Blossoming Technologist

Tune in for the Season 1 Finale of Blossoming Technologist! In this episode, Marisa reflects on the past season and insights from being a podcaster. She talks about the behind-the-scenes of producing a podcast and the pros and cons of having a platform for content creation.

Marisa shares some exciting news on how to get involved with Blossoming Technologist (linked below!). She also provides suggestions for other podcasts to listen to and documentaries to watch while the podcast goes on a ~2 month break before Season 2.

Do you know someone who should be featured on the podcast? Reach out via social media or email to let us know. Thank you for listening to Season 1! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3am1bFb

Timestamps:

Get Involved:

Podcast & Documentary Recommendations:

About Marisa:

Connect with Marisa:

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

How do cryptocurrencies and blockchain work? Why is the blockchain industry great for technologists to explore?

Meet Nicholas Prouten, the VP of Product Design and Head of Marketing at the LODE Project based out of British Columbia, Canada. LODE is a blockchain powered payment ecosystem and the first of its kind of cryptocurrency to be backed by gold and silver. In this episode, we discuss bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as well as blockchain technology. Blockchain can be used in more than just the financial industry, and we delve into its use cases and how this booming industry can be a great path for any technologist.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Follow the LODE Project:

Connect with Nicholas:

Follow 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:

Connect with Alexandra:

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

What soft skills are necessary as a software developer? How can writing in your free time help you advance in your career? Meet Lokajit Tikayatray, an IT Architecture consultant at Dell Technologies from Bangalore, India. With 15 years of experience as a software developer, Lokajit is passionate about helping business users understand requirements, creating optimal solutions, and helping developers implement the best product. In his free time, he writes about software engineering on Medium, helping budding software engineers learn how to succeed in their careers. Several of his articles have gone viral and have been read by thousands of people around the world.

In this episode, we talk about soft skills necessary in software development and the power of having a good attitude. We also dive into the importance of a hobby like writing in helping your career as well as the specifics of what it's like to write on Medium, a platform with tons of technology content.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Lokajit's Medium Articles

Connect with Lokajit:

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

What does recruitment look like from the recruiter's perspective? How do you best market yourself to a recruiter?

Meet Estefania Ortiz, a Chicago-based Diversity Recruiter on the Amazon Web Services Early Career Talent team. At AWS, Estefania finds top student talent for hiring teams and helps students through workshops and individual coaching sessions. She is passionate about empowering students to leverage their skills and experience to find the right career opportunity. She is also a strong advocate for improving diversity & inclusion in the industry by helping teams and business leaders prioritize this every day.

In today's episode, we dive into the recruitment process from a recruiter's perspective:

• How recruiters help you find the right opportunity

Connect with Estefania:

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

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:

Connect with Victoria:

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

What is cloud computing? How do you get started in tech with no past experience? Meet Joshua "TechDev" Walker, a senior cloud engineer, diversity advocate, and the author of “Venti Fried Chicken." He is also the co-founder of Black Orlando Tech and an Army veteran. Joshua is passionate about demystifying the tech industry and promoting diversity.

In this episode, we talk about cloud computing: what it is, how it works, and what resources you need to start learning. We discuss the similarities and differences between the various cloud computing services and which certification exams you should take. We also dig into do-it-yourself careers and how to start your journey in tech with no prior experience. Joshua shares what inspired him to get into tech and why you should get into the industry too.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with Joshua:

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

What's the difference between product and project management? Where does Scrum fit into that? Learn from Trevor Newberry, the Owner of Newberry Consulting, Co-Founder of AppThink, and Director of Product Delivery at Harmony Venture Labs. Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Trevor uses his experience as a consultant, product manager, and project manager to help non-technical and first-time founders build amazing software products.

In this episode, we dig into several roles in tech including (but not limited to) product manager, project manager, and scrum master. If you're looking to get into these roles, this is the perfect episode to find out what it's like from someone who does it everyday and who started with a not-so-typical background. We also discuss problems that first-time founders face that can be solved with product management, best ways to learn, the power of community, and the importance of hobbies.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with Trevor:

Follow AppThink

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

What is it like to be a freelancer? How can you help small businesses as a technologist? Learn from Arjun Chopra, a freelance software developer and web designer as the founder of 5848 Studios, a Toronto-based business that provides small and medium-sized businesses with the technology they need. Arjun started freelancing at the age of 17 and is on a mission to solve big problems with technology, building websites and apps and designing graphics for businesses.

In today's episode, we talk pros and cons of freelancing, how to find businesses without spending too much on marketing, how to have confidence in starting your business, advice for anyone interested in freelancing, and more!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with Arjun:

Follow Blossoming Technologist:

How does your everyday use of technology impact the environment? What can you do as a technologist to fight climate change? Lilly Tong is a Toronto-based iOS Engineer at VICE Media and the host of Make Peas Not Beef, a podcast about climate change, sustainability, technology, and more. It's all about deepening our relationship with ourselves. In this episode, we dive into mobile development: why it's the future and its unique challenges for developers. We discuss the double-edged sword of technology—how it helps us but also impacts our environment. We also cover what clean tech means, why climate change is the biggest problem in the world right now, what tech companies are doing to fight climate change, and how you can get involved.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Follow Make Peas Not Beef:

Follow Blossoming Technologist: