Shifting Gears
By Malak Abdel-Ghaffar
Estelle Elizabeth Ocran, Class of 2021, graduated with a BS in computer science with a minor in interactive media. Ocran was able to land an exciting remote position as a software engineer at Twitter.
The pandemic posed great disruption to students’ plans, whether they were involved in internships or making a transition into the world of work after graduation.
Ocran remained proactive, kept an open mind and applied to dozens of opportunities while also working on developing her job search skills. She attended a workshop on ‘How to Optimize LinkedIn’ to find different recruiters, target the right people and land a job. After many applications, interviews, and networking, Ocran got her big break. “A recruiter responded to me on LinkedIn and asked for my CV for the role I had applied to months back. I got an interview within a couple of hours,” she said.
If I could share one take-away, it’s to never hesitate to reach out to people.
“One of the biggest lessons learned at NYUAD is to not give in to the understandable uncertainty that sometimes comes from actively seeking help.” She continues to stress that although ‘cold-messaging’ a recruiter on LinkedIn may be very daunting and anxiety-inducing, it was steps like that that helped her open up several conversations. “If I could share one take-away, it’s to never hesitate to reach out to people,” she said.
After an intense series of interviews, Ocran was selected for her ideal position and team. Ocran is currently settling in Toronto, Canada. "It's been fun navigating and settling into Toronto. I especially love how diverse the population is and it honestly reminds me so much of NYUAD. There's so much to do here and I look forward to exploring the city more."