I spoke at a Stanford Computer Science class!! (returning to campus as a new grad)

Описание: I was invited to speak at a Computer Science class at Stanford!!! I was on a panel where we talked about our jobs (I work as a Product Manager at Reddit) and the transition from being a student to an person in the real world! It felt like a full circle moment because I had gone from being a student just a few months ago to talking to students about post-grad life.

✰ Connect with me ✰
⋅ Instagram (@tiffany.ong):   / tiffany.ong  
⋅ Website: https://www.tiffanyong.com
⋅ Email (business): [email protected]

Here are some questions I answered on the panel:
➤What exactly do you do as a Product Manager?
↳Lots of things! We drive our team's roadmap (decide what projects to pursue based on estimated impact), run experiments and analyze data, work with engineers/designers/business partners, and brainstorm new ideas.

➤Why did you choose to pursue a Product Manager role over a Software Engineering role?
↳I felt like it aligned better with my skills and interests. I liked working in tech but didn't feel like I could contribute the most if I were a developer.

➤How much does GPA matter in the real world?
↳It has not mattered much for me! It only mattered for applying to grad school.

➤Any advice for upperclassmen with no CS internship experience trying to break into CS?
↳Leverage what work experience you do have. The skills you make For example my research experience taught me a lot about running experiments/analyzing data. And my time on the rowing team taught me a lot about how to be a leader and bring a team together.

➤Do you still get the "I don't know what I"m doing" feeling in your current job.
↳All the time. There is a huge learning curve. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Optimize for learning early in your career!

➤It seems like you had a more untraditional route to CS. Did you ever feel like you were "behind" and if so how id you deal with that feeling?
↳I felt like I was behind ALL the time. But feeling behind is an unproductive feeling. What is productive is looking forward and figuring out what you need to do to reach the next step. Instead of feeling behind or comparing myself I like to focus on what concrete things I can do.