A Bridge Between the Classroom and Tech Careers: CDS Industry Connections Recap
On Friday, April 17, the Faculty of Computing & Data Science (CDS) hosted an "Industry Connections" event that brought students face-to-face with representatives from leading tech companies, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Snyk, Red Hat, and Toast. Bridging the gap between the classroom and the tech industry, this event offered students a more informal, community-based space to explore career paths, ask questions about data science (DS), and speak directly with industry professionals.
Across the room, students rotated among company tables–trading questions, resumes, and the occasional piece of tech swag, while gaining insight into what it takes to stand out in today’s tech landscape.
For DS senior Parin Shaik, the event offered a chance to move beyond the polished public image of big tech. “I wanted a more informal way of getting to know companies and what they’re currently doing… there’s not really a human touch to that in the news,” she shared. Her conversation with Red Hat stood out in particular: “We bonded over how AI is shaping media creation… I ran out of résumés to give him, actually, but we connected on LinkedIn."
Second-year DS student Jacky Lin described the day as a mix of big-name excitement and more personal discoveries. “I talked to mainly the Magnificent Seven over there, so Google, Meta, Microsoft, stuff like that,” he said. He also pointed to one especially meaningful connection: “I was incredibly interested in Toast because my family runs a restaurant; there was a niche interest connection there.”
For Riwaz Shrestha, also a second-year DS student, the value was in the networking itself. “My goal was really just networking. Shrestha said, “I got everyone’s LinkedIn that I talked to…now, I just have to reach out to them on my own time, maintain these connections so they can help me with further opportunities.”
Ultimately, “Industry Connections” not only left students with new company names to remember but also conversations to continue, LinkedIn handles to message, and, most importantly, a clearer sense of where their DS studies might take them.