Week 4: Module 4

This is the fourth week of the CSUMB computer science program.

The first thing we did this week was called the industry expert interview, which went over connecting and interviewing an individual who would provide professional experience on the career of our choosing. Therefore, the summary is as follows:

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For this interview, I managed to contact a software engineer from Olympia Inc., Jessica Rios. Jessica is currently working in software development as a Stack developer; however, she also has extensive experience in frontend and backend engineering. I chose Jessica because of her insights, experience from college, and knowledge of emerging technologies within the industry, as well as her general understanding of every avenue one can take within software engineering. As a student, I wanted to know what to expect from the industry, while understanding the necessary skills, industry trends, and career strategies from someone who has worked in the field for an extensive amount of time.

Therefore, throughout the conversation, Jessica provided valuable insights into her experiences, such as her career path, the challenges faced within the industry, and the skills necessary to succeed in software engineering. She emphasized that it was important to master data structures and algorithms, as these were fundamental in succeeding in interviews and daily problem-solving tasks within her career. 

One of the key challenges Jessica addressed, was to ensure that I have time to consistently practice. She likened coding to going to the gym, as without regular problem-solving exercises, coding skills can quickly be forgotten. She advised me on how to address this through recommending Leet Code or NeetCode.io, as to refine and practice programming skills not only for a particular job but also before interviews, as it would help me succeed.

Jessica then brought up the importance of adaptability, as she highlighted that technology is constantly evolving and requires professionals to continuously learn programming languages, frameworks, and development tools. She exemplified this through leading trends like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and web development technologies like React. 

For students preparing to enter the field, Jessica stressed the significance of working on side projects. She explained that an interview is more than simply allowing the employer to get to know you, as it requires you to advertise yourself to them. For example, she explained that independent projects on a resume and a portfolio website can showcase a candidate's initiative, practical skills and work experience as to stand out, while being beneficial to job applications.

As for educational experience, Jessica stated that college or university courses provided foundational knowledge but often lagged behind industry advancement. Therefore, she emphasized that students should seek additional learning sources, participate in coding challenges, and attend networking events. As where this can be done, she recommended Eventbrite for networking opportunities, LinkedIn for connections with professors or peers, and online platforms like Codecademy to learn coding.

This was further spoken on, as Jessica reflected on her own struggles during college, often mentioning that without additional learning sources or peers to provide assistance in coursework, she may have failed. This was emphasized by how she recommended creating a study group and maintaining a consistent learning routine, as this would help one succeed in not only college but within your chosen career.

During this interview with Jessica, I found that my understanding of the software engineering field was broadened. Her journey encapsulated that persistence, and continuous learning will be essential in succeeding within the industry. This is further highlighted by how she kept emphasizing the need to problem-solve and practice, as she believed that through exercises on coding, independent projects and work experience anyone can succeed in software engineering. 

Jessica's perspective on industry trends on the other hand, provided me with a direction to otherwise explore, given that it was over AI, machine learning, and web development tools, which will be a part of my chosen career. Additionally, her insights into networking, along with personal branding through a portfolio, and a resume on independent projects illustrated the importance of not only professional relationships but also self-promotion in the job market.

I was also astonished by her willingness to speak on her personal struggles and failures, as she illustrated her setbacks not only in the college/university but also in her career. As she provided me ways in which she found helpful during and outside the college/university to succeed in software engineering.

After this interview, I plan to implement some of the recommendations from Jessica towards both my academic and professional development. The first step in this plan would be to use Leet Code, NeetCode.io, and Codecademy to touch up on problem-solving, algorithms, data structures, and coding challenges as to become as well rounded in implementing this during interviews, my chosen career or my university courses. 

I will also try to start some personal projects, as to fill out my personal portfolio website. This would essentially be the foundation in ensuring that I can demonstrate my technical abilities, while providing my future interviewers the work I have accomplished. In addition, I will attempt to expand my professional network through LinkedIn (connecting with professors, peers, etc.), along with Eventbrite (networking events), and engage in mock interviews and technical assessments to prepare for job opportunities.

Lastly, I will explore AI frameworks and certain technological tools to keep up with industry trends. Given that I recognize that AI will become a requirement in software engineering down the line. In the end, the interview provided me with advice on the industry and how to succeed within my chosen career, while giving me a roadmap for my own personal development. Therefore, by following Jessica's advice, I am confident in preparing for a successful career in software engineering.

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The second thing we did this week was set educational goals for ourselves, which my primary educational goal in the Computer Science (CS) program would be to develop strong foundational skills in software engineering. This would include data structures, programming languages and algorithms focusing on backend or frontend development. My other goals within the Computer Science (CS) program would include the following:

• Take a world language course - currently taking Spanish 1 to fulfill this degree requirement.
• Develop proficiency in software engineering - I can do this through the CSUMB program as to learn software development methodologies, project management, and the best coding practices.
• Develop strong algorithmic and database skills - aligns with my major goal in learning how to problem-solve, optimize algorithms, and databases.

As for other goals beyond the CS program, I wish to get certifications in certain programming languages like python, while seeking a mentorship alongside an open-source project as to get hands on experience, which would look like this:

• Get certificates for programming languages - Python, JavaScript, etc.
• Seek out mentorships dealing with frontend or backend development
• Be a part of an open-source project

The third thing we did was set our career goals, which include the following:

• To become a backend/frontend software engineer - dealing with the building and optimization of web applications
• To stay updated on emerging technologies - AI systems
• To build a strong portfolio and network - LinkedIn and projects
• To build websites that go into crypto or farming technologies

The fourth thing we did was to take a wild guess of our percentile for a ETS computer science test. I am not fully confidant in taking the test in 18 months, but I believe that I would be able to make an 80% or higher, as I may make mistakes on the test itself, while not having enough time to study due to family situations. Nevertheless, I believe that I can do well as long as I study.

The fifth thing we did was go over the weekly reading and the assignments associated with the module. To start out like always, I read the Intro, Lecture, and Writing lab readings, which the most important was the ETS computer science test information on what to expect and what it is in general, while also learning about the ethics argument essay assignment requirements for an outline and essay. The reading for the writing lab had a quiz, which gave multiple attempts, thus I aced it. The next assignments that I went over were the time management of teammates, weekly survey, collaboration and discussion over AI in our future. The time management assignment went over messaging our teammates or classmates on their activity log, along with the weekly survey over whether the module was good or bad, the collaboration assignment was a combination of doing it ourselves and with our assigned group, while the discussion was over the impact of AI in our careers and what we personally thought on whether AI would affect it. The final assignment other than a survey for extra credit, was the ethics argument outline with references, just like the last time, I took far too long in researching the references for the outline. Nevertheless, I completed it on time.

In the end, this is the end of another week, and I hope to keep going strong.