Tech Unlocked

From computer chips to construction materials, there is a global supply chain shortage happening right now according to the New York Times. So what is supply chain? what role does it play in the tech ecosystem? and what jobs exist within this career field?

In the last episode of season two, Grace chats with Malcolm Hodge a Strategy Sourcing Manager at Microsoft about how supply chain works within tech, day to day responsibilities of a Sourcing Manager, and simple tips for your personal finance.

North Carolina A&T graduate, Malcolm Hodge graduated with a B.S degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and now works as a Global Sourcing Manager leading Mixed Reality strategy at Microsoft Corporation in Seattle, WA.

During his time at North Carolina A&T, Malcolm spent 2 internships with BMW and Boeing, as well as completing 2 international internships in the Virgin Islands and Australia. In addition, Malcolm spent time abroad studying in South Africa and China. These experiences inspired his passion for seeing the world.

As a big advocate of giving back, Malcolm used his love for traveling to found The Dreamer's Creative Foundation. TDCF is a non-profit whose mission is to provide financial support through scholarships for minority students looking to study abroad. In addition to allowing others to see the world, he also aspires to create the next generation of millionaires by teaching financial literacy and helping others understand the importance and value of money.

Regardless of what hat he's wearing, his end goal remains the same – to help make the world a better place by empowering and inspiring others to pursue their wildest dreams.

Key Takeaways:

• The basics of supply chain
• How Microsoft finds its suppliers
• Skills needed to thrive as Sourcing Manager
• How to deal with being the youngest in the room
• Tips for negotiating
• 3 key things you should do with your personal finance early in your tech career

Articles :

nytimes.com/2021/08/30/business/supply-chain-shortages.html

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-09-02/food-prices-driven-up-by-global-worker-shortage-brexit

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Are you struggling to meet new people while working from home? Do you hate networking but still want to build your network? Goodnews, this episode is for you! In this episode, Grace shares 5 tips on how to network in a remote and hybrid workforce.

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If you've used a chatbot on your bank or social media app then you're no stranger to conversational AI. This technology goes beyond chatbots or virtual agents. It is taking human-to-human interactions on voice, video, or text to build next-generation experiences.

Today on the show, Grace chats with Surbhi Rathore Co-Founder & CEO Symbl.ai about why you should care about using AI/ML in your communication apps, her inspiration behind building Symbl, and the future of conversational intelligence.

Symbl is bringing to life Surbhi's vision for a programmable platform that empowers developers and businesses to monitor, act, and comply with voice, video conversations at scale in their products and workflows without building their in-house data science expertise. This Techstars alum co-founded Symbl almost 3 years ago and is now backed by Amazon and has raised an early-stage venture round of $6.5M which deployed capital to grow a global team of tech enthusiasts to more than 40 people. She comes with experience from technical and customer-obsessed roles in both startups and enterprises such as Nevis Networks and Amdocs. Before co-founding Symbl, she worked in the Conversational AI space with a focus on delivering value to Telecommunication users. Surbhi is an international tech leader who advocates for Women in AI with a personal mission to inspire more women to work in Data Science. She is a national speaker, an accessibility equity champion, and the ultimate adventure capitalist.

Key Takeaways :

• Why should people care about conversation AI
• Real-world examples of symbl
• How symbl is prioritizing + protecting customer's data and privacy
• The future of conversational AI
• Skills to get started in conversational AI

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Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

Okay, here is the heartbreaking news you're not the energizer bunny. You are human and you need time to recharge. In this episode, Grace shares 5 signs you need a mental health day and how to prioritize self-care at work. If you have been looking for a sign to take a break, to rest, or recover this episode is for you.

About 40% of the workforce in America is looking to change jobs in 2021. That's 4 out of 10 people and 4 million people in the U.S. voluntarily quit their jobs in April, the highest monthly number ever reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

So if you're thinking of quitting your job, the good news is you're not alone. This new " I quit" trend is called the Great Resignation. great resignation is one of many bi-products of the pandemic. In this episode, Grace unpacks why many people are leaving their jobs, 3 things to consider if you want to quit your job, and new trends shaping The Future of Work.

There are a lot of things that are uncertain right now but one thing that is certain is that people are ready for a change. If you are ready for a change then this is the episode for you.

Key takeaways:

• What is the "Great Resignation"?
• 5 reasons people are quitting their jobs
• 3 things to consider before quitting your job
• How to quit gracefully
• New trends shaping the Future of Work

Articles :

Millions of workers are quitting their jobs during the pandemic. Meet six who made a big change.

4 million people quit their jobs in April

The Next Great Disruption Is Hybrid Work—Are We Ready?

As The Pandemic Recedes, Millions Of Workers Are Saying 'I Quit'

The 'Great Resignation' is here

How much time do we spend at work vs home?

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Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

We can all agree that the tech industry would not exist without innovation. So where does innovation come from?

Today on the show, Grace chats with Cassandra J. Collins Principal UX Design Director at Microsoft about the power of curiosity and how curiosity leads to innovation. Cassandra also shares how she uses AI, game technology, UX design, and simulation to tackle massive data problems and empower large organizations.

Cassandra J Collins is currently Principal UX Design Director at Microsoft working with an elite Azure team that uses game technology, AI, and simulation to empower organizations with plant-scale and massive data problems. With over 25 years in the video game, entertainment, and technology space, Cassandra leverages Human-Centered design, User Experience, and Inclusive Design methodologies to develop a unified simulation platform and experience across a wide section of industries such as defense, industrial, and space.

She serves as the Girls Voice Coordinator and is on the Workshop Leadership Team at IGNITE Worldwide (Inspiring Girls Now In Technology), where she hosts IGNITE UX 101 Design workshops that helps to elevate girl's voices in STEM fields. Since 2018, she has served as a Design Subject Matter Expert on Microsoft's Worldwide UX Design Communities and in 2011, as the User Experience Chair of AIGA Seattle.

Key takeaways:

• Why curiosity leads to innovation

• How to practice being curious

• The cost of being different

• The importance of having a diverse portfolio of sponsors and mentors

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Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

Do recruiters really spend 7 seconds per resume? Are cover letters out? Do you need an engineering degree to become a recruiter? If you want deep insights into the recruiting world from the perspective of a recruiter then this episode is for you!

Today on the show, Grace chats with Breanne Thompson who is a Tech Recruiter and D&I Champ at Microsoft about what it takes to become a tech recruiter, skills needed to thrive as a recruiter, top mistakes to avoid when reaching out to recruiters, and 3 ways to stand out as a job seeker.

Breanne has spent her full professional career at Microsoft, where she's worked as both a Recruiter and a Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager. She has recruited Software and Hardware Engineers from University to Principal-level talent for the majority of her time at the company, with a focus on candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. As a Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager, she provided guidance to senior leaders around inclusive efforts to increase representation and retention of underrepresented employees, supported the launch of two employee resource groups, and led an early in career program of about 3000 employees. She was also a leader within Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) for almost three years, serving as the BAM Talent Acquisition Lead. In this role on the BAM Leadership Team, she has created and led several innovative programs pertaining to increasing the representation of Black employees at Microsoft.

Key takeaways:

• 3 Skills needed to thrive as a recruiter
• Day-to-Day responsibilities of a recruiter
• 3 Ways to stand out as a job seeker
• 3 things mistakes people make when reaching out to recruiters
• How to understand your job offer package

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Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

Can you work in tech without knowing how to code? YES, you can! There are numerous tech jobs out there that are non-coding related but which ones are in high demand?

In this episode, Grace shares the top 5 tech jobs that are in demand in 2021 that require no coding. She shares the skills needed to strive in these roles, key responsibilities, average salary, and more! If you've been looking for a sign to take the leap in transiting into the tech industry this is it.

Resources:

Articles:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencebradford/2017/03/07/16-tech-careers-you-can-land-no-coding-required/?sh=5a38537f26af

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/computer-science-jobs-without-coding

https://www.itprotoday.com/careers/6-non-coding-tech-jobs-consider

Youtube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_fuiK3b9OA&ab_channel=Bukola

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnDvBgWZ7rw&ab_channel=LifeofLuba

Jobsites:

https://www.payscale.com/

https://www.pocitjobs.com/

https://www.diversifytech.co/job-board/

https://blacktechpipeline.com/jobs/

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/

https://www.glassdoor.com/member/home/index.htm

https://www.indeed.com/hire

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Are you curious about becoming a designer but don't know where to start? Don't worry we got you covered in the episode!

Today on the show, Grace chats with talented and multidisciplinary designer Bekah Marcum about her unique journey into her product design career, three things she wished she knew before joining tech, and the skills needed to thrive as a product designer

Currently a Product Designer at Instagram, Bekah combats the spread of misinformation on the Instagram App, leading the design for the Accurate Information pillar as a part of the Well-being team. Her background spans both UX and Visual Design – after starting her career at REI as a 3D and Product Designer, she spent four years at Amazon as a Designer then Art Director crafting custom ad experiences for brands on Amazon including Fire TV and Fire Tablet playable mini-games, Amazon custom boxes, and custom online stores. After moving over to Zillow, Bekah helped to lead the design for Zillows' newest product offerings – Zillow Offers and Zillow Rewards.

Key takeaways:

• Should designers learn how to code
• Top 3 core skills needed to thrive as a UI/UX designer
• The difference between a Visual Designer vs an Art Director vs a Product designer
• How to decipher design role titles while job hunting
• Networking vs Building Community

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@DesigningWhileBlack

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Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]