porter said in the AfroTech metaverse. “It’s the way that you are able to brand yourself in a short amount of time and describe who you are in a very clear,...

It’s no secret that the startup world needs more Black investors and venture capitalists. Inc. Magazine reports Black founders are raising “record amounts of venture capital” in 2021, even though they only rang in 1.2 percent of all venture capital in the first half of the year. Last year, Black founders received only 0.6 percent of venture capital (VC) deployed. That’s unacceptable, and Black investors are stepping up to the plate to change that. Some notable Black venture capitalists making major moves in the VC world include Jarrid Tingle, co-founder and managing partner of Harlem Capital; Marlon Nichols, managing general partner at MaC Venture Capital; and Austin Clements, partner at Slauson & Co. The trio will hit the virtual stage at AfroTech 2021 during the “Black VCs: Raising Millions with a Mission” panel to discuss how they are working to raise millions of dollars to diversify venture capital investments. Ultimately, Nichols, Clements and Tingle want to put more dollars in...

The feeling of imposter syndrome can come in many different shapes and sizes, especially for Black professionals working in tech. Christine (‘Tine) Zekis, a backend software engineer at Chime, has considered herself an “imposter,” and she has mastered how to conquer the feeling that most consider uncomfortable. Zekis plans to take a deep dive into this topic at the upcoming 2021 AfroTech Conference on a panel titled “Imposter Syndrome: Slaying the Beast.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech (@afro.tech) VeryWell Mind defines imposter syndrome as an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. People often feel self-doubt, sabotage their success, overachieve and set challenging goals when experiencing imposter syndrome. While Black professionals may experience imposter syndrome the most, the phenomenon doesn’t discriminate; it can affect anyone. Zekis said she feels imposter syndrome often, and overcoming it is a...

Tech conferences are great venues for professionals to expand their network and learn about new and emerging technologies, and for entrepreneurs and business owners to meet potential suppliers, distributors, and even sales leads. Though today’s tech conferences are primarily virtual, given the need for social distancing, there are some genuinely excellent ones coming up. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) One of the most influential technology conferences, CES is full of panels and workshops on the latest in consumer technology and exhibitions from some of the largest and influential tech firms. If you’re looking to learn what consumer tech looks like in 2021 and beyond, CES is the conference for you. Scheduled for January 12-14, 2021, conference organizers will notify you when registration opens if you fill out this form . OPEX Week: Business Transformation Summit 2021 This conference is actually a hybrid event, with an in-person portion taking place July 19-23 in Orlando,...