Professional Networking and Job Shadowing: Exploring Jobs in the Tech Industry
“Professional Networking and Job Shadowing: Exploring Jobs in the Tech Industry” is a new course that will be offered next quarter, taught by Michael Reese and Kirsten Davey. The class will connect students to potential employers and teach them how to communicate effectively.
According to Reese, local startup incubators including Impact Hub, extraSlice, and SURF are looking for interns, and willing to give tours to students interested in entrepreneurship and working for a start up.
Reese said that students will also be taken on field trips to companies of interest so they can interact with potential employers. He said there will be multiple opportunities for students, including the chance to go to technology events and pitch events where they’ll get a chance to speak to angel investors.
Reese described the area as “Silicon Valley north,” saying that student interest in working in computer science is high and the local demand for interns and employees is high as well. Even vehicle manufacturers like Boeing and PACCAR are becoming companies that could utilize more tech educated employees.
“BC is such a STEM College,” said Reese, mentioning that next year Bellevue College will offer a Bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Students will get to meet entrepreneurs starting their own companies, as well as professionals working for corporations like Microsoft. Additionally, students will get to tour mid-size companies, which Reese said “have the greatest potential for growth.”
Reese explained the class is a way to help students figure out their next steps and get a head start on career planning, advising students to “set aside time to think about the future.”
Special Topics in Experiential Learning: Finding Internships
“Special Topics in Experiential Learning: Finding Internships,” an experiential learning course focused around helping students find internships will be taught by Michael Reese and Tamara Pinkas winter quarter.
Reese described the class as a “bootcamp focused on summer internships.” This course is for students of all majors, not just IT and computer science, but a large number of companies looking for interns in the area are tech companies.
Reese said that although not everyone has time to do an internship, the class can also provide opportunities to find future careers. Some companies are interested in taking on part time workers in school that they can promote to full time once they graduate.
“The bulk of good internships are taken early,” Reese said. In his experience, students often wait until spring to sign up for internships. The timing of the course is aimed at giving students a good chance of finding an internship. “Winter is the best time to look for summer internships,” said Reese.
There has been a lot of growth in internship availability in the Seattle area. Reese explained, “It’s a great time to be a college student.”