My name is Jeff, I am 29 years old and from Seattle! My career has been quite colorful with being able to work in different roles at Riot Games, Microsoft, and Girls Who Code - but I think most of my credibility comes from my work with Amazon and Google as a Technical Recruiter.

I have a soft spot for students so about 4 years ago, I started a coffee chat program so that students would be able to talk to someone about their early career woes and it is now formally known as BobaTalks, a 501c3 non profit. I have two dogs, my back hurts, and I have a cool arm sleeve.

For first and second years in the US, I think a lot of internships aren’t usually accessible so my word of advice is to make the most of what is - RSOs, student clubs, student startups, on campus jobs, research, TA positions, volunteering and even passion projects are good alternatives and look good on your resume in the absence of formal experience.

And the nice part of doing all these alternatives is that it kind of helps you figure out what you like, what you don’t like, what you’re good at, what you suck at, and most importantly, what makes the most sense for you as a person. I think most students would agree that your first and second year, you’ll have the most time for clubs and socials, so you should explore as much as you can. Chances are the things that you end up doing will probably be resume worthy.

I’d also recommend getting comfortable with coffee chats - not just with professionals, but your 3rd/4th years too. Learning about how your older counterparts found their decisions into their career might help shape some idea of what makes the most sense for you.

Personally, I think that students who are best aware of the timelines of when things go on the market AND the timeline of what it looks like to get prepared beforehand are the ones that tend to be the most ready - but that in itself means that there are students who might feel behind because they’re not on track with this “timeline”.

To those, I’d say that no ones career looks linear and even if you might not feel on track of things, you’re not alone. I think the important thing is to start somewhere and to be consistent - and ask for help whenever you’re able to.

P.S. Jeff’s passion project!

Jeff also has a newsletter called Relationship Stuff where readers can submit their problems anonymously and he would be able to give answers/advice through each issue he publishes.

Some background from his LinkedIn post: “If I were to reflect on my career, I would be proud of the kinds of advice I've been able to give to my mentors, my peers, my students, and my friends. I wanted to explore a passion project that tied this together with another area in life that I feel often gets overlooked and de-prioritized amid your 20s - relationships.

My career has always been designed to help students who feel a little stuck or a little lost - and I'd like to think of this project just as another passion project to do so. I'll always be someone students can come to for advice.”

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Google’s longstanding investment in research paid off as two of its A.I. scientists, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for breakthroughs in understanding the human body. Their work at Google DeepMind, which developed the AlphaFold system to predict protein structures, showcased the transformative role of A.I. in science.

The recognition came amidst escalating antitrust scrutiny, with the Justice Department considering steps to limit Google’s monopoly. As regulators examine the implications of A.I. advancements, Google’s dominance in both search and A.I. could face unprecedented challenges from federal agencies. Read more HERE from the New York Times.

In February, OpenAI introduced "Sora," a tool that generates photorealistic videos from text descriptions. However, it remains in limited testing due to potential misuse and operational costs. Meta has now unveiled "Meta Movie Gen," an A.I. suite for creating videos with synchronized sound effects and music. Users can input text prompts to generate 16-second clips.

While the tool aims to speed up content creation for filmmakers and online creators, it also raises concerns about its potential misuse for spreading disinformation. Meta is testing the technology with a small group and adding A.I. watermarks. Read more HERE from the New York Times.

Pathways to Science is an organization dedicated to supporting current and prospective undergraduate students by providing various programs and professional development resources.

They offer over 600 summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU), paid internships, and portable college scholarships. In addition, they provide specialized opportunities for community college applicants and post-baccalaureate programs for recent graduates.

Pathways to Science also supports short-term opportunities such as travel scholarships and summer institutes, helping students explore and advance their STEM careers.

Check out more resources from the Pathways to Science organization HERE!