What made you interested in this career path?
I graduated near top of his class from Mumbai University in India with Bachelors in Computer Engineering; I was known for always excelling academically and beyond. Upon graduation, I traveled to the United States and went into the SJSU Master's program in Computer Engineering, valuing the program's strong connection with the Silicon Valley.
How did you find your position?
I understood the importance of finding internships because having experience in the field is vital when seeking a full-time job. When I arrived at SJSU, I applied to over 100 different internships and was constantly revamping my resume. Unfortunately, I received no responses from any of the perspective employers despite my long and grueling efforts.
I sought career advice from many sources such as the career consultants at the Career Center. I had several discussions about networking and utilizing my connections. I began realizing how crucial networking was to finding an internship as well as for professional and personal development. With that in mind, I started talking to friends, my parents, my friends' parents and started maintaining strong relationships with every new connection I met. Eventually, through the people I was speaking with, I finally received an interview.
Through my continuous networking efforts, I started gaining more progress in my internship search as I was going on several interviews, including one with a CEO of a start-up. I eventually received multiple offers, but accepted an internship with Juniper Networks, an established company in the Silicon Valley.
What tips would you give your fellow Spartans?
One piece of advice I would like to share is that it is important to work hard in one's academics, but it is equally important to work hard in building one's network and to never stop socializing with others.