College Experiences That Helped A Product Manager Engineer At A Fintech Company Succeed
To set up for success in college, Honorebel prioritized being highly active and visible both on and off campus, attending "at least maybe one to three events a week," even venturing outside personal areas of interest such as going to a farming event. This proactive approach to networking, including just "showing up" at places like Qualcomm and establishing connections across diverse fields, proved invaluable by building a strong network that supported startup endeavors and demonstrated a reliable and resourceful personal brand.
Networking, Event Attendance, Proactive Engagement, Relationship Building, Exposure
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Honorebel S. Walker
Product Manager - Engineer
Fintech Company
University of San Diego
Engineering - Electrical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Actively networked both on and off campus, attending one to three events a week to meet people and build connections.
2. Emphasized the importance of 'showing up' and getting face time with people, even without needing to deliver something specific.
3. Advocated for attending a wide variety of events, even outside of one's immediate interests, to broaden their network and expose themselves to new opportunities.
Transcript
What did you do in college to set you up for success?
That's a really good question. I was everywhere; I was not in my dorm the moment events came on campus. I was out meeting people everywhere, on and off campus.
I think most of my network really came from outside of USD. People would say, "Hey, honorable, how would you come over here? We're about to have a happy hour networking event."
When I started my startup, between July 21st, 2022, and the moment I graduated or left San Diego, I was at least at one to three events a week. I was at Qualcomm, just showing up.
A lot of times, people don't do that. And when I say show up, I don't mean you have to deliver something, but get FaceTime in front of people so they see you. This is at any and everywhere.
I went to an agriculture event, a farming event in Escondido, and a hackathon. That's where I met a lot of contacts.
So, regardless of if you're interested in something or not, just go. Meet people, introduce yourself, and let people know who you are and what you're passionate about. These are people you can rely on in the future, and they may need you someday. You definitely want to be known as someone people can rely on.