How the Student becomes the Professional

You’ve spent years learning what it takes to get a job (or promotion) at your dream tech company. With this new found knowledge ask yourself, what have I done in this learning process that has better prepared me for my future job? Do I feel confident in the skills I've learned and how am I demonstrating them for future employers? What am I expecting to fulfill me in my job? What am I most passionate about? Its good to ask yourself these kinds of questions as you think about your professional future. Knowing the answers will help guide you to the companies that will bring you the most happiness in your career.

I want to share with you some of the different kinds of companies that currently exist, how they’ve organized themselves and what the role of the Product Designer plays in them. Every company does things slightly differently. No one company is the same as the other even though you might find similar patterns because no company has the same people. Companies and people are constantly evolving and often faster than schools can keep up with so hopefully I can help fill in any gaps that there might be. I hope to help you feel like you understand your roles and the value you play within companies so your talents fully utilized. I’ll also share some simple advice from some of the people I look up to in our industry that work for very influential companies in our industry.

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