Networking Meeting #3: Elaine L., UX Designer – February 12, 2021

While in quarantine on campus, I got to connect with Elaine L., who is recent graduate of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and has been working as a UX Designer. The term “UX” stands for “user experience,” and Elaine’s role focuses on making the company’s software easy and enjoyable for both customers and employees to use. I was excited to meet with her because I’ve always been interested in design, and even did a UX design internship last summer. 

During our conversation, Elaine and I discussed her college internship experiences at other tech companies, as well as her path to landing the role at our current company. We also talked about her day-to-day responsibilities in the role, which include a surprising amount of Zoom meetings! She shared that she enjoys working at the company because she gets the opportunity to work on new product areas, which she likely wouldn’t be able to do at larger tech companies. Elaine also values the company’s prioritization of experiences. We also discussed the opportunities for growth in the UX design role, and diversity in the workplace.

It was really interesting for me to hear about Elaine’s career path in design. Although I’ll be starting in the Product Specialist role at the company, I’m still a creative at heart, and could see myself pivoting into design-related roles later on down the road. In fact, one of my questions for Elaine was whether UX designers have transitioned into design from other departments. She told me one of her coworkers made the transition, and had come from a non-design related background! 

I had a wonderful time meeting with Elaine. My final networking meeting will be with Ammy Y., who is an Enterprise Customer Success Manager. Out of my four interviews, Ammy has had the most career experience thus far. 

Networking Meeting #4: Ammy Y., Enterprise Customer Success Manager – February 24, 2021

For my final networking meeting, I got to connect with Ammy Y., who is an Enterprise Customer Success Manager. She joined the company in September, after years of experience in strategy consulting. I was excited to chat with her over Zoom because her career path has overlapped with several of my interests, including business, consulting, management, and public service. 

Ammy graduated college with a background in business and political science, but didn’t know what she wanted to do afterward. She was recruited at a strategy consulting firm, where she climbed the ranks. Eventually, Ammy decided to transition into the tech industry and use her consulting skills to work directly with client companies. That’s exactly what she does now as an Enterprise Customer Success Manager. Her client-facing experience and strategic expertise from consulting translate well in her new position. Her day-to-day involves meeting with clients, and working with them to utilize the software to its fullest, in order to meet their specific goals. Outside of work, Ammy also values public service, and has been working with community organizations to help alleviate poverty. 

I asked her about her experiences working at the company thus far. Similar to previous interviews, Ammy told me that one aspect she loves most about the company is the people, which she said is often pretty rare for larger companies. We also discussed an important topic to both of us, which is diversity and representation within the tech space. At the end of our lovely Zoom chat, Ammy left me with some great, early-career advice. She suggested that I think of my life and career in terms of “snippets,” thereby reducing the pressure to find the “right” job at any stage of my journey. I really enjoyed meeting with Ammy, and learning from her experiences in my fields of interest!