Blossoming Technologist

How do you get an internship at a top tech company? Once you secure the internship, how do you make the most of that experience?

Meet Alexandra Foote, a product manager at Microsoft and career coach helping students secure internships. During her time studying computer science at Georgia Tech, Alexandra interned at Google, Microsoft, and Bank of America. With her internship experience, she began coaching hundreds of students to land job offers at top tech companies. Now, she continues to coach students through her course "Tech Internship Toolkit" and free masterclass "How to Land an Internship at a Top Tech Company."

In this episode, we dive into how to get internships and why they're so important. We talk about common mistakes students make, how to make the most of your internship experience, and how to prepare for technical interviews.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Tech Internship Toolkit Course: techjobshop.com

Connect with Alexandra:

• Website: alexandrafoote.com

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

• Instagram: @blossoming_tech

Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

What does a career in security look like? Why is security crucial for everyone to understand? Meet Sara Diaz, the Information Security Lead for ThoughtWorks North America. After starting her career as a quality analyst, she moved into information security and has been at ThoughtWorks for 5 years. Sara is passionate about making security accessible and easy to understand; you shouldn't need to be an expert to protect your digital life.

In our conversation, we talk all things security: what it means, different career paths, what a day-to-day looks like, resources, skills, and more.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• CIA Security Triad: bit.ly/3c5zF0i (f5.com)

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

• Instagram: @blossoming_tech

Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

What’s it really like to get a master’s degree? How does the workload compare to a bachelor’s degree?

Learn from Stephen Sam, a Cloud and LexMobile Solutions Software Developer at LexMark. Stephen recently graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Masters in Computer Science & Engineering. During his master's program, he was a GEM-Full Fellow and active member of his local National Society of Black Engineers chapter. Stephen is also a co-host to the podcast, After Dinner Conversations, discussing challenges in adulthood.

In this episode, we talk about everything grad school: when to get your master’s, your advisor’s role, the experience of taking the GRE, the workload, the experience of doing research, and how a fellowship can help.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• GEM Fellowship: gemfellowship.org

Connect with Stephen:

• LinkedIn: bit.ly/30DAhaa

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

How do you shape a career you love? Why should you pursue software engineering especially if you don't want to sit behind a computer all day?

Meet Victoria Kirst, an incoming software engineer at The Browser Company, former software engineer at Google for 8 years, former lecturer at Stanford, and most recently the Director of Platform and then VP of Engineering at a startup, Glitch. Victoria is passionate about software engineering and education, and in our conversation, she shares insights about her career journey to help others succeed in software engineering.

In this episode, Victoria discusses what she loves about software engineering, what stops people from choosing software engineering, how to shape your career, choosing the right career, when to leave a job, how to define a startup, differences between working at a big company versus a startup, and the responsibilities of a VP of Engineering. We also talk about her new project that you can get involved in to stay on track with your learning goals: Everybody Study Club.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Code In Place Call for Teachers: codeinplace.stanford.edu/teach

Connect with Victoria:

• Twitter: @heyvrk

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

• Instagram: @blossoming_tech

Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

How can your job impact your mental health? What can you do to make your mental health a priority? Today's episode features Mahmoud Khedr, the Co-Founder and CEO of FloraMind, an organization that develops tools to guide young people toward positive mental health.

Mahmoud is a proud Egyptian immigrant passionate about empowering underserved communities through mental health education. His career began in tech, with companies like Facebook and Google, which led to his focus on entrepreneurship and mental health. We discuss his experience working in tech and starting companies, with lessons on entrepreneurship and how to prioritize your well-being. We also dive into the inspiration behind FloraMind, stories from teaching mental health workshops to kids, and why toxic positivity is a problem. Get ready to be inspired!

Mentioned in This Episode:

• FloraMind: https://www.floramind.com

Connect with Mahmoud:

• Instagram: @mahmoudkhedrnyc

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

• Instagram: @blossoming_tech

Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

Why is it important to take breaks?

In this short solo episode, Marisa talks about the benefits of taking a break. This will also be the last new episode before a short break where we'll be replaying some favorite episodes from seasons one and two. We'll be back soon to continue season three!

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Todoist

Connect with Marisa:

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

How can you use your tech skills in healthcare? What are gaps in healthcare that technology can solve?

Meet Gulé Skeikh, a former CTO who has been bridging the gap between Healthcare and Technology for over 12 years. As CTO of eazyScripts, she developed the first proprietary algorithm for medication price transparency in the United States.

In this episode, we discuss innovations in healthcare, how technology helps in healthcare, and how to get started in healthcare tech.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/epe5m8KR_K8

Mentioned in This Episode:

• eazyScripts

Connect with Gulé:

• LinkedIn

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Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

What is engineering operations and how do you get started? Why should every young professional know what "glue work" is?

Meet Shannon Jackson, an Engineering Manager of Engineering Operations at Chime and a former Ruby software developer. In her role, she creates and crafts everything operational that makes a healthy, happy, and lasting engineering organization. While Eng Ops is found at several organizations, it's a new role in the tech industry.

In this episode, we discuss what Engineering Operations is, why it's necessary, and how it can improve the lives of developers day-to-day. We also talk about glue work, in which early/mid career folks are tasked with essential work that is never actually assigned to anyone. These two topics are related and important for young professionals to know about.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Mystery Code Society

Connect with Shannon:

• LinkedIn

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Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

Why should you use a password manager and 2-Factor Authentication? How prevalent are cyberattacks today?

Learn from Lakeidra Smith, the Founder and CEO of The Cyber Consultant, LLC and author of Cyber Curiosity: A Beginner's Guide to Cybersecurity. She shares the best ways to protect yourself online and examples of cyberattacks happening to everyday people. We also discuss what cybersecurity means and why it's important to understand it.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_53IWtrcX5k

Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with Lakeidra:

• Website

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

What does the path from software developer to CTO look like? What skills do you need to take on the role?

Learn from James Connor, a social entrepreneur, founder, and fractional CTO. James helps organizations solve their tech problems. He built a nonprofit and multiple startups to provide the tools for these companies to succeed in this fast-evolving technological world.

In this episode, we discuss the role of CTO (Chief Technology Officer): the path from developer to CTO, the day-to-day of a CTO, what skills you need, how technical you need to be, and advice for aspiring CTOs.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/v-DBpdcNacU

Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with Jim:

• LinkedIn

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

Connect with Marisa:

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig