Generation ACM — Gen ACM for short — is our take on the people who shape UCR’s ACM chapter each year. We highlight members who embody what it means to pave the way for future generations and let them share their stories as inspiration for anyone looking for guidance in the tech field or life in general.
Jasmita Yechuri is currently a rising sophomore majoring in Computer Science. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Jasmita brings her experience with internships and other valuable opportunities as the Professional Development Chair of ACM.
As the current professional development chair at ACM, what initiatives do you plan to implement to support the growth and development of your members?
A big part of my job is to make sure that students in our club are prepared for the industry. This includes preparing everyone for the technical/behavioral interviews, helping build their resume, and finding those internship opportunities.
Something new that we want to implement for the upcoming year is integrating company tours. This would allow students to see what the company looks like and get a list of the day-to-day life of a working professional. This project is still in progress, but we hope this would open more doors to getting students to apply for internships and for companies to get familiar with our students as well!
How do you manage your time and prioritize your commitments, given your involvement in multiple extracurricular activities and internships?
I think a big part that has helped is being organized and communicating with everyone. I have truly enjoyed being part of all the extracurriculars and sometimes it can be overwhelming. However, I have learned to plan out in advance and see what my schedule looks like. If I personally believe it’s a stretch and too much for me to handle, I communicate with my peers/colleagues that it’s a lot for me or that I need more time.
This has been working for me so far and it has also allowed me to take on more opportunities without an issue.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in technology, but doesn’t know where to start?
I believe it’s really important to have a mentor. Find someone that you look up to and constantly ask them for the help and resources. People are always willing to help especially in this versatile field.
I would also suggest not limiting yourself to one field, but explore all the fields in technology, find your interest and strengths. Then focus on those that really interest you and gain more hands on experience whether that is through clubs on campus or through internships. It’s also important to build a professional network, so as mentioned before, have a mentor and work with them to get more valuable insights into the industry.
What led you to become the professional development chair at ACM, and what do you hope to achieve in this role?
I personally had a hard time navigating through the internship process and had to gather my own resources. As the professional development chair, I wanted to provide the resources to my peers and make sure the process is much more smoother as I help them navigate through the tedious and long process. My job is also to make sure that everyone works and collaborates to make sure we are all learning from one another and with one another to make the overall process 100% better. I hope as the prof dev chair, I can provide the necessary feedback and help students with landing an internship so that they grow as an individual in the tech industry.
How do you determine what professional development opportunities would be most valuable for ACM members, and how do you go about planning and organizing them?
The ultimate goal is to make sure that students land an internship. So everything that I plan and think about is whether the opportunity would help boost their resume or be something that is just important to have to increase their chances of getting and internship. Additionally, some events like the study jams were created to make a bigger presence and ensure that we are here to not only help you with navigating through the tech industry but also with education (classes).
How do you measure the impact of professional development opportunities on ACM members, and what metrics do you use to evaluate their success?
I think the biggest thing is if people are able to hear back from companies and get to the process of interviewing and taking online assessments, because that is already a big accomplishment. But the bigger thing is to make sure that everyone always walks away from the resume reviews, mock technical/behavioral interviews, and more but learning something new. Something that can be implemented in the process of applying for internships and in their daily lives. If students are walking away feeling more prepared and confident, that itself is a big win for me.
What advice would you give to other student leaders who are interested in developing professional development programs for their organizations?
It is really important to understand the needs of the members, so make sure to identify the skills, knowledge and career-related challenges that most students are facing, so that a solution can be proposed sooner or later. Make sure to identify all the resources that are available and utilize them and make then accessible for all the students. Collaborate with industry professionals to make that extra effort to build a stronger relation with the companies, and everything else will work out :)