Suw Charman-Anderson founded Ada Lovelace Day in 2009 with the aim of raising the profile of women in science, technology, engineering and maths by encouraging people around the world to talk about the women whose work they admire. It is an international day of celebration that helps people learn about the achievements of women in STEM, inspiring others and creating new role models for young and old alike.
The organisers of Ada Lovelace Day are running an all-day careers event on Thursday 16th November 2017. The recruitment fair will bring together employers and female job hunters from across the UK via a flexible online platform that’s easy to use and accessible from mobile devices.
Ada Lovelace Day – from virtual call to action to global day of celebration
I’ve been working to inspire women and girls in STEM with Ada Lovelace Day for the last nine years. What started with a virtual call to action has expanded to our annual flagship event in London and grassroots events around the world and on every single continent. From there, we have expanded our support for women and girls in STEM to year-round via our podcast, education pack, resources database, and more recently, to free women in STEM crochet patterns!
#Crochet your own spacewoman, Dr Mae Jemison! DL: https://t.co/2n52mjxxrq Rav: https://t.co/P605oiBWfQ pic.twitter.com/sL2SjwmvOn
— FindingAda (@FindingAda) September 29, 2017
We want to take the next step in our mission by connecting graduates from the UK’s top universities, early career alumnae and returners with exciting career opportunities via our new online careers fair.
We know there is a shortage of STEM skills in the UK, and that increasing numbers of employers value the perspectives that women bring. So, we want to introduce smart STEM women to smart STEM companies, in what will probably be the biggest opportunity to find a new job this year. Our fair is supported by UK’s largest university, the Open University, alongside the University of York, the University of Edinburgh, Loughborough University and many, many others.
One-to-one conversations via video, audio or text
Employers list jobs for candidates to read through prior to the fair and, on the day, they can have one-to-one conversations via video, audio or text with the companies they are interested in. This is great for job hunters, because it means that you only have conversations about the jobs you’re interested in, and you can talk to several different companies from around the UK in a short time. It’s equally great for employers, for the very same reasons!
The fair is open to any woman with a right to work in the UK, from bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral graduates, to early career alumnae, to returners looking to restart their career after taking a break. This also works well for employers, giving them access a wide variety of candidates and the ability to list a broader spectrum of job types.
We will be launching the fair website on Ada Lovelace Day, 10th October, but in the meantime candidates and employers can sign up via our website for more information. We’ll be giving candidates careers advice in the run-up to the fair, and employers actionable advice on how best to recruit women.
For me, the careers fair is more than just the next logical step for Ada Lovelace Day, it’s an essential part of the service we want to provide women in STEM and the STEM industries.
If you’d like to take part in the Finding Ada Online Careers Fair for Women in STEM, visit our website or email Suw Charman-Anderson for more information.
Womanthology readers can also get a 25% discount on tickets for the Ada Lovelace Day Live event in London on 10th October here.
https://twitter.com/FindingAda
