Ridwan is a currently a senior and will be graduating in May 2024. She just accepted a full-time position and will start after graduation. Let’s hear more from Ridwan.
Major: Data Science & Computer Science
Job title/Employer: Data Engineer with the Engineer Development Program at Travelers Insurance.
Were there any internships, extracurricular activities or part-time jobs you held as an undergraduate that prepared you for the full-time position? If so, how did these experiences shape your professional development?
I did two internships and one research group project. My first Internship was at Travelers and I was Technology Intern where I did some front-end development work and learned about backend. My second internship was at 3M and it was similar to Travelers except I worked on the full process of developing a feature, from designing to implementation. My summer research project focused on environmental measurements from different ecosystems across the United States and I mainly worked on analyzing and developing online interactive-app to to visualize the environmental measurements at the different sites. Both of my internships helped me prepare for the workforce and helped me understand what working in corporate environments is like and helped expand my network.
What skills and abilities contributed to your success in securing the full-time position? This could include technical skills, leadership skills, communication skills etc.
Having basic technical skills in programming languages(python, sql, etc) that I will be using at the job. And also having good leadership skills. I was an Augsem Student Leader and did mentoring for the Emerging Leaders program as well as STEM Peer Mentorship. I believe both my technical skills and leadership skills have contributed to my success in securing a full-time position.
How does securing this full-time position align with your long-term career goals?
I want to work in the Data Science/Data Engineering field and so this is a good start of my career. It will help better understand what I like and where I want to be in the future.
Were there people, departments, or services that supported you in your success?
Yes, the Travelers EDGE Program, Strommen Center, and my mentor Professor Zobitz have supported me in my success.
Words of wisdom/advice for those who are still seeking employment?
Network as much as you can with people who are in the field you’re interested in. Build relationships with your faculty and peers as well. Don’t lose hope you don’t hear from the companies you were interested in, keep applying and keep trying.
Congratulations Ridwan! Thank you for sharing your experience with the Augsburg Community. We are excited for you as you journey out into the professional world.
