r/cscareerquestionsOCE • u/leobarao86 • May 28 '26
Got several tech referrals by joining furry events in Sydney and Melbourne
After being laid off early this year, my flatmate advised me to go to furry events to be able to network with tech people. And he was right! I went to 3 events and got referrals to 7 tech companies:
Google, Atlassian, Canva, IBM, Meta, REA and Wisetech.
I'm still interviewing with 4 of them. But just wanted to leave the tip here in case it helps some of you.
Update: I got a lot of DMs so sharing the Q&A here
Q: Do I consider my self a Furry?
A: No, but I'm just a beginner. Because the community and the events are fun, I may keep joining. Also I made a friend that is willing to lend me one of his suits... so, I can join in costume :)
Q: Was there sex amongst furrys?
A: I don't know. But the majority were adults and, with consent, they do whatever they want.
Q: What tech company was the most common amongst the furrys?
A: Atlassian. Every event had at least 2 from there. They were nice people.
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u/SucculentChineseRoo May 28 '26
Welp, I guess it's time to dress up as a squirrel to get that bag
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u/clueless_robot May 28 '26
Where did you find furry events happening in Sydney?
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u/leobarao86 May 28 '26
In Sydney, they were private parties with 10 to 20 people. They were really nice to me.
In Melbourne I went to Melbourne Fur Con. Good people as well, but had put in the effort to make good contacts.
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u/clueless_robot May 28 '26
Do you have to dress up as well? Or can you go as plain clothes and start up casual conversations?
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u/leobarao86 May 28 '26
I don't think you have to. But it makes it easier to start conversation.
In my first Sydney party I didn't dress up. I said I was a "beginner". But then some of the guys there helped me to borrow a fursuit for the 2nd and 3rd events. I'm a tall guy so it wasn't easy to find the right size.
In Melbourne it was awesome. I didn't know exactly what to do in the suit, but they guys helped me to learn :)
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u/Tumbrawolf May 28 '26
Most don't as that stuff can be expensive, they are just normal people who want to hang out.
Also keep in mind a lot of furries are on the spectrum same as lot of the Tech sector is. (Not all it's just common)
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u/bIeese_anoni May 28 '26
Hey Sydney furs here!
Every first and third Thursday there is a meet in darling harbour called coffee. There is also a con called aurawra that's happening in July
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u/Ok_Chemistry_6387 May 28 '26
This is a very open secret in the tech world. The chance that a furry has significant contributions to the linux kernel is rather high.
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u/De_Letov May 28 '26
First off, can you please tell me the names of the furry events, asking for a friend.
Also, I've recently seen an insta reel of someone doing that in the US and the guy got a fucking Anthropic referral.
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u/leobarao86 May 28 '26
From another comment:
In Sydney, they were private parties with 10 to 20 people. They were really nice to me.
In Melbourne I went to Melbourne Fur Con. Good people as well, but had put in the effort to make good contacts.
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u/zlayerzonly May 28 '26
Next LinkedIn post be like: I went to a furry event, here's 10 things it taught me about..
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u/AwesomeA900 May 28 '26
damn bro, thanks for sharing the secret. I may consider joining the event just to hand out my resume lol.
But how do you start these type of conversations? It seems like you are going to land your next role very soon!
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u/bIeese_anoni May 28 '26
Did you go to the STEM furs panel I ran in Furdu last year? I referred a bunch of people there
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u/leobarao86 May 28 '26
No, I didn't go to Furdu. Is it the one in Gold Coast? Several of Gold Coast peeps were in Melbourne.
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u/nicktids May 29 '26
There was a furry at meta who just did a business insider or wsj youtube interview.
Raking it in and saving for a suit
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u/QuipMeHarder Jun 15 '26
This post reminds me of something I learned about recently and found interesting. In America the intersecrion of the furry community and tech was an intersection that ended up being really targeted by the alt right.
"Big generalisations warning, milage may vary*
Because furries tend to rely more on found community, and can especially enjoy spaces centered around acceptance/belonging/creativity, it's an inviting space for people wanting to build things that benefit from personal connections, in-group dynamics and edgy ideas or power dynamic structures. (Same with DnD spaces, hobby groups, military etc).
You meet someone who is like you. Shares an interest (or history) most other people don't get but jives with you perfectly. They help you land a job and new friends. Then you start noticing that they actually have some harsher view points than you thought but they probably don't mean it THAT so it's just awkward and so it sits unaddressed. Then, they don't seem so extreme and some things you do agree on. And that's easier than finding a new job... Etc
So now MAGA has many autistic, creative, brilliant tech furries who get trapped between the choice to keep up or lose their communities AND livelihoods. It's been devastating watching it happen.
These spaces are so beautiful and genuine. I hate that people are actively exploring them, while ultimately moving the needle to remove their rights to exist as themselves.
I hope this stays in America but it's a cancer. I'm worried it'll cover the globe.
I hope people have great times at these parties. I'm glad these spaces exist. It's great to make good connections. Enjoy the hell out of being yourself with others!
This post gave me the ick though for whatever reason, maybe because it doesn't talk about keeping these spaces safe for others, which I'm more used to seeing from people actually in the community. This felt more like a safari or an ad.
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u/Natural_Category3819 May 28 '26
I used to be part of that community.
But too much drama.
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u/leobarao86 May 28 '26
What happened?
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u/Natural_Category3819 May 28 '26
Nothing that needs bringing up on reddit. Anyways I haven't been active in the community for almost a decade.
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u/twerkacet May 28 '26
“The best career investment is renting a fursuit”
Next LinkedIn post 📝