Integrated M.S. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Makes Career Moves
October 11, 2023
Student: Briana Craig
Major: B.S. in Computer Science ’24 and MS. EECS ’25
Position: Student Technology Assistant
Location: Educational Technology Services
At the Fowler School of Engineering (FSE), on-campus jobs are an amazing opportunity for our engineering students to tap into higher education in an entirely new way. Briana Craig, a computer science major and MS Electrical Engineering and Computer Science student, recently became a Student Technology Assistant with Educational Technology Services at Chapman University.
Prior to finding this job, Craig spent her time in some of the many workshops offered by FSE’s own Career Services. She optimized her resume and fine-tuned her interviewing skills to prepare for her professional journey. In addition to Chapman Engineering’s unmatched hands-on learning, Craig hopes her new opportunity will give her professional career a substantial boost.
Q&A with Briana Craig
Q: What are some of your duties as Student Technology Assistant?
Craig: My duties at Educational Technology Services include co-hosting the Virtual Tech Hub to provide drop-in support, creating reports of recorded issues and organizing report data, and helping them host workshops that teach professors and staff how to use certain features on Canvas and learn new technologies like Yuja and Zoom.
Q: What tools or resources did you use to find and apply for this position?
Craig: I found this position through the Chapman jobs listing site. I used some of the career services provided by Fowler Engineering to help me, such as the resume workshop and the mock interviews.
Q: How has your hands-on learning at FSE assisted in your duties at your current position?
Craig: Hands-on learning while at Chapman has helped me in this job because hands-on learning often requires communication with those around you and working in collaboration, which is important for my job because I need to communicate with my coworkers, teachers, and staff to make sure everyone gets the proper support they need. Hands-on learning has also taught me that the best way to learn is by practicing, which helps me quickly learn how to use new software and features so I can better assist faculty who are less familiar with that technology.
Q: What has been your best Chapman Experience so far?
Craig: So far, my favorite part of the Chapman experience has been participating in clubs on campus because it has helped me meet so many amazing people. I’ve also loved participating in undergraduate research because it’s showing me a whole new side of STEM that I had never considered before and it is providing me with so many amazing opportunities.
Q: What do you hope to gain from this opportunity?
Craig: I hope this job can help me develop my technical communication skills so that I can be a well-balanced industry professional after I graduate. This job is also giving me some insight into the world of educational technology, which will ultimately help me decide which sector of technology I want to pursue after I graduate.
Those looking to take advantage of career resources are encouraged to check out the official FSE career page or reach out to FSE’s Career Specialist, Samuel Lee.