Where's my uncle who works at IBM?

I still distinctly remember sorting through some of my notes around five in the morning when my dad came up to me and said, "If you would have put in half as much effort as you put in becoming an engineer, in becoming a doctor, you would have been a doctor by now. As I continued sorting through my notes, I remembered a conversation I had with one of my classmates about how his uncle who works at IBM came for dinner the other day. While they were having dinner, he started telling my classmate which programming languages he should be learning or would continue to be used in the next 5 to 10 years, which companies are hiring or he should be looking into, what’s the best way to apply to them, and that he would be happy to refer my classmate if he is interested in applying to one of the positions at a company he or one of his friends work at.?

It was at that moment I realized how different the job and internship search is going to look like for me, a first-generation college student and the first woman in her family who wants to pursue a career in the technology industry because I didn't have the support system built into my life like most people around me did. Conversations around the dinner table at my house weren’t about which programming languages I should be learning, or which companies should I be looking into. But instead were about why am I getting a degree in engineering or attending networking events,?and that all I need to do to land a job at a well-known company is keep my head down, work hard, and get good grades.?

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If you are a first-generation college student, a woman in the technology industry or both, or someone who doesn’t have a support system built in your life, spend some time building one on your own. These are the programs I joined and who have been my support system for the past few years.

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Bottom Line - made sure I was doing well in my classes, was on track for graduation, encouraged me to apply to programs that allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals, and were just there for me when I needed to vent.

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ProjectBASTA- offered personalized support for resumes, cover letters, case and behavioral interviews, and networking. I got the opportunity to meet some incredible individuals during the networking events which were organized by them.?

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Codepath- gave me the opportunity to develop my first Android mobile application, and helped me prepare for technical interviews.

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Rewriting the Code- provided me with the opportunity to connect with amazing women who either currently work in the technology industry or aspire to work in the technology industry in the future.

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WiTNY(Break Through Tech)- allowed me to experience what it’s like to work in the technology industry by providing me with an opportunity to be a machine learning intern for 3 weeks at ASAAP Inc. and then a Studio Analyst at Citi for 2 weeks. These experiences not only encouraged me to continue pursuing my degree in computer engineering but also allowed me to evaluate the differences and similarities when it comes to working for a startup vs. a well-known/large company.

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Girls Who Code- gave me the opportunity to build my first website from scratch and helped me discover my passion for learning more about how software and hardware interact with one another. Girls Who Code played a crucial role when it came to me deciding to major in Computer Engineering, and encouraged me to keep pushing and working hard to get into Grove School of Engineering at CCNY.?

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Once you have built your own support system, make sure to become part of someone else’s support system as well. The way I did that was by

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1. Becoming a homework helper at a local public library when I was a senior in high school because I knew what it felt like when I came home, and needed help with my homework and my parents couldn’t help me with it because they weren’t able to understand the content. This was the exact reason why I decided to become a tutor in college.
2. Mentoring students who were either first-generation college students or first ones in their family to go to college, because I knew what it feels like when your family doesn’t necessarily understand the workload you have, or can help you decide which classes you should pick, or make sure you are on track for graduation or are there to tell you it’s ok if you don’t know what you want to major in yet.
3. Joined the Women’s Robotics Club as a secretary and later became the President. During my time with the club, I helped organize events where club members had the opportunity to network with professionals and helped create a safe and encouraging environment where club members felt supported when learning new concepts or working on projects such as the robot arm.
4. Created a web application as my senior design project that allows students and professionals to seek advice and guidance from each other, build genuine networking connections, and provide resources for career development.

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Start by acknowledging that the playing field isn’t even, since you don’t have a support system built into your life as most people do. Then, think about how you can change that and about groups and organizations that are already working towards leveling the playing field, and will help you become that uncle you always wish you had.