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I attended a @Women in Communications Technology speed networking event recently. It was my first time going to one and I left with a renewed sense of purpose, inspiration and (of course) a stronger network. I wondered why I’d never been to one before and mentally forehead slapped myself for not realizing sooner how excellent of an experience it was. Here were some of the best tips I learned from the mentors:

Say yes… a lot (aka let serendipity happen)

One of the mentors said she found her current and past roles at a successful tech company by saying yes to networking events and following her gut. She also doesn’t take things personally. Once, a recruiter never got back to her because of an organizational change, not because of disinterest.

There are roles you never knew you never knew

Another mentor described her tech team and the variety of roles people have. Just because you don’t know programming doesn’t mean you couldn’t find a place in tech. Researching team structures and aligning your skills to where you could provide value could open new doors in careers you never knew you could pursue.

Your resume needs an upgrade

A leader on her team stressed the importance of the impact resume. This is common knowledge to most of us, but do we actually do it? Looking at your resume and updating it to show your business results is key, and something you should do every six months or so to keep it fresh.