Career Path of a Systems Engineer at Iridium Satellite Communications
Aarya decided on a computer science career path before moving to the US in 2021 and gained initial experience as an IT technician at Arizona State University, later switching to informatics and landing a pivotal internship at Iridium Satellite Communications where they worked on system issue identification and notification, ultimately overcoming "imposter syndrome" and solidifying confidence in their abilities. This internship experience was "a really huge, huge experience" that greatly boosted their confidence.
Career Path, Internship Experience, Imposter Syndrome, IT Technician, Software Engineering
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Aarya Mathreja
Software Engineer
Fortune 100 FinTech Company
Arizona State University
Computer Science
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
International Student, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Early Career Decision: Aarya decided on a computer science career path before moving to the US in 2021, demonstrating early focus and planning.
2. Practical Experience through IT Technician Role: Aarya gained initial experience as an IT technician, fixing computer issues in classrooms, which helped her get her foot in the door and build foundational skills.
3. Informatics Degree and Relevant Internship: Aarya switched to informatics to better align with her career goals and secured an internship at Iridium Satellite Communications, where she developed a system for issue notification, boosting her confidence and combating imposter syndrome.
Transcript
Q1: Career path
I decided my career path before I came to the US in 2021. My chosen path was computer science.
I started my first two years in computer science, and during my first year at Arizona State University, I took on a few jobs to gain experience. My first role was as an IT technician.
In that position, I would go into classrooms to update computers and fix any technical issues. This experience helped me get my foot in the door.
After a couple of years, I decided to change my degree from computer science to informatics, as I felt it aligned better with my career goals. Once I made that change, I also applied rigorously for internships and secured one with Iridium Satellite Communications.
At Iridium, I worked on their systems. My main responsibility was to highlight issues within the system and ensure that the relevant personnel were notified as soon as possible when these issues arose.
That internship was a huge experience for me. It gave me so much confidence in my abilities and helped me overcome imposter syndrome, where I had been unsure of my qualifications. The experience truly opened my eyes, and I felt much more confident in my own capabilities.