Engineering Pack Pod

Welcome back for another episode of "The Key Change"! This week, we are joined by Kaleb Decker, a current PhD candidate in NC State's Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department. Kaleb shares how a new framework for evaluating "progress" helped him gain a sense of belonging in his graduate studies. He shares both the steps that led to his Key Change, and the other benefits that came along with it. Be sure to check out our earlier episode with Dr. Amna Shabbir ("How Self Compassion Drives Ambition") for further discussion on perfectionism!

“You don’t know what you don’t know, and you don’t know to ask what you don’t know to ask.” For many first-generation students, college and graduate school come with unwritten expectations that everyone else seems to understand. How do office hours work? How should you interact with faculty? What does networking look like in graduate school? And how do you begin seeing yourself not simply as a student consuming information, but as a scholar and professional producing it? In this episode, Marcy talks with Jay Rydell about the hidden curriculum of higher education and the pressure first-generation students can feel to succeed without a roadmap. Jay brings together his professional work with graduate students in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, his doctoral studies in counseling and counselor education, and his own experience as a first-generation student at every level of his education. They discuss imposter feelings, isolation, psychological safety, the experiences first-generation and international students share, and the power of finding people who understand without requiring an explanation. Jay also offers a practical reminder for difficult days: keep a folder of your accomplishments so you can revisit the evidence of everything you are capable of achieving. If you have ever worried that asking a question would reveal that you do not belong, this conversation is for you.Counseling Center: https://counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu/Ombuds Office: https://facultyombuds.ncsu.edu/First Generation Student Organization: https://firstpack.dasa.ncsu.edu/A Guide to the Ombuds Office: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv23_mK04I4

In this very first episode of our new segment, the Key Change: Belonging Boost, we finally catch our grad student editor as the guest on the other side of the camera. Just as a key change in music can transform the feeling of a song, life’s expected and unexpected transitions can change how we see ourselves. Our very own Mady Pennino is a master's student in the Operations Research program, but is full of many other surprises. In this episode, Mady shares how a key change in mindset helped to leverage her unique skill set as a tool for warding off "imposterism" and self-doubt.

Change can be exciting, frightening, confusing or all three at once. In this solo episode, host Marcy Bullock introduces Key Change: Belonging Boost, a new Engineering Pack Pod segment exploring the major transitions that reshape our identities and sense of belonging. Just as a key change in music can transform the feeling of a song, life’s expected and unexpected transitions can change how we see ourselves. Whether you are beginning college, approaching graduation, starting a new career, navigating a relationship, or searching for your place on campus, there is often a “messy middle” between who you were and who you are becoming. Tune in every Wednesday as students and other members of the Wolfpack community share their experiences with change, identity, and finding their people and places. Wherever you are in your transition, Key Change is here to help you navigate it, and boost your belonging.

We are joined this week by Ed Summers (and his seeing-eye dog, Loki) for his perspective on accessibility in tech. Ed progressively lost his sense of sight as an undergraduate computer science student, but he didn't let functional blindness diminish the vision he had for his future. Previously a software development manager and accessibility director at SAS, and now the Head of Accessibility at GitHub, Ed shares the impact of continual growth in accessibility from a tech-based perspective, both as a developer and as a user. He explains why, for organizations like GitHub, accessibility is everyone's responsibility, and is no longer optional. As a consumer, Ed speaks on inclusively-designed technology features that can and do provide benefit to folks of ALL abilities, but more fundamentally allow those with specific disabilities to engage in their passions without any barriers.

Check out Ed (and Loki) on Instagram and TikTok!

Credits:

"Electrodoodle" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Get ready for NC State's upcoming Fall Engineering Career Fair with your coach, Todd Hay. Todd is a seasoned professional engineer with over 30 years in the game, and in this episode, you will find his playbook to success in an engineering career. A resource for all aspiring AND early-career engineers, Todd offers his senior leadership perspective on what really matters, what can help you stand out and get ahead, and why first impressions still matter in the current workforce.

Find more information about the upcoming Engineering Career Fair HERE

Check out Wolfpack Styled Professional Clothing Closet

Credits:

"Electrodoodle" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Angela Martin is back again, this time to share more about the ideas presented in her book, Building Your Creative Foundation (This is Not a Dream: From Daydream to Day Job) https://a.co/d/0b4Pgs6A.

Angela explains how developing your career in a fulfilling way is a personal balancing act of passion, talent, impact, and compensation. She also discusses why "do what you love" may not always be the best job-seeking advice, but it might help you supplement when your day job doesn't cover all the bases. Tune-in to learn the powerful impact of strategies like "W.O.O.P.", mental contrasting, and "if-then" thinking!

*Editor's Note: A slight microphone quality issue has been identified in this episode and has been resolved for future episodes.

Credits:

"Electrodoodle" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Tap into your creative mind as Angela Martin takes us to the frontier of diversely accessible technology. A relatively new field with a wide open door of opportunity, User Experience (UX) Design stands as a unique career blending creativity, tech, and human-centered impact. Angela's impressive credentials (author, UX Designer at Lenovo, and more) qualify her to enlighten us on the many ways accessibility and inclusion continue to inform some of our favorite tech features. Join us this week and next for a two-part discussion of how a creative, fulfilling career may be more attainable than you thought.

Check back here for future hiring updates on the LUXE Internship Program: https://jobs.lenovo.com/en_US/careers

Link to WebAim.org–Explore Resources for Web Accessibility

https://webaim.org/resources/

*Editor's Note: A slight microphone quality issue has been identified in this episode and has been resolved for future episodes

Credits:

"Electrodoodle" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

We hear you, Wolfpack...the current job market for new grads is not for the faint of heart. This week, Sara Concini (of NCSU ECE Graduate and Career Services & Corporate Relations) sits down to talk about the hidden tool not many job seekers consider–Empathy. This episode offers a multi-perspective insight into the job search, highlighting empathy as the applicant's main tool for maintaining both professionalism and personal well-being. Stick around to the end for two key actions you could do this week to help you through this difficult market.

Links:

NCSU Career Development Center

The Graduate School–Career Readiness

Credits:

"Electrodoodle" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Jenny Hofler, a talent acquisition leader with more than a decade of recruiting experience, shares what really separates successful candidates from the rest. From building a strong LinkedIn profile and networking with purpose to acing interviews and overcoming imposter syndrome, Jenny offers practical advice for students preparing to launch their careers. She also discusses resume mistakes, workplace etiquette, and why curiosity, preparation, and authenticity can open doors long after graduation.

Credits:

"Electrodoodle" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/