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 How to Land an Internship at a Top Tech Company Masterclass: alexandrafoote.com/blossoming-technologist LinkedIn Learning: linkedin.com/learning Connect with Alexandra: Website: alexandrafoote.com LinkedIn: /footealexandra Instagram: @fancyfootework Facebook: @fancyfootework Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram: @blossoming_tech Twitter: @blossoming_tech LinkedIn: /blossoming-technologist Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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) GDPR: bit.ly/3qKwgIh (wiki) SANS: www.sans.org Axios: www.axios.com Password Managers: 1Password, DashLane, KeePass, LastPass Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram: @blossoming_tech Twitter: @blossoming_tech LinkedIn: /blossoming-technologist Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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 Lexmark: lexmark.com NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP): nsfgrfp.org After Dinner Conversations Podcast: linktr.ee/AfterDinnerConversations Pass the Aux Vol. 1 (Spotify): spoti.fi/3FpcAkq Connect with Stephen: LinkedIn: bit.ly/30DAhaa Instagram: @ReigningBoss After Dinner Conversations Instagram: @adconvos Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram @blossoming_tech Twitter @blossoming_tech LinkedIn /blossoming-technologist Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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 Ashley C. Ford Quote (Twitter): bit.ly/2OnJeOM "Somebody's Daughter: A Memoir" by Ashley C. Ford (preorder): amzn.to/2OmLaHg "What the Hell is a Startup Anyway" Techcrunch Article: tcrn.ch/3tkHJ2j "The Manager's Path" by Camille Fournier: bit.ly/2OxpRm9 Connect with Victoria: Twitter: @heyvrk LinkedIn: /victoriakirst Everybody Study Club: everybodystudy.club Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram: @blossoming_tech Twitter: @blossoming_tech LinkedIn: /blossoming-technologist Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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 Mahmoud’s Toxic Positivity TED Talk: https://bit.ly/2LaYw7v Virtual Enterprises International: https://veinternational.org Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org or Text HOME to 741741 Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 NYC Well: 1-888-NYC-WELL or text WELL to 65173M Connect with Mahmoud: Instagram: @mahmoudkhedrnyc LinkedIn: /mahmkhedr Twitter: @MoodyKhedr Website: http://mahmoudkhedr.com Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram: @blossoming_tech Twitter: @blossoming_tech LinkedIn: /blossoming-technologist Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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 Your Brain at Work book Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram @blossoming_tech Twitter @blossoming_tech LinkedIn /blossoming-technologist YouTube channel Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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 Gulé's Presentation Start with Why TED Talk Good to Great book Connect with Gulé: LinkedIn Twitter Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram @blossoming_tech Twitter @blossoming_tech LinkedIn /blossoming-technologist YouTube channel Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Video & Audio Editing by Podlab (Private) Limited Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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 Dropbox article about engineering ops Video: Being Glue by Tanya Reilly Article: Being Glue by Tanya Reilly graceful.dev Connect with Shannon: LinkedIn Twitter Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram @blossoming_tech Twitter @blossoming_tech LinkedIn YouTube channel Connect with Marisa: Twitter LinkedIn Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Video & Audio Editing by Podlab (Private) Limited Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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: Buy Cyber Curiosity on Amazon Google 2FA LastPass 1Password Connect with Lakeidra: Website Instagram LinkedIn Facebook Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram @blossoming_tech Twitter @blossoming_tech LinkedIn /blossoming-technologist YouTube channel Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Video & Audio Editing by Podlab (Private) Limited Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns

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: AdvisorBOB ONTrac Voice4Impact Connect with Jim: LinkedIn Follow Blossoming Technologist: Instagram @blossoming_tech Twitter @blossoming_tech LinkedIn /blossoming-technologist YouTube channel Connect with Marisa: Twitter @marisahoenig LinkedIn /marisahoenig Credits: Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig Video & Audio Editing by Podlab (Private) Limited Social Media Marketing & Episode Cover Art by Lucy Zheng Podcast Logo by Kendal Goodell @goodelldesigns