Q&A with Jessica Lawrence, NY Tech Meetup Executive Director

Have you been to a tech meetup? It's a popular way for coders, entrepreneurs and anyone interested in working in tech to meet and share ideas.

The NY Tech Meetup, for instance, was founded in 2004 and is now one of the largest meetup groups in the world. In addition to building partnerships and featuring engaging speakers, the community hosts a monthly event where emerging companies demo their new ideas.

In fact, Foursquare and Tumblr both made their first appearance at a NY Tech Meetup demo event.

Also Read: Startup Managers Tell Us What They Look for in New Hires

We spoke with NY Tech Meetup Executive Director Jessica Lawrence for her perspective on the latest tech trends and the key to finding a job in the tech industry. Check out some fascinating tech insights:

What are some of the latest tech trends you are seeing through monthly demos?

One of the biggest trends in New York City is that technology is becoming a core part of every industry, from finance to publishing to advertising. We are seeing growth in technology being built that integrates tech with those industries.

I'm seeing a significant jump in the amount of hardware, wearables, and hardware/software integration being built in the city. We're seeing products like Nrml 3D printed headphones and the Kinsa thermometer and mobile app much more frequently.

What do you think is key for a company to get off the ground?

I think one of the biggest assets you can have is a community. Part of that community might be your team, but it's also a community of people outside of your company you can turn to in order to get advice, be able to connect with the right resources and sometimes just swap experiences with people who totally get what you're going through.

We hear so much about a talent drought in engineering and coding. What do you think is missing?

I think it's clear at this point that the size and skills of the workforce are not keeping up with the increasing demand for people to fill technical jobs.

While many of those jobs involve knowing how to code, not all of them do. Teaching more people to code is essential, but only part of the solution. We also need more computer scientists, more people who can thinking critically and computationally, we need designers, user interface and interaction experts, project managers, data scientists and a generally technology literate workforce.

We also need a system for educating future technology employees that is more responsive to the ever changing demands of employers. While iOS and Android development may be important right now, they might not always be in the future, so we need systems that teach people how to be continuous learners and that give them access to platforms to continually update their skills.

What's your best advice for someone looking to work in tech - can they meet companies at the meetups?

I think becoming part of the community is key when you want to work in the tech. You can do that by attending events and meetups, participating in hackathons (even if you're not technical) and participating in programs like Startup Weekend.

And don't worry if you're not technical - the technology space has room for and needs everyone from the most experienced developers to people who are great at everything from business development to community management. Just be curious and genuine and helpful and you'll fit in.

What are some key things to have on an outstanding resume?

I think where you worked or where you went to school are becoming somewhat secondary to what you actually did and what skillsets you bring to the table.

And many of the basic rules still apply: it doesn't matter if you have a fancy graphic resume, for instance, if it's full of spelling errors.

I think it's also incredibly important for applicants to remember that all of their social media profiles are basically secondary resumes.

If you are applying for a job somewhere, your potential employer will most certainly Google you, look at your LinkedIn profile, your Twitter history, and anything else they can find.

Also Read: Top 5 Resume and Cover Letter Mistakes for Software Engineers