Laura Zeng
Software Engineer
Microsoft
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I went to college expecting to be an economics and political science double major.
Then, I took a computer science class and absolutely loved it.
Continued to explore my options in college and tried a lot of different fields.
Also continued to take computer science classes because they were challenging and interesting.
Decided I preferred working in industry over doing research.
Decided to apply for jobs as a software engineer.
Education
High School
Homestead High School
Homestead High School
Career
Software Engineer
I write code that supports enterprise cloud computing.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Technology
Engineering
Learning / Being Challenged
Day to Day
I get into work around 9, and I check my emails, eat breakfast, and plan what I want to accomplish that day. Then, I sit down and code until lunch. Depending on how work is going, I might get up and ask my teammates for help, or I might get up just to stretch and walk. I have lunch at noon. Typically, this is also the time when I'll go to social events or meetings. After lunch, I might have a meeting either with my mentor, my manager, or my team. Otherwise, I spend the rest of my day coding.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Generally, in computer science, people follow one of two paths: research or industry. Because of this, I think it's important for college students in computer science to seek out opportunities to experience both before they graduate, which usually means internships. Not only will this help them find jobs, but it'll also help them decide what they want to do.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Parents:
"Being a software engineer is too difficult. You should do something to have less stress."
