Career Opportunities Masters Level

Maria Hristova, MicrosoftRebecca Schultz, Google

Agenda

• Introductions: Microsoft and Google• What is the one thing you want to know at the

end of this session? • Managing the transition from student to intern

or full-time employee• Key skills for women in technology• Career opportunities

Maria HristovaBackground/Bio

• Originally from Bulgaria• Always passionate about technology and role

models• Undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr

College, class of 2002• Double major in CS and Math• Passionate baker, casual gamer, documentary

super fan

Maria HristovaCareer Path

• Before MS my only experience was academic research and teaching

• Started at Microsoft in August, 2002 as:– STE at Windows SharePoint Services– SDET at Windows SharePoint Services– SDET Lead at Exchange Hosted Services

• Products impacted:– Office 2003– Windows Vista– Exchange Hosted Services

Rebecca SchultzBackground/Bio

• BS, Computer Engineering from Brown University, 2002

• MS, Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, 2004

• Spent one year at Stanford researching supercomputer architectures

• Joined Google in September, 2005• In my free time? Rock climbing, studying

aikido

Rebecca SchultzCareer Path

• Performance Engineer in Google’s Platforms Group

• 5 internships– Lucent– Microsoft (twice)– Network Appliance– NVIDIA

Crucial Competencies:Transition from Student to

Employee• Technical accuracy

– strive for accurate, detailed work• Develop a broad perspective

– think of the work you are doing in relationship to what others are doing

– think of how your work will achieve the broader goals of the organization

• Discipline– exercise restraint and make informed choices about what you are

willing to participate in, own, or drive to completion– strive to meet deadlines (under-promise and over-deliver)– see your responsibility through the end

• Demonstrate initiative– ask questions and communicate frequently with your manager– be creative and share your passion with others through action

• Hone your communication skills– especially as they relate to the expectations of your manager– develop the ability to give an ‘elevator pitch’ at any time

What can I do in industry?

• Development Engineer• Software Developer in Test• Test Engineer• Program Manager• User Interface Designer• Product Manager• Lead and/or Manager of any discipline• Researcher (PhD required)

Finding Industry Jobs

• Identify organizations of interest and do internships – real world and specific organization experience is valued

• Know what positions are within your scope and focus on the right type of position for you

• Plug into on-campus recruiting at your school• Apply through formal methods, but try to make contact with

people who will get your resume into the right hands• Conferences, conferences, conferences – employers attend

conferences specifically to find you• Network with friends, colleagues, and friends of friends to

make contacts and get a foot in the door• Consider startup organizations – higher risk, but greater

potential for increasing the scope of your responsibilities• Demonstrate good communication skills in addition to

technical savvy• Ask for what you want!

Preparing for an Interview

• Read up – Research the organization to understand their

business and see if their goals are in line with yours

• Use that social network! – Talk to women who are currently working for the

organization• Know thyself

– Self-assess to determine what you ‘must have’ to be satisfied in a new role

• Practice makes perfect– Role play with colleagues to strengthen your

interviewing skills and identify areas for development

The Interview

• Demonstrate your passion for technology!• Remember: it’s about how you approach a

problem, rather than having the right answer• Inquire about the number of women on the

team, in the organization, and at the management level

• Ask purposeful questions:– Evaluate the organization as much as they

are evaluating you – can you see yourself working there?

– Get all the information you need to make a decision if you get an offer

– Probe any areas of ambiguity or confusion

What can I do now?

• Find a mentor– Provides a useful perspective

• Complete a project– Will make you a more interesting candidate

• Get an internship– Try out a corporate culture, job type,

industry

Find a Mentor

Old RuleMentors and protégés

should have a lot in common

New RuleThe best matches are

mismatches, pair with someone who will challenge you

• Ask about mentoring programs within your organization – everyone needs mentors throughout the life of their career, not just at the beginning

Complete a Project

• Publications, Posters, Projects• Create a track record • Interviewers will look for completed projects • Research a topic and write a white paper or

create a poster for an upcoming conference• Create a website listing your projects,

publications, and CV/resume – recruiters use search engines

Get an Internship

• Use university recruiting contacts, job fairs, advisors, or professors

• Start looking early—most positions are filled by December

• Think about filling every summer—some companies will take sophomores

• Take a summer or campus job doing related at a local company

• Rewards: You get to try out the corporate culture, find potential mentors, and see if the industry is right for you.

Key Skills - Build a Social Network

• Develop networks outside your immediate workgroup (cross-group collaboration)

• Create relationships with people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise (broad perspective)

• Learn how to engage others to build connections and identify similar interests

• Join professional organizations and attend conferences

Key Skills - Learn to Negotiate

• Women at all levels have been shown to receive lower salaries than their male counterparts

• Perceived differences in skill level between men and women do not always translate into actual disparities of abilities– women's self-assessed skill is significantly lower than

that of men• Do research, be flexible, be pleasant, aim high,

and know how to handle multiple offers with ease

• Career satisfaction isn't just about pay – consider what is important to you and ask for it

Key Skills - Manage Your Manager

Success is significantly determined by one’s immediate supervisor – define clear goals and set expectations of

performance– document your joint understanding of

goals/metrics– meet regularly and assess progress or

priority of projects– adapt your behavior or communication to

meet your manager’s expectations

Key Skills -Make Yourself Visible

• Especially challenging for entry level women • Gain influence even without formal authority

Recommended Reading

• Social Networks– Uzzi, Brian, and Dunlap, Shannon. “How to Build Your

Network.” Harvard Business Review, December 2005 Issue

• Mentors and Mentoring– Fast Company looks at mentoring trends in high tech

companies: http://www.fastcompany.com/online/17/womentoring.html

– Shea, Gordon F. 1999. Making the Most of Being Mentored: How to Grow from a Mentoring Relationship. Crisp Publications

– Wellington, Sheila, and Spence, Betty. 2001. Be Your Own Mentor: Strategies from Top Women on the Secrets of Success. Random House

– “Mentoring In a Box: Technical Women at Work”, jointly produced by the Anita Borg Institute and the National Center for Women and Technology, available at: http://www.ncwit.org/practices.box.html

Recommended Reading (cont’d)

• Making yourself Visible– Cohen, Allen and Bradford, David (1991). Influence without

Authority. New York, Wiley. • Negotiating

– Differences in Actual and Perceived Online Skills: The Role of Gender http://www.eszter.com/research/a17-genderskills.html. Wall Street Journal article on the topic: http://www.collegejournal.com/salaryinfo/negotiationtips/20010321-asher.htmlLinda Babcock and Sara Laschever, 2003.

– Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide. Princeton University Press.Bazerman, Max H. and Neale, Margaret A. 1992.

– Negotiating Rationally. New York: The Free Press.

Career Opportunities

Thank you for attending!