techSPARK Next Gen: What I Wish I'd Known

New to tech? Still figuring out what half the job titles even mean? Same.

techSPARK Next Gen is a laid-back, no-agenda-except-honesty evening for people early in their tech careers.

No sales pitches. No recruiters lurking with a LinkedIn QR code. Just a room of people roughly where you are, hearing from people who were once exactly where you are, before they figured a few things out (or didn't, which is arguably more useful to know).

For our first get-together, we're putting six people from wildly different corners of the tech world, software, product, data, design, marketing, sales, ops, on the spot with one question: what do you wish you'd known earlier in your career?

They get five minutes. That's it. No slides, no pitching, no polished career highlight reel. Just wrong turns, unexpected opportunities, confidence wobbles, career changes, and the advice they learnt the long way round, because nobody told them sooner.

Come for their wisdom. Or, their lack of it. Either way, you'll leave knowing you're not the only one who has no idea what you're doing, and neither did they, for quite a while.
The Details

📍 Where: Central Bristol

📅 When: Wednesday 23rd September

🕠 5:30pm — Doors open. Grab a drink, arrive, settle in, meet people.

🎤 6:00pm — Welcome + What I Wish I'd Known: six lightning talks, five minutes each.

🍕 6:30pm — Pizza arrives. From there, it's simply time to eat, have a drink, and chat.

👋 7:30pm — Official wrap up (though nobody's kicking you out).

No forced networking, awkward icebreakers, or organised breakout groups. Stay as long as you like, talk to whoever you like.

This is a small, intentional, event so it stays a conversation, not a conference.

Who This Is For

Broadly, people in the first 0–7 years of working in tech or a tech-adjacent role. Software, product, data, design, marketing, sales, customer success, operations, or something else entirely, first job, fourth job, or a total career pivot into tech. It's about career stage, not age or job title.

Come on your own. Come with someone from work. Come with mates. Come with questions, or just come and listen.

What's Next

techSPARK Next Gen runs every other month. At the end of the evening, you'll get to nominate who you'd like to hear from next, so if there's someone in the community you'd want to grab a coffee withand pick their brain, tell us.

Future topics on the cards:

• Is AI Going to Take Our Jobs?
• Productivity & Balance (perfect for January, when everyone's New Year energy has already fizzled)
• Recruitment: CVs, LinkedIn, and how to be seen without cringing
• Wellbeing: looking after your (very tired) brain

Next dates: Wednesday 25th November · Wednesday 27th January

techSPARK Next Gen A relaxed community for the next generation of people working in tech.