This month’s School of Information Career Fair included a record number of companies interested in hiring I School students — and a record number of I School alumni returning to South Hall as recruiters.
Daniel Chiang (MIMS ’11) was at the Career Fair for the second year in a row representing WorkDay, an enterprise-class, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution provider — but this time Chiang was accompanied by co-worker and fellow alum Lizzy Ha (MIMS ’12). The two can vouch for the effectiveness of the Career Fair: at last year’s Career Fair, Chiang recruited Ha, then a student, to join him at WorkDay.
Alumna Pamela Walshe (MIMS ’99) regularly recruits I School grads. “It’s been nice to see the Career Fair grow over the years,” she said. “As an alumna, I really like coming back because it makes me feel like I’m giving back by bringing job opportunities to the students.”
Walshe was at the Career Fair recruiting for AnswerLab, a leading user experience research and usability testing firm. “My company (AnswerLab) thinks the I School is a great potential source for UX researchers, because there are still very few programs that give students hands-on research experience,” she said. “When the students find that I am an alumna, I think there is an instant connection there that enables them to see a glimpse into their future career.”
Arthur Suermondt (MIMS ’12) agreed; he was recruiting for Optimizely, a website optimization and testing platform. “I School students are a great fit for Optimizely,” he said, “because many of their backgrounds in technology, design, and business management align with what Optimizely is looking for.” As a first-time recruiter, Suermondt was pleased by the quality of interested students he met with. “The Berkeley I School Career Fair was a great experience for Optimizely,” he said.
Representatives from 28 companies attended the fall Career Fair, offering either summer internships or full-time jobs to I School students. Companies included technology giants like Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, and Salesforce; smaller technology companies like Innovative Interfaces, Uber Technologies, and Revl; and non-technology companies like Chevron, Andreessen Horowitz, Aspire Public Schools, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and Deloitte Consulting.
The Career Fair also welcomed several non-profit companies, including the Citizen Engagement Laboratory, Aspire Public Schools, and the Cal Corps Public Service Center. Students who pursue internships with non-profit organizations are eligible for the I School’s Non-Profit Internship Grant, to help supplement their internship salary.
