Engineering and Tech Career Conference

Itzel Martinez (EECS ’17)
Senior Software Engineering, Pandora
Itzel Martinez is a Senior Software Engineer at Pandora and the co-creator of danteanditzel, a Youtube channel where she talks about her experience and provides advice for anyone interested in getting into tech. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Her experience growing up in a low-income community, being a DACA-mented, and a first-generation college student, has inspired her to mentor younger generations, and to expose students in her community to technology and Computer Science. Previous projects she has founded include launching the Latinas Engineering Leadership Program and MentorRoom, both mentorship programs to help college students land roles in the tech industry. Itzel is also a Tech Advisor to the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, a Code2040 Alum, a Latino Board Leadership Academy Fellow, and a 2019 Westly Prize Winner.

Lavanya Jawaharlal (Mechanical & ocean engineering ’16)
President & Co-Founder, STEM Center USA
Lavanya Jawaharlal is the President and Co-Founder of STEM Center USA, a K-12 robotics and education company based in California. She received her Mechanical Engineering degree from UC Berkeley and is a Doctoral Candidate for Education at Claremont Graduate University with a concentration in K12 Education, Equity & Policy. Lavanya also served on the national board of ACE NextGen – a millennial Asian entrepreneurship organization operating in Los Angeles, Houston, and Boston. Lavanya and her sister are focused on inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders through hands-on, engaging robotics and coding courses. They have been recognized for their work in STEM education by President Joe Biden and featured on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank”. Lavanya and Melissa are authors of The Technical Alphabet and have successfully run two Kickstarter campaigns raising over $120,000. STEM Center USA operates two locations for in-person classes, offers virtual programs nationwide, and provides a unique blend of STEM, Math, and English classes for several thousand Migrant students throughout California and Colorado. In her spare time, Lavanya enjoys running, playing soccer, and scuba diving.

Crystel Patterson (IEOR ’10)
Strategy & Consulting account lead, Accenture, Author, “Inspired to Be” children’s book series
After graduating from Cal, Crystal relocated to Sacramento, where she started working as a consultant for Accenture and has been there for 11 years and counting. She has spent her time at Accenture designing and implementing complex systems for the State of California. She now serves as a Strategy & Consulting Account Lead where she’s focused on business development and growing Accenture’s Public Service clients in Sacramento. She is also a Sponsor for the Sacramento African American Employee resource group where she provides mentorship and guidance to the leads and members of the group. Outside of Accenture, Crystel is a devoted mom of two boys (aged 3 and 9), a loving wife, an active community member, and a children’s book author.

6:00–7:00 p.m. | Kicking off your internship and job search

Hear from a peer panel of students and alumni who will share their experiences recently securing internships and full time employment. Find out the strategies that helped them throughout their search process and bring your own questions as you prepare to do the same.
Moderator: Sierra Dean, Computer Science Senior & SWE VP of Outreach
Panelists:
Shirley Li, Research Associate at BioTechne, Bioengineering ‘21
Natali Gallegos, Systems Engineer at BD, Bioengineering ‘21
Jackson Paddock, Touch Sensor Design Engineer at Apple, EECS ‘21
Carolina Rios-Martinez, Bioengineering Senior & Research Intern at Microsoft Research

Tuesday, August 31

4:30–5:30 p.m. | Getting the most out of virtual career fairs

With 13 virtual career fairs coming up this Fall, it’s important to know how to make the most of them. Join Career Center staff and industry recruiters as they share best practices for steps to take before, during, and after each fair.
Moderator: Revae Hitt, Assistant Director for Engineering & Physical Sciences at Cal Career Center
Panelists:
Elizabeth Stanners, Assistant Director for Haas Employer Engagement at Cal Career Center
Grace Wu, University Recruiter at Visa
Robin Kusnick, US Lead for Campus Strategy at SAP

5:45–7:00 p.m. | Tackling technical interviews panel

Industry recruiters will share how to perform well in technical interviews. Get insight into what to do before, during, and after a technical interview to set yourself up for success.
Moderators:
Hana Meroth, Civil and Environmental Engineering Student & SWE Corporate Officer at Cal
Revae Hitt, Assistant Director for Engineering & Physical Sciences at Cal Career Center
Panelists:
Jennifer Cosenza, University Recruiter at REX
Joel Krajewski, Deputy Chief Engineer, Planetary Sciences at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/CalTech
Kelly Russell, Senior Recruiter at Abbott
Joseph Sapida, University Recruiter at Lucid Motors

Wednesday, September 1

4:30–5:30 p.m. | Interviewing the interviewer

Ever wondered what to say when the interviewer asks, “What questions do you have for me?”. This is your opportunity to learn about the role and company, but also your chance to disclose any needed accommodation, assess how inclusive the culture is, determine if the manager is a fit for you, etc. In this session, you’ll hear from hiring managers and recruiters who will share the right way to ask the hard questions.
Moderator: Mike Harris, Assistant Director for Engineering & Physical Sciences at Cal Career Center
Panelists: 
Ilya Rozenblat, University Liaison at Visa
Agnes Li, Early Career Talent Attraction at SAP
Paul E Jacobs, Environmental Regulatory Compliance Consultant (Ret.)
Ricardo Flores, Assistant Director for Students with Disabilities at Cal Career Center

5:45–6:45 p.m. | Deal or no deal

You just landed a job offer (or multiple job offers). What do you do? Don’t panic! Marvin Lopez, director of student programs for Engineering Student Services at Berkeley, will teach you how to turn a job offer into an awesome job offer. You’ll leave knowing how to compare job offers, negotiate offers and arrive at a win-win solution.