Dear Class of 2022,

Congratulations on completing Bootcamp and welcome to the fall semester! We hope that all the Orientation programming helped you get started with meeting your classmates and professors, capstone selection, and of course, networking for careers!

One goal of the Career Development team is to support you by building a community of professionals where you can engage with industry partners and alumni. Two unique ways to interact with the MEng network are through the Industry Mentorship Initiative and the MEng Affinity Group program. Both programs are great ways to enrich your student experience!

In this edition, you will find information on:

1. MEng Career Development Events
2. MEng Affinity Groups & Industry Mentorship Initiative
3. Career Bytes: Virtual Career Fairs
4. Virtual Events & Resources
5. MEng Career Coaching Appointments

  ICYMI
*Please refer to this link to check out all the CareerMails you may have missed!
*Explore the Career section on the MEng Student Portal for more MEng resources.

2. Networking Strategies
   Wednesday, September 1, 2021 from 12:30-1:30 pm PDT
Whether you are looking for a job or doing your career research, building your professional network is an important strategy that allows you to learn about opportunities that you wouldn't normally have access to. Claudia Gey, Program Manager for UCB Institute of International Studies, will share how she helped individuals navigate the intricacies of building genuine connections with industry professionals.
 

Events are ADA accessible. If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in these events, please contact our access coordinator, Jené Madison at jmadison@berkeley.edu with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.

The MEng Affinity Group program is intended to empower you to be collaborators in creating meaningful and impactful experiences, based on your cohort's career interests and goals. With support from Affinity Group Leaders, our industry partners and alumni, you will truly embody the definition of Engineering Leadership by actively participating in this initiative. 

If you have not already done so, join the MEng Affinity Groups and co-create impactful career experiences that help build community and explore various professional interests! You can sign up to participate in one or multiple groups and the group lead(s) will connect and organize members to set goals, create objectives, and organize events. 

Sign up today! As an affinity group member, you can quickly build your professional network, develop skills, and achieve your goals with the help of your peers. That is why we encourage you to join the groups early to get the most out of the experience! If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Julie McShane or Dione Rivera. For more information please read our Affinity Group 2021 Guidelines. 
 

Industry Mentorship Initiative

This program connects alumni and industry professionals with MEng students. Each student will be matched with one dedicated mentor. Mentorship offers many opportunities — promoting career and academic success, helping in career exploration, and building important, lasting relationships with others in your industry and with similar interests. All participants need to have an active FI Connect account.

The last day to register is Friday, August 27 and the mentorship matching day is Tuesday, September 7th.

Technology has opened more doors for us to grow and discover different ways to purposefully connect, especially when it comes to virtual career fairs. Virtual Career Fairs offer a targeted way to connect with recruiters and companies that you are interested to learn more about. The UC Berkeley Career Center has important tips and reminders to help you get the best experience possible. We recommend these two articles: Virtual Fairs: Student Experience and Virtual Career Fairs- Tips for Students.

In addition, take this opportunity to create a plan on how to leverage the campus Virtual Career Fair experience so that it can help you create opportunities to connect and learn. Here are some things you can do:

1. When you register ahead of time, research the companies attending, and create a list so that you know their time slots and can prepare ahead of time by doing your research on their career pages, who are the recruiters participating and company direction, news, and trends.

2. When you attend the company's info session, make sure to take note of the names and contact information of the company representatives and follow them on their LinkedIn page. In this way, you can be updated on the jobs that they are recruiting for. You can definitely connect with them, just add a note so that you can stand out from all the other connection requests they receive. 

3. In the Virtual Career Fairs, companies will be sharing information about their culture and recruitment process, since you did your research about them, make sure you take the opportunity to ask questions not just about the jobs, but also about their insights while working in the company. 

4. A couple of days after the event, reconnect with the company representatives and send them a follow up or thank you message. You may want to wait a day or two to send out a message because they would naturally get an influx of emails and/or connection requests.

5. When the company representatives respond to you, take the opportunity to check-in if they are open for an informational interview. Recruiters in general would be very busy and may not have the time, so share your questions with them to give them the opportunity to respond to you through email.

Join the Career Lab Sessions this Wednesday and Friday to prep for your Virtual Career Fair Experience!

This is a curated list of virtual industry + campus events & resources where you can gain insights about companies, jobs, and learn important professional skills. Whether you are actively job searching or just beginning to research career paths, now is a good time to expand your network and learn from recruiters or hiring managers working in the tech community.

1. Stripe Open House
    Wednesday, August 25, 2021 from 5:30- 6:30pm GMT+1
Join us as we open our virtual doors and give you an insight into life at Stripe! We'll share an overview of the important work we're doing and facilitate a panel discussion with current intern and new graduate software engineers in Ireland. You'll also hear more information about our application process as we begin our University Recruiting season. Have a question for our speakers? Let us know when you register! 

2. SkyDeck Virtual Fall 2021 Intern Recruiting Fair
    Friday, August 27, 2021 from 9:00– 12:00pm PDT
50+ SkyDeck startups developing solutions for the future in the realms of AI, enterprise software, robotics, health, bioscience, and consumer solutions are looking for motivated and qualified Cal students to join their teams this summer as interns. In aggregate, Skydeck startups have raised $1.47 billion and YOU can join their teams!

3. Engineering/Tech Career Conference - Welcome and Keynote Fireside Chat
    Monday, August 30, 2021 from 4:30- 5:45pm PDT
Join the keynote fireside chat to learn from industry leaders about the skills students should prioritize for the future of work in engineering and tech. Keynote speakers will also discuss their personal career journeys and how their degrees from Berkeley helped fuel their success.

4. Engineering/Tech Career Conference - Kicking Off Your Internship and Job Search
   Monday, August 30, 2021 from 6:00-7:00pm PDT
In this session, you’ll hear from students and recent alumni who have recently secured internships or full time positions to hear their advice for searching, applying, and interviewing for opportunities.

5.Virtual Career Fair **Days Registration Opens**
Consulting Forum                                                                          Aug. 25
EECS Career Fair                                                                           Sept. 1
EECS Internship Fair                                                                     Sept. 2
Biotech & Life Sciences Forum                                                    Sept. 15
Data & Analytics Career & Internship Fair                                   Sept. 16
Engineering & Physical Sciences Career & Internship Fair      Sept. 22
Software & IT Career & Internship Fair                                        Sept. 23
Master's & PhD Career Fair                                                           Oct.. 7
Fall Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Career Fair        Oct. 20

6. Fall 2021 Design Field Notes speakers
    Tuesdays of Fall from 4–5:00pm 
This speaker series invites a dynamic group of designers, artists, and academics in design-related fields to share their work and practice with our students and public. Each talk will be facilitated through Zoom using this link. This series is free and open to all. A zoom account is required for login and access to this series.

7. Berkeley Student Well-Being Portal
It’s designed to help you navigate vital resources that support your overall well-being. You’ll be introduced to regular tips and articles as well as campus programs that support your journey at UC Berkeley. You’ll receive regular updates with timely information designed for your experience as a student. You can also browse our participating programs and departments to find someone to help you navigate today’s challenges. So, take some time to explore our new resource and know that we’re here for you.

8. Grow with Google Career Resources
Register for professional development workshops in problem solving, networking, job search and resume! It is a free virtual resource to help you get the most out of digital tools. 

To best address any questions you have in preparing for your next steps at Berkeley and your career, please utilize our Flash Career Coaching Appointments or Drop-in Sessions. To make the most of our 15/30 minutes, please indicate the purpose of your appointment in the calendar invite. All 1:1s will be thru zoom. Some topics you may want to chat about include:

1. General Career Advising
2. Resource Navigation
3. Resumes
4. Mock Interview

Please note, if you are unable to make the appointment, cancel, so another student can use the time slot.

We look forward to working with you!

Dione Rivera

1. Go to your phone’s mobile browser and type: connections.funginstitute.berkeley.edu
2. Sign up or log in your account using your berkeley.edu email (CalNet).
3. Once logged in, allow pop-up dialogue box to download the app.
4. Once the download is complete, you can now access FI Connect using your mobile device!