Before you hit send...

Many people on LinkedIn incorrectly assume I'm a random kind stranger that will give them career advice, resume reviews, speaking engagements, etc all for free.

I want to expand on why that's not the case with perfectly good reason and what to look out for before you reach out.

Want a referral to Slack? ??

There are many folks that ask me for a referral to Slack. Unfortunately, in my experience, that's not really how referrals are supposed to work. Referrals work best once you've nurtured a relationship and have actually worked with the individual in some capacity.

To be sure, there are services out there that try and exploit that system by creating financial barriers for even a single referral which of course biases the system even more but that's always an option.

If we know each other, please feel free to reach out with your 1-page PDF, a 1 to 2 paragraph cover letter, and your email. I will not provide resume reviews for free.

Otherwise, it's unlikely I will respond to your ask to provide a referral or do an intro to a hiring manager. And why would I? I have no idea if you'd be a good fit for Slack if we don't know each other at all.

I want to recognize that networking is hard but my advice would be to join tech communities, mingle, make friends, and forge more organic relationships that way.

Want advice on something? ??

Sure, please book a chat with me.

I've worked really hard for everything I have and upon recent reflection, I've grown quite tired of undervaluing my knowledge and time.

So yes, you will need to pay me for my time for it is precious and I do not give it freely.

If that's not something you're comfortable with, there are plenty of other folks that I'm sure are willing to help.

There are many platforms out there where you can pay to get career advice, technical help, resume reviews, etc. LinkedIn ProFinder is actually one such place! There are also forums out there like Quora or Reddit where you can try and pose your questions and see if anyone bites which are completely free of course.

I only ask that you please be cognizant of the following when you're reaching out to others.

Black and Latinx women in tech are underrepresented, usually underpaid, and are often the ones ALREADY providing free labor to their companies through ERG leadership, volunteering in D&I initiatives, speaking at recruiting events, acting as the poster child on the company website, giving free advice and resume reviews for potential candidates, etc, the list goes on...

All of those efforts help the company's image and ultimately end increasing the company's revenue but they don't lead to promotions, raises, or recognition for the folks who are working those extra hours.

More often than not, we are ALSO asked by organizations outside our company to volunteer, mentor, or speak for free since organizations or events want to ensure diverse representation but there are so few of us so ultimately our time ends up getting exploited all around.

I did a lot of this free labor for a long time and I don't regret it because when I was starting out in tech, I had a lot of extra time and it genuinely made me feel GOOD to help other people. But let me tell you, this kind of model is NOT sustainable and you cannot keep it doing it as you advance in your career all willy-nilly and not charge anything.

So I implore and encourage Black and Latinx women in tech to evaluate where their unpaid labor is going. I want us to consider whether our unpaid labor is actually helping us advance in our careers.

We need more Black and Latinx women in tech at the top of their company, game, field, etc where they can enact real change and we CANNOT reach the top if we use most of our time to help folks starting out. Not to say, that we shouldn't take on mentees, we definitely should but again, it's just about making sure the time we do give towards that is properly valued.

Want me to speak at your event? ??

For speaking engagements, I require an honorarium.

I charge a minimum of $500 for 30 minutes at a paid event. This honorarium is up for negotiation depending on the scope and size of the event and in the past, I've charged $1,000 for a 15-minute keynote. If applicable, I also require travel and hotel arrangements which are separate from the honorarium.

I am also willing to negotiate on the honorarium for community-driven or non-profit events but the lowest I'm willing to accept for any kind of event is $250 for 30 minutes.

The only exception to this is with partner events that I've involved with through Techqueria since I'm compensated for that work through my role as an ED.

You can find my bio and headshot photo on my about page, a list of the events I’ve spoken at on my speaking page, and a sampling of the different topics I’ve covered on my talks page.

If you are interested in inviting me to speak and can offer me an honorarium, please DM me or fill out the contact form on my website.

Want to interview me for an article? ??

For the most part, I'm happy to do interviews for publications for free and I have a very fast turnaround if you're on a tight deadline.

Disclaimer: I will need to get PR approval if I'm representing Slack in the interview. Otherwise, it's fine.

Please DM me and we can schedule a time to chat ASAP.

Want to partner with Techqueria? ??

That's great!

Please feel free to check out our partnerships deck and book a partnership call with us.

Want to offer me a job? ??

I'm quite happy at Slack and am not actively job searching.

Having said that, if you've read thoroughly through my profile and you think I'd be a great fit for a "Senior Front End Engineer" role at your company or something similar, feel free to reach out.

Want to sell me something? ??

Sure, please book a chat with me.

Something else? ?????♀?

If your message for me isn't related to any of the items above, don't hesitate to reach out.

However, if it requires a call and there's no compensation involved, I most likely will not be interested.