Dr. Brian Maeng, Associate Professor/Program Director

Welcome to the third week of the quarter. 

To help make the best use of your program in STC, I would like to share valuable insights I have learned in the last few years. These are based on my recollection and comments from STC alums who have successfully landed tech jobs that people envy.  

First, join a student club aligned with your interest and participate actively. Four active clubs exist in the School of Technology & Computing (STC) – STC Tech Club, Cybersecurity Club, Data Science Club, and Google Developer’s Club. I recommend you check them out and build a network with peers sharing the same interest (in your comfort zone). You will have fun and gain opportunities to learn about emerging topics in the field. You may even get the the opportunity to present one yourself to your peers. As an additional benefit, you can build the soft skills many organizations require in the workplace such as communication and collaboration. 

Second, utilize all the resources STC and CityU provide. For example, every class in STC comes with a weekly office hour run by professors who have expertise in their field. Also, each class has a dedicated student assistant ready to help students with hands-on practice/skill and technology tool assignments. You also have an academic advisor who listens and assists you with any school related issues; based on my experience, the advisor is the best advocate for your success. Of course, you are always welcome to contact the program manager related to your program. 

Third, use the capstone project as a vehicle for your subsequent job placement. Study a job you are eager to get and select a capstone project topic that is considered essential for the position. Of course, you will need to select emerging technology that allows implementing your capstone project. Many alumni shared one comment – “Start your capstone early.” It is challenging to choose a topic in emerging technology, learn it, and develop your capstone in ten weeks. To have a capstone project deliverable that you want to showcase to your future employer, you will need to give yourself ample time. STC offers Capstone Orientation on the fourth Thursday of every quarter to encourage an early start on your capstone. I strongly encourage your participation. 

I hope you are convinced that you are in good hands. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments on how STC is doing in terms of providing valuable resources to students in STC. Thanks, and have a good rest of the quarter.