The Seattle area is home to Microsoft, Amazon, Expedia, and so many more great technology companies. Facebook, Google and Tableau all have offices here as well. Tech startups have also found success in the area, especially those involved with voice recognition technology. With so much tech activity and innovation happening around Seattle, there is a huge opportunity for software engineers to become a part of the tech community and network with others in this ever growing technology industry.
Networking is one of the big benefits of Seattle for software engineers, and there are several organizations, meetups, and events to help tech professionals meet others for collaboration, new opportunities, or to simply build new friendships.
We’ve noticed several regular networking events around Seattle that are worth taking a look at if you’re new to the area, or looking to branch out to a new community.
NewTech
NewTech is one of the best networking events to attend regardless of your goals. What makes NewTech stand out from some of the other groups in this list is their colored name tags. It’s a simple concept but it works. Job seekers, recruiters, business development professionals, presenters, and those attending to see presentations all have different colored name tags so you can connect with the right people for your career growth.
GeekWire
GeekWire is a national technology news site, with strong roots in Seattle, and many of the events they host and attend are in the Puget Sound area. GeekWire has made it their business to have their finger on the pulse of the technology industry and share it with all of us. They publish details of their own events but also allow the community to add events to the GeekWire public calendar.
She’s Coding
She’s Coding was inspired by the documentary CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap, which explores stereotypes, mindsets, lack of role models, and sexism in the technology industry. The She’s Coding group aims to help more women become interested in coding and to become software engineers, and has a wealth of resources available for networking. The resources section of the She’s Coding website has several events, courses, and communities to join!
Young Professionals of Seattle
Established in 2011, Young Professionals of Seattle (YPOS) has been in the business of connecting people in order to (as they say on their “About” page) “thaw the ‘Seattle Freeze.’” They’ve published several events and resources and allow the community to add events as well. Memberships are free unless you wish to become a YPOS Elite which gets you VIP access to events and deals/discounts from YPOS partners.
HERE Seattle
Here Seattle was created in 2014 to foster diversity and an inclusive culture in technology. The group has been experiencing growth through hosting social events, mentoring, and organizing programs around business and culture. HERE Seattle hosts events at least once a month if not more. Join their Meetup page here.
Women Who Code
The Women Who Code organization is devoted to inspiring women to excel in technology careers all around the world. The Seattle branch of Women Who Code is very involved with the community and regularly publishes and hosts events in and around the city. Not only is it a great resource for events, Women Who Code also has several job postings on their Job Board.
Startup Seattle
Seattle is home to several startup companies who are making moves in technology so well that the city as a whole is beginning to attract nationwide attention for the quality of innovative new ideas, products, and services. Startup Seattle aggregates all of the startup events right on their home page, which showcases dozens of meetups, summits, conferences, and other opportunities.
Beers with Engineers
If you’re looking for something a little bit more laid back with no pressure to network or talk business, then Beers with Engineers is for you. The rules of this Meetup prohibit any recruiters, awkward business chatter, or selling. This is a regular monthly event where software engineers can learn from their peers or just have a good time together.
There are so many opportunities for you to get to know others in your industry in and around Seattle! What are your favorite Meetup or networking events?