How Career Building Influenced a Software Engineer at Target
To prepare for a successful software engineering career, Target's Christian recommends pursuing "side projects," such as building a portfolio website, to gain practical experience and stand out to potential employers. The interviewee also emphasizes actively seeking opportunities like internships and career fellowships, stating that "applying to as many internships as you can" is crucial.
Coding, Web Development, Portfolio Building, Internships, Career Opportunities
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christian Vasquez Leon
Software Engineer
Target
University of California, Berkeley, 2020
N/A
Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion, Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient, Immigrant, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Build a portfolio website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to showcase skills and stand out in internship applications.
2. Actively seek out and apply for internships and career opportunities, such as career fellowships and attending job fairs.
3. Juggle classwork and extracurricular activities while making time for side projects to build practical experience and skills relevant to the field of software engineering
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
In undergrad, I did two main things. One was working on side projects.
I remember the first project I ever did was following YouTube tutorials on building my own website portfolio using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I think creating and hosting that website on GitHub helped me stand out for my front-end development internship during my junior year.
College is incredibly busy, and you have to juggle classes and extracurriculars. However, making time for side projects can really set you up for career success. That's the first thing.
The second thing is applying to any opportunity you can get. For me, that was my career fellowship and applying to many different companies. But it can be different things for different people.
This includes attending as many career fairs as possible and applying to as many internships as you can. Being open to new opportunities is key. I believe these two strategies would set you up really well.