Try before you buy: speed networking at ReBar [Tech Triangle U]

A lot of people are looking for work in tech right now. As we’ve said previously: companies don’t just want skills but the right fit as well. That said, it might be easier to convince companies that you could fit in if they get to know you over time. That’s why it doesn’t hurt to get on a growing startup’s radar, even if they don’t immediately have the right job for you.

As part of Tech Triangle U, organizers at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership put together a speed networking event at ReBar last week, featuring some of Brooklyn’s most promising companies and a robust crowd of recent and fairly recent grads turning out to meet with companies.

Christina Wallace, Director of New York for the Startup Institute gave a presentation on tips for networking. We liked her tip about effective eye-darting. Don’t hold contact on one eye too long. Shift around to different parts of the face and even glance away briefly, so people aren’t overwhelmed.

Once she finished, Shaun Johnson, one of the institute’s cofounders, put the room through the paces, matching people up two-by-two and giving them a networking objective.

Here’s what the companies that came said they had come looking for:

• BioLite: Software, electronics and mechanical engineers plus paid summer interns. We wrote about their iterations here. They have some sort of news coming.
• EcoLogic Solutions: Searching at various levels, from admin to operations. They are also looking for techs, that is, the staff that go out and fix their installed systems as needed. This fits into the narrative we wrote about recently of the tech community stimulating hiring among people without high-tech training. We wrote about their industrial supply making system here.
• Expedition PR: Looking for people with tech skills who are also interested in writing and creating media about the tech, non-profit and education scenes.
• Tendigi: seeking developers, particularly in iOS. They also have openings for interns this summer. The firm also organizes the Brooklyn iOS Developers Meetup, which we have covered a few times.
• Q-Sensei: Seeking engineers for their growing platform. Also seeking a creative to help with user interface. They took a deep dive on their business strategy with us recently.

Here are some photos of the initial practice networking before attendees got down to business talking to companies.

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