Alumni Highlight : Jean-Sebastien Surena

We spoke with Jean on July 5, 2022. Jean-Sebastien Surena was a Web Development Fellow with CUNY Tech Prep’s fourth cohort. He graduated from Baruch College in 2019 as Salutatorian with a degree in Computer Information Systems on the cybersecurity track. Post-graduation, he worked as a Technology Consultant with Ernst and Young, who he connected with through CTP's supporters at the Tech Talent Pipeline. Currently, he works as an Associate Product Manager with FreeWheel, an adtech company.?You can learn more about Jean on his website here or on his instagram @jeanthemachine_ .

To start out, let’s talk about hobbies! What do you like to do for fun outside of work?

Lots of different things! Mostly, I write poetry and do spoken word. I started in college where we would have different talent showcases where I would write-to-perform and after I graduated I realized I wanted to make more of a concerted effort to write-to-write more often. I like to write about my experience as a Black man and the different things I see happening. My next project is also about writing about mental states and the different states of being - from being super confident to feeling more like nothing is working out.?

?I have also been getting more into fashion and photography as of late - going shopping and creating specific outfits.?

?Are you noticing any specific trends?

I am really getting into tote bags and figuring out ways to match them with shoes. Also - painted jeans. I never thought I would get into it but I just wore a pair yesterday.

There is a misconception that there is a divide between the arts and tech - as someone who is more artistic, how do you find creativity in your work?

The field of product management allows for so much creativity. At FreeWheel, I am an Associate Product Manager and I speak to engineers who have to come up with creative solutions all the time. In my prior role as a consultant, I didn’t fully understand how complex systems and the back-end can be for engineers. In my role, I work on figuring out ways to work on one part that impacts 50 other parts and that is insane - creativity can allow for notable change! In this field, it’s not about whether creativity exists but what creativity is focused towards. You always have room to figure out how to tackle solutions.

Great transition - where are you currently working? What does your day-to-day look like?

Like I said, I am an Associate Product Manager at FreeWheel where I work on the marketplace team. FreeWheel as a whole, has several primary businesses. Our marketplace is a platform where buyers and sellers exchange ad inventory more easily. I work on sellers’ workflow, different enhancements, creating listings, etc. for that team.?

My day-to-day involves meeting with the engineering team and product team - which involves team members in Beijing and London. Sometimes, I’ll log in the morning and see messages from 2 AM due to the time difference. *laughs* My day also involves managing the backload - messages from client services team and other managers. FreeWheel has a really open policy where I can make suggestions to somebody working on buyer platforms for any improvements - our work environment emphasizes open communication and room for suggestions which is great. I am also tracking metrics and features for a pilot with one of our features opening this year.?

How would you describe your experience with CUNY Tech Prep? What was the most valuable for you?

CUNY Tech Prep was instrumental to my career, in particular the coaching aspect. Emily Chiu was my Career Coach and I tell her this, time and time again, I can credit everything in my career to her and the coaching in CTP. It was probably the most valuable thing I had in my four years of college. At the time, the career development program at Baruch was more business focused and I taught myself everything related to web development. CTP helped me hone my skills in and understand the industry. Career coaching helped me apply them. In my instance, I knew that engineering was not the best fit and Emily advised me to look into tech consulting which is where I ended up at EY. It turned out to be a great fit that led to product management.?

What advice would you give students entering CTP?

Take advantage of everything. Every piece of the CTP curriculum is valuable - the career coaching, the mock interviews, all the events, everything is meant to give you better prospects in the job search. Be sure to continue to hone those skills even after you obtain the offer - that includes connecting and bonding with other people in the cohort. Build those connections and keep in touch - it is incredibly valuable being able to engage with other CUNY students from other backgrounds with one shared interest. You normally have to go to conferences for that and pay. *laughs*?

What advice would you give students for the job search? For entering their first job?

Regarding the job search, the most important thing is to never take rejection personally - there could be million and one reasons why a company doesn't follow up on an interview. I have been there and been through those experiences where you can get so easily caught up in why you didn’t get it. It’s productive to analyze where you can improve but in the end, you can’t always pinpoint what others are thinking. Don't psych yourself out and keep pushing!

For folks going into their first job, find the people that you can ask your stupid questions to. That was the most helpful for me, having a person or people that you know you can go to. If possible, also connecting with other people entering their first job at the company, sometimes they will place you in a cohort. Having someone that is going through the same experience is incredibly valuable.

And finally, what are you hoping to do in the future??

For me, I have always grown up torn between pursuing a career in tech and the arts. After I realized I didn’t have to choose between the two fields, I could do both. A lot of people don’t have the privilege of that choice and a lot of kids don’t have opportunities to engage with the arts. I want kids to know that they can prosper in both artistic and technological spaces. In the future, I want to work towards providing more STEAM pathways for children.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.