Silicon Valley recruiters come to CSUMB
Source: Claudia Mel
As a recruiter for the Silicon Valley tech industry, Robin Peyton can sometimes get 600 résumés for a job opening. Which means it takes her about 20 seconds to decide whether the candidate should proceed to the next level.
It's the glaring errors that will make her blurt out "are you kidding me?" and click the delete button, Peyton told about 150 computer science students at CSU Monterey Bay on Friday.
"Some of the are-you-kidding-me moments are errors spelling the technology the person is supposed to be an expert on," she said. Or when the applicant "clearly does not match the position they're applying for."
It is the second year that CSUMB students looking to enter the fierce world of Silicon Valley computing heard from experts long before they start handing out résumés. The networking event is designed for students to meet engineers, programmers and recruiters in an informal setting and get tips about landing a job in the high-tech hub.
The event also comes in the wake of increased criticism aimed at tech companies over the gender and ethnic makeup of their workforce. Several tech giants have recently disclosed statistics revealing their employees are mostly white men, despite a more diverse workforce. In an article for the San Francisco Chronicle, Rand Corp. social scientists Lawrence Hanser and Nelson Lim wrote that 80 percent of Silicon Valley's tech workers are male and 54 percent are white, in line with what tech giants have recently reported.
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How can CSUMB's diverse student population better prepare for those jobs, asked computer science professor Anand Seetharam. Presenters from Twitter, Google and Salesforce.com told students to demonstrate passion for what they do, look for internships and take advantage of networking opportunities.
They also said to be persistent.
"I love what I do," said Sibley Bacon, a software engineer manager who's worked for two years at Google, and two decades in the tech industry. "If you compare me with the typical Googler, in no way they would have hired me. I was never a classic candidate on paper. But I've never given up. I'm not from a cream-of-the-crop university, but I have a degree in computer science and this is the only thing I've ever done."
Pat Patterson of Salesforce.com said CSUMB was taking a good step by starting a conversation with technology companies that would open doors.
"What differentiates (some candidates) is networking," he said. "That's something that (the university) can start and build over time. We have a solid Cal Poly alumni force, active in building those bridges. You can build those networks over time."
Rhonda Mercadal-Espinosa, CSUMB career exploration and development coordinator, wanted to know what advice the presenters had for women, also underrepresented in the high-tech industry.
"Don't give up," Bacon said, adding that it would get better. "Tolerate the discomfort."
Damaris Garcia, a freshman computer science student, said she liked hearing from employers about their needs.
"If you develop a network while you are a student, it'll make it easier," she said, adding that her neighbor works at Google and hopes they could help her connect with the company.
Hugo Argueta, also a freshman, said he liked hearing it's good to become an expert at one thing.
"Focus on that, not only for your individual project, but also in group projects. That's very important," he said.
Claudia Meléndez Salinas can be reached at 726-4370.
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