Name: Francy Mata
Class Year: 2019
Major: Economics
Shadowing Visit Site: Bocoup
Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?
My visit was very helpful for me. In the beginning of the day, I was able to sit down with the alumni and talk about his experience transitioning from Holy Cross to the workplace. One thing I was particularly worried about was finding a job when it came time to graduate. He was able to provide some very helpful tips to overcome some of the problems students face when attempting to find employment. Throughout the rest of the day, I was able to learn about Bocoup and their role in helping other firms with their software needs and desire. All in all, it was a very beneficial experience.
How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?
One major way this experience influences my future career goals is that software was an industry I was considering getting into prior to my visit. Throughout my visit, I was able to learn what the daily life of an employee in software was like. By gaining this insight I have learned that my perception of what software was like was slightly misaligned to what it actually is. Because of this I have determined that software will not be an industry that I would like to get into when I graduate. I believe this visit will help me greatly in the future since I will have already determined that I will not be looking for employment in software. I will be able to avoid a lot of stress and save an enormous amount of time.
What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?
One piece of advice that he shared was the idea that while academic achievement may be important it is not the only important aspect of the college experience. He encouraged me to find things I enjoy and can keep doing these things even if they are completely unrelated to my field study.
Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?
The Alumni Job Shadowing Program allowed me to not only be exposed to the professional world of software but it also allowed me to build a meaningful relationship with an alumni that I can draw back on. These reasons made AJSP invaluable.
Want to explore an interest? Consider applying to the Winter Break Alumni Job Shadowing Program and spend the day with an alum. Click the button below to learn more about the application process.
