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Tricia Goh is a final year computer science student at the National University of Singapore.
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Unlike most of her colleagues, Goh says she is not looking for a job at a FAANG company.
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Goh was offered a job after completing a six-month internship at a Norwegian software company.
This as told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tricia Gosh22, a senior at the National University of Singapore studying computer science. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her education and employment history.
Finding a job in the tech industry is no longer as easy as it once was. It’s scary to read news stories about how tough the job market is for computer science graduates these days.
Computer science as a major has also become more popular and competitive. There are almost a thousand students in my group. This means that each of us could end up fighting hundreds of people for the same number of roles.
Interestingly enough, studying computer science was not always in the plans for me. Like most Singaporean youth, I had no idea what I wanted to study at university when I graduated from junior college.
To get a better idea of what I wanted to do, I spent the nine months I had before college interning. I ended up doing two internships: at a primary school where I taught English and math and at a local IT company that focused on business software.
Working at that IT company was a transformative experience.
I had the benefit of receiving one-on-one mentoring from the company founder and learning about the tech industry and ecosystem.
The internship ultimately sparked my interest in computer science.
Even when school started, I still went back to the company to help out and brush up on my knowledge in areas like cybersecurity and software engineering.
Through an internship to a full-time job
During my first semesters it was not easy to adapt to university life.
The curriculum was challenging and I thought my grades did not accurately reflect what I could contribute to a company if I were hired as a full-time employee. That prompted me to do more internships to gain practical experience.
This year I did an internship for six months at a Norwegian software company. The company recently established its headquarters in Singapore and I have been participating in its efforts to break into the Asian market.
After this internship I was offered a full-time job.
I reject the FAANG rat race to walk my own path
Many of my colleagues are aiming for high-paying jobs at FAANG companies like Facebook and Google.
People like me, who aren’t aiming for these positions, are often asked questions like, “Why don’t you go for the best jobs available? Why don’t you try to get a job at Google?”
However, I don’t regret prioritizing my own growth by joining a smaller company.
Working at a FAANG company may be something that many computer science students see themselves doing, but such a goal does not align with what I want out of my career.
My long-term goal is to become an entrepreneur and start my own business. I know I won’t be happy making a lot of money if it means working long hours.
I would rather do something more fulfilling that still allows me to support my family and live a good life. I don’t mind leaving the hustle and bustle of chasing big companies for smaller learning experiences.
Do you have a story to tell about your technical or financial career? Contact this reporter at ktan@businessinsider.com.
Read the original article on Business Insider
