Differentiate yourself using empathy Fen Slattery (they/them) @sublimemarch 

@sublimemarch @[email protected] @sublimemarch 

Accessibility Lead at Clique Studios Front End Engineer Graduate of Dev Bootcamp Chicago @sublimemarch 

I've gotten all of my developer jobs by demonstrating empathy. @sublimemarch 

Why is it important to stand out? @sublimemarch 

Potential employers remember you. @sublimemarch 

You have a unique value proposition. @sublimemarch 

It empowers you. @sublimemarch 

There are plenty of ways to differentiate yourself: • amazing skills • unique background • creative work • purple hair @sublimemarch 

I suggest that you stand out by having empathy. @sublimemarch 

Empathy: understanding what someone else is experiencing from their perspective @sublimemarch 

There are plenty of ways to differentiate yourself with empathy: • writing documentation • user experience • maintainable code • knowledge sharing • inclusion @sublimemarch 

What happens when you demonstrate empathy by caring about something? @sublimemarch 

Best case: the company also cares about this! @sublimemarch 

Worst case: the company actively dislikes the thing you care about and won't hire you @sublimemarch 

Medium case: the company is indifferent, but you get to teach them to care about it @sublimemarch 

How do you find the thing you care about? • Remember why you wanted to be a developer. • Find your people. • Look inward. @sublimemarch 

How can you showcase your empathy? @sublimemarch 

Write about it! Speak about it! Write some code about it! @sublimemarch 

Caring about others is a great way to have potential employers care about you. @sublimemarch 

fenslattery.com • How to give your first conference talk • How to be more comfortable with CSS • How to write a lightning talk • How to get paid to speak at events • Lots of accessibility and inclusion info @sublimemarch