CCI Career Paths

Articles tagged: Technology

Terrence (TJ) Smith’18, Account Manager at Google, answers career related questions LGBTQ+ identifying students might have when seeking job opportunities


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Peer Career Advisor (PCA) and Posse Scholar Zoey Ellis’22 interviewed Terrence (TJ) Smith, Account Manager at Google, to answer common career related questions LGBTQ+ identifying students might have when seeking job opportunities.

Zoey: What activities or student organizations were you involved in during college and how did they help you get to where you are today?

TJ: I was involved in Black Student Union as the treasurer. I also was a RIDDIM co-director and a Language Tables manager. My experiences in these organizations allowed me to strengthen transferable soft skills such as: people management, effective communication, and organizing events.  That said, I think the biggest benefit was being able to have a diverse outlet.  Understanding the importance of caring about something or being involved in something outside of work is crucial.  

Zoey: As a graduate who identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming, Genderfluid, or Queer, what are some of the questions you suggest students should keep in mind when researching employers and applying to job opportunities?

TJ: When researching employers, check to see if they have a LGBTQ+ resource group, typically you can find that around the company culture section.  Do they have a resource group?  Are they recognized for their work in the LGBTQ+ space?  If they have a company blog, do they mention topics the queer community face?  Honestly, any question that interrogates how the company values their queer employees.   

Zoey: Would you suggest students consider to what extent they would like their career to incorporate their LGBTQ+ identity? Do you want your identity to have a major role, such as working for an LGBTQ+ advocacy group? Or expressed in a different way, like joining the LGBTQ+ affinity group for employees at an organization?

TJ: When thinking about your brand and who you are, think about what kind of role you want your LGBTQ+ identity to play.  I, personally, decided to be out at work, but I haven’t been too involved with our company’s LGBTQ+  resource group.  I’m a big advocate of separating work and personal life, so I focus on expressing my queer identity in avenues outside of work i.e. volunteering with LGBTQ+ orgs. 

Zoey: Could you recommend any career related LGBTQ+ resources that helped you in the job search process?

TJ: O4U (Out for Undergrad) is a great organization that hosts conferences for queer college students to explore their LGBTQ+ identity while in the workplace.  I recommend every queer student to at least check out the website.  If they have an event for your field, definitely apply!  It’s a great network and exposure opportunity. 

Zoey: Have you come out to your employer, and if so, when in the employment process and how?

TJ: I came out after I was already hired.  If you decide to divulge your queer identity during the interview process, I would just make sure you leverage it in a way that shows strength to your character.  I have no strong feelings for or against discussing your identity while interviewing, it’s all situational. 

Zoey: What advice would you give your younger college self?

TJ: Be open to change.  Determining how you spend your 40+ hours of the week for the rest of your life at 21 years old is absurd.  Your dreams may change.  Don’t be afraid of evolving. 

Zoey: Is there any other advice that you’d like to share with Middlebury students?

TJ: You’re a Middlebury College student during a pandemic.  Except for the class of 2020, literally no one alive can say they’ve experienced that.  Be easy on yourself and give yourself space to take things day by day. 

If you would like to contact Terrence (TJ) Smith, please reach out via Midd2Midd!

The Contemporary and Digital Art Fair


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Devoted to supporting a global community of galleries, artists, and collectors, CADAF launched CADAF Online, a virtual art fair held online from June 25 to 28, 2020. Click here to Listen to All the Replays!

Redesigned Remote Team4Tech Internships


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The Team4Tech internship opportunity has been redesigned for remote participation. Take a look at the specifics below and apply today on Handshake!

Virtual EdTech Internship Summer 2020, Team4Tech

Applications close May 3, 2020

Team4Tech is a California-based nonprofit that helps education-focused NGOs working in the developing world to increase their impact and improve the quality of education in their local communities. We do this by working with teams of skilled volunteers and interns who develop technology solutions and training for these education nonprofits. Over the past five years, Team4Tech has implemented over 60 projects with more than 500 volunteers from 18 leading tech companies and universities, reaching some 60,000 students and teachers.

Our response to the COVID-19 crisis has been to provide virtual and remote support for our NGO network as they navigate a rapid and turbulent transition to online learning. In partnership with the Middlebury Center for Careers and Internships (CCI), we are offering an opportunity to support two of Team4Tech’s nonprofit partners in Africa: Gashora Girls Academy in Rwanda and the Center for Youth and Development in Malawi. Team4Tech and CCI are confident that this project will provide the interns with an exciting opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a challenging environment, enhance their leadership development skills, and most importantly, help enhance the education of children in two developing countries.

The Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology (GGAST) is a boarding school for 270 girls, located in the Gashora sector of Rwanda, an hour south of the capital city of Kigali. Their vision is for their students to become inspired young leaders filled with confidence, a love of learning, and a sense of economic empowerment to strengthen their communities and foster Rwanda’s growth. 100% of their graduates get scholarships to attend university abroad, including the USA. This will be Team4Tech’s fourth engagement with GGAST as part of a five-year partnership.

Potential virtual project workstreams:

  1. Remote mentoring of teams who are working on their science and technology-focused capstone projects;
  2. University application support and general mentorship for girls who are planning their higher education goals;
  3. Presentations to teachers and students on topics of interns’ interest and expertise, e.g. digital storytelling, data science, computer aided design, programming in Python

Established in 2012, Centre for Youth and Development in Malawi leverages the talent and potential of young people by providing them access to ICT to enable innovation and development. They collect used and refurbished computers with pre-loaded educational software and install them in schools. Schools pay a basic management fee for CYD’s technicians to help with troubleshooting and maintenance. They also train teachers on how to integrate the technology into their classrooms to expand their impact.

Primary virtual project workstream:

  • Research and identify relevant content to add to CYD’s digital education resource platform, Kolibri. CYD staff conducted consultations with teachers to identify 30 topics, learning objectives for the topics, and available recommended syllabus-based textbooks. These materials will be shared with Team4Tech’s interns to research and identify relevant content in interactive forms to be added to the Kolibri digital educational platform.

As part of the summer program, interns will be led through our leadership development curriculum by Team4Tech Program Directors. This curriculum was designed in partnership with leading technology companies to develop key leadership capabilities that they find are critical to their employees’ development and success. Important parts of an internship abroad are learning about another culture, acquiring cross cultural skills to adapt to a globalized world, working in a challenging and unfamiliar environment, and developing new friendships. Our remote project preparation and experience will teach interns about working in cross cultural, remote, and global teams. Furthermore, we will expose the interns to Rwanda and Malawi cultures through speakers, readings, and films. Finally, we will give the interns an opportunity to develop friendships with the students and teachers engaged with our NGO partners.

Volunteer Skills & Experience:

  • Interest in or experience designing and conducting technical training
  • Interest in working with and mentoring young learners/high school students
  • Interest in working in a developing country

The project will kick off on June 15 and end on August 15, with an expectation of 8-10 hours of work per week. We will use Zoom, WhatsApp, and email to communicate with the students and teachers.

Please note: This program is a CCI-sponsored program. The Center for Careers and Internships covers the program fee for you to participate, and provides a $1000 stipend. If you are offered this internship and accept, you will be required to complete funded internship paperwork.

Apply on Handshake

Application deadline EXTENDED for FUNDED Tech Education Internship in Rwanda with Team4Tech!


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In Rwanda, Team4Tech is working with the Gashora Girls Academy, a boarding school for 270 girls, to have interns mentor a team of Gashora students to execute an extensive technical capstone project requiring research, planning, and a final prototype. At the end of the summer, each team will present their project to the school’s teachers and staff as part of 5th Annual Gashora Projects Exhibition Day prior to departing Rwanda. Interns will also organize a one-week technology boot camp for a select group of the Gashora Girls.

Does this sound like a summer experience you’d like to have? Then apply in Handshake!

CCI covers the program fee for you to participate, and provides $1000 travel grants. If you are offered and accept this internship, you will be required to complete funded internship paperwork. Please note this is an unpaid internship.

Apply now!

Application deadline is 3/15.

Check Out This New Amazon Posting on Handshake!


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Data Associate at Amazon – Application Deadline is May 29, 2020

The Alexa Data Services (ADS) organization provides data creation, curation, and analytics services to help develop, test, and train the Alexa AI. We work closely with internal customers like Machine Learning Science modeling teams, providing the critical data they need to improve Alexa’s Automatic Speech Recognition and Natural Language Understanding models and domain features. Come build the future of the voice recognition for Alexa with us.

We are hiring Data Associates in our Medford, MA location for our data team to work on transcriptions for Automatic Speech Recognition, semantic annotation for Natural Language Understanding, and dialogue evaluation for improving overall customer interaction with Alexa.
You will focus on speech and language data, primarily in the areas of transcription, text annotation, and general data analysis to meet the internal customer’s request.

Driven by your passion for data, you show proactive behavior in solving issues with efficiency and accuracy. Your ability to concentrate and your high attention to details help you deliver high-quality work.In this role, you are comfortable with, and understand, the changes to the conventions deployed in response to internal customers’ requests. You demonstrate ability to adjust your workflows accordingly. You prioritize strict compliance with regulatory requirements, and contribute to improvements in the software tools by identifying bugs and suggesting enhancements.
As a Data Associate, you must be capable of:· Maintaining strict confidentiality and follow all applicable Amazon policies for securing confidential information· Transcribing and annotating high priority deliverables· Translating established guidelines into daily work practices and processing data in order of priority· Delivering high quality on deadlines· Getting the job done and working autonomously with minimal direction· Contributing to process improvements to reduce handling time and improve outputWhat We Offer:· Attractive and competitive salary· Possibility of career development within the company· Benefits package

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS· High School or equivalent diploma· Native-level proficiency in English, both verbal and written skills· Experience with business software· Capable of working in strict compliance with internal guidelines· Excellent communication and organizational skills, detailed-oriented, highly collaborative· Comfortable working in an ever-changing, highly collaborative and dynamic work environment· Willingness to support several projects at one time and to accept re-prioritization as necessary· Continuous efforts to deliver the high quality data such as self-analysis· Business English skills both verbal and written.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS· Experience working with speech or language data, including experience with annotation and· Other forms of data markup· Practical knowledge of data processing needs and trade-offs

How CS Majors Can Capitalize On Their Winter Break


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With finals wrapping up for the fall semester, we thought it would be helpful to think proactively about what you might want to do with your winter break:

  1. Rest. Recover. Regroup: Sleep, enjoy time with friends and family. You are given breaks for a very good reason – you need time to rest your mind and assimilate what you have learned all fall. When you feel rested, take a step back and figure out your goals, and create a plan to get there.
  2. Work on Planning and Time Management: While we all have the same number of hours in a day, we all know someone who seems to be able to use those hours more efficiently. Better planning means more time working towards the goals you set in #1. We recommend checking out these sites to learn about work/life balance and efficiency:
    • Cal Newport – a CS professor at Georgetown who writes about the intersection of technology and society. He’s particularly interested in the impact of new technologies on our ability to perform productive work and lead satisfying lives.
    • Barking Up the Wrong Tree – Eric Barker’s blog brings you science-based answers and expert insight on “how to be awesome at life.”
  3. Create a personal website: If you don’t have one already, you will have to have a personal website eventually. As a programmer this is a great way to showcase who you are as well as what you have worked on. Learn from your peers at Columbia who wrote “The Importance of Having a Personal Website (& How to Make One)” in The Prospect. Read the full article by Sophie Stadler here.
  4. Create a GitHub profile: Many of you probably already have one, but if you don’t have a GitHub account yet, consider setting one up. Nearly every employer or recruiter you meet in the future is going to ask you for your GitHub account. This is where you showcase the raw code that you’ve written up to this point. We suggest including school projects, and if applicable, any side projects you’ve worked on. Which brings us to…
  5. Start a side project: There will be few times in your life where you will have a month off during the Holidays. Take advantage of this time to start a side project that you can use to highlight your skills and interests to employers.
  6. Update Your LinkedIn Profile: Check out the Top 25 Computer Science Student Profiles.

Want to Combine Your Love of Data and Healthcare? Apply to work at Mass General!


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GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:   The Harvard Aging Brain Study is seeking a full-time Data Coordinator for a neuroimaging research program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Our group investigates alterations in brain function, structure, and molecular pathology in normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease. This position joins the data processing and informatics team and would take responsibility for day to day database and data management tasks, running and maintenance of ETL pipelines, running of automated quality assurance tasks, and production of bespoke datasets and SQL queries to aid researchers. This role presents a great opportunity for those seeking an entry point into the burgeoning data science field. The Data Coordinator will work with, and report directly to the Data Analytics Manager. 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  1. Managing permissions for database access.
  2. Assembling datasets to allow researchers to answer complex research questions.
  3. Assist in the implementation of automated Quality Assurance routines.
  4. Maintenance and further refinement of lab ETL pipelines.
  5. Aid in the testing of new database and data management systems.
  6. Assist in the Storage, organization, and security of large neuroimaging and genetics datasets.
  7. Develop documentation for informatics system and associated tools.
  8. Assisting with data reporting and monitoring for regulatory oversight.

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:  

  1. Very detail-oriented and highly organized.
  2. Familiarity with relational databases such as MySQL, SQL server etc.
  3. Competencies with programming/scripting languages, such as MATLAB, Python, or Java.
  4. Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  5. Must be highly motivated and well-organized, personable, and have good communication skills.

EDUCATION: 
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Math, or other relevant discipline.

EXPERIENCE:  No work experience is required, though 2+ years of experience including expertise with statistical analysis preferred. Experience through coursework or undergraduate/graduate research projects is applicable.

Learn more and apply on Handshake!

PAID Summer Internships in Media & Tech – Emma Bowen Foundation


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The Emma Bowen Foundation recruits promising students of color and places them in paid summer internships at some of the nation’s leading media and technology companies, provides the media and tech industries with a pipeline of young talent and emerging leadership, and advocates for best practices in diverse hiring, retention, and advancement.

The Emma Bowen Foundation is a media-focused diversity initiative that recruits promising students and places them in paid summer internships at some of the nation’s leading media and technology companies. Opportunities are at our more than 75 partner companies, such as Bloomberg, CBS, Comcast, Edelman, NBCUniversal, Nielsen, Spectrum, Turner, Warner Brothers, and Weber Shandwick. To view all of our partners, visit Emma Bowen Foundation Partners.

Applicants to our program are interested in careers in the:
· Business of Media (finance, sales, human resources, marketing, public relations etc.)
· Innovation of Media (computer science, engineering, data science, information technology, software development, etc.)
· Content of Media (broadcast and online journalism, production, social media, digital media, etc.).

Selected students will have access to:
· A paid summer internship
· On-the-job training from top professionals and industry executives
· An all-expenses paid Emma Bowen Foundation Summer Conference in New York City
· Need-based scholarships
· A community of diverse media and tech peers and professionals
· Lifelong professional networks

Our interns are placed in cities where they spend their college summers. Many of our interns are converted to full time hires after college graduation.

“I was able to meet other like-minded fellows who will be my future colleagues in the industry as well as network with some great media professionals and alumni.”
– Victor O., 2018 EBF Fellow at Fox Television Stations – Fox 32 Chicago

While the majority of our Fellows are placed in major markets like New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, and the San Francisco Bay Area, we have openings in cities nationwide. Other cities have included, but are not limited to: Austin, Boston, Chicago, Columbia (MD), Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville (FL), Knoxville, Louisville (KY), Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, St. Petersburg (FL), Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

*Please remember to have a PCA review your application before you submit it.

*In addition, please e-mail Alicia Gomez (agomez@middlebury.edu) to inform her you applied to this great opportunity!

Do not wait for the deadline. They are hiring interns on a rolling basis! Therefore, you should apply as soon as possible.

Click here to apply in Handshake!

6 Tips to Land the Tech Internship That Will Lead to Your Software Engineer Career


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Article written by Jane Hurst. Read the article here.

Source: Pexels.com

You have completed most of your coursework in college and are looking forward to starting your career as a software engineer. One thing that will help you gain your dream job is to have an internship while you are still in school. Here are six tips to land the tech internship that will lead to your software engineer career.

1. Start early

When you are looking for a tech internship you want to start early. Some schools will offer assistance finding internships but it is up to you to apply for them. Sometimes you have to do your own research and find your own tech internship. If this is the case you need to start even earlier. Either way, you will need to apply for your tech internship at least a year in advance, sometimes even longer. If you wait until the last minute, there may be no tech internships available or you may not have enough time to organize your own tech internship.

2. Resume

Make sure you look at your resume before you submit it. You may want to change the style of your resume to suit the tech internship you are applying for. You can find different resume samples online. You also want to make sure your resume is updated with any pertinent information such as classes you have taken and jobs you have held. Be sure to find a style you like and stick with it throughout the resume.

3. Coding challenges

You will most likely face a coding challenge. Coding challenges are usually timed for an hour. A good idea would be to practice for these challenges before you face your first one. You can find practice sites online that will help you prepare for the challenge.

4. Interview

Be ready for your interview before you walk through the door. Research the company where you are applying for a tech internship and be sure to know what they do. You want to highlight yourself in the interview, but you also want them to know you have done your research. There are articles and sites online that will help you prepare for your interview questions. Take advantage of these sites and be ready for whatever questions your future potential employer asks.

5. Personal web page

Creating a personal web page is another way to tell a potential employer about yourself. You can include pictures, videos, and show them your coding abilities along with a link to your internship resume. Think of a personal web page as an addition and enhancement of your resume. Make sure you highlight your favorite projects that show off things you have created.

6. Keep learning

You want to keep up with new codes that come along. While this may be hard to do, it will be easier when you have your internship. Let your interviewer know that you want to challenge yourself and ask for jobs that you are not familiar with. Learning new codes will help build you up for your career and will let your boss know that you are not afraid of new things and challenges.

7. Thank you

When you are done with your interview be sure to thank your interviewer. Wait a couple of days and send them a thank you email. With a thank you email you can include things that you forgot to mention in your interview that you think might be pertinent to the tech internship. Do not make this a long email. Thank them for their time and make sure you include up to date contact information where they can reach you. That way they will know where to find you when they offer you the tech internship.

Senior’s Coding Work Will Enhance Popular Animation Software


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Article taken from Middlebury’s Newsroom. Read the article here.

A screen grab shows some of the design work possible in Blender thanks to code enhancements by Hans Goudey ’19.5.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Animators around the world will have a new tool at their disposal thanks to Middlebury computer science major Hans Goudey ’19.5. The senior Feb from Newburyport, Mass., spent the summer developing 3D modeling tools for the 3D animation toolset, Blender. Goudey’s bevel tool will be included in the upcoming release of Blender, an open-source animation software used by thousands of people worldwide.

Earlier this year, Goudey landed a Google Summer of Code Fellowship, which allowed him to pursue his work under the mentorship of a Google software engineer. He was working to create a better bevel tool, which has widespread applications in industrial design and art.

“Artists and Designers use 3D Modeling tools to make everything from cubes and spheres to the human figure to car parts, furniture prototypes and architectural plans,” explained Daniel Houghton, who runs the Middlebury College Animation Studio.

In late October, Goudey attended the Blender Conference in Amsterdam to share his work with the Blender core developers. He says he initially went to meet people and learn more about Blender, but during the conference, organizers asked him—on short notice—to give a talk about his work on Bevel.

“A lot of the conference attendees hadn’t seen it because it hasn’t been officially released yet, but some of the people following the project talked to me in person at the conference, which was great,” said Goudey.

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