POOJITHA KARUMANCHI

2756 Moet Lane, San Ramon, CA 94582 (925)-997-8849 pkaruman@calpoly.edu

MEMORANDUM
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:

General Hiring Manager

Poojitha Karumanchi
December 9, 2015
Informative interview with student and engineer

Over the past few weeks, I have reached out to various Cal Poly students and entry-level engineers
through LinkedIn. I reached out to these individuals to inquire about internships and entry level jobs in
software engineering. I also wanted to learn about their experiences in the work place, and get advice on
how to be successful in the computing field. I was able to get a response from a Cal Poly senior who will
be working for Microsoft in the spring and an entry-level engineer who currently works at Sony.
The Cal Poly student gave me a lot of advice on how to be a successful software engineer. She mentioned
several times that in order to be successful and attain a good internship or entry-level job, one must have
the passion for programming. She insisted that I spend time out of classes to work on personal projects
and stay involved in the computing community. She was pleased that I attended the Grace Hopper
conference and insisted that I continue to stay active in clubs such as Society of Women Engineers and
Women in Software and Hardware. She told me that the college career fairs and the engineering advising
center were great resources for her and have helped her a lot through her journey at Cal Poly.
The entry-level engineer also gave me similar advice on how to be successful in software engineering. He
went in more depth on what entry level job recruiters look for in applicants. He mentioned that having
connections is beneficial; however, it is best for an applicant not to rely on other people. He stated that
applicants should have a little bit of everything: industry experience, a strong GPA, club involvement, and
a passion for engineering. He told me to stay focused on my career and set a few goals that I think I could
accomplish.
I am very grateful for the advice given by both the Cal Poly student and entry-level engineer. I will
definitely continue to stay focused on my career and implement some of the suggestions that these two
individuals have given me to ensure success in my future.
CC: None