What do you do in your current position?
I work on a distributed tracing system at Google called Dapper! It allows other engineers to debug the latency of complex services. Working at Google is very exciting because of the planetary scale and fast pace. I am constantly learning new skills and am surrounded by inspiring people.

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
The most valuable skill I've learned since graduating is the importance of prioritization. Coming from academia it is tempting to try and make every project fully fledged and polished. A better approach is figuring out how to get 90% of the value out of a project as quickly as possible.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
Before SFU, I would have struggled to focus on a single question for multiple hours. Now the bar is much higher. By challenging me with increasingly difficult problems, SFU taught me how to think in increasingly creative ways.

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
School does not disambiguate the world. It prepares you to live perpetually in ambiguity and to navigate complexity that (I promise) you will not be able to predict up front. You will be surprised at the set of things that prove to be surmountable.

What do you do in your current position?
As a Machine Learning Scientist, I am doing research in different areas of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing, and I am providing Machine Learning solutions to clients in energy and finance sectors. 

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
I have learned how to work in a dynamic team and communicate with team members. I learned how to communicate with the clients and to understand their needs. These valuable experiences are hard to gain at school. So, I would highly recommend students to go for internship opportunities. 

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
My PhD studies at SFU helped me grow as an independent researcher. This has been an aspect of my experience that I cherish the most. I have been fortunate to continue my career in the same research area that I have done my PhD in.

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
Do not worry about finding a job while you are studying or preparing to graduate! You will find one soon after your graduation. Enjoy your time at school as you will miss every single moment of it!

What do you do in your current position?
Myant creates wearable textile-based sensors for continuous health monitoring. As the company expands into new domains like brain health, I am creating software and hardware innovations that enable people to better understand their brain function. I am also involved in development and validation of novel next generation sensor technologies. 

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
I have worked in both academia and industry since graduation, and the one constant in both is the importance of collaboration and partnerships. Whether the collaboration is for a new research project or to expand use cases for a company’s products, the most valuable skill is building and maintaining relationships.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
I created a new research area during my PhD, and have subsequently continued to develop this area in academia as well as explore commercialization opportunities. My training at SFU allowed me to gain a well-rounded perspective in understanding both the technical aspects of engineering and the importance of technology commercialization. 

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
There are fantastic opportunities in both academia and industry following graduation. It is always a good idea to keep an open mind in exploring different career options, and you may be surprised at what amazing opportunities await.

What do you do in your current position?
In my current position, I work on developing both the hardware and software of a robotic imaging system that is used to screen antibody secreting cells!

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
After working in multiple positions after graduating, I have learned that my motivation and happiness come from solving engineering problems that I believe can generate meaningful impact. 

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
My Co-op experience during my time at SFU is the most valuable aspect of my SFU experience. It gave me a taste of real life engineering problems and helped me understand the skills and knowledge that I need to develop as an engineer. Furthermore, this experience helped me to find my field of passion, which is biotechnology.

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
Life is endless learning, so is engineering. Always challenge yourself to solve problems that you are not familiar with and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. 

What do you do in your current position?
I’m a software engineer at Google. My team powers millions of phone calls a day for products such as Google Voice, Meet and Fi. More specifically, I work on interesting problems such as preventing those pesky spam calls.

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
Since graduating, I’ve learned that the world is full of ambiguity, and being successful requires navigating that ambiguity effectively. This can be overwhelming, but it’s also exciting because it gives you more control over your work and life!

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
SFU allowed me to explore my interests in many different ways. Through co-op, I was able to work for a diverse set of companies before graduating. I also had the opportunity to study abroad and take courses outside of my major to broaden my horizons.

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
Don’t forget to breathe! Life can get very busy and it can be tempting to keep going without any pause. It’s up to you to take the time to relax and recharge, however that looks for you!

What do you do in your current position?
As an Embedded Software Engineer, I develop the firmware that runs state-of-the-art AI-powered security cameras. I collaborate closely with the electrical and software teams to create solutions that integrate seamlessly to provide the right insights at the right time with the goal of making watching video obsolete.

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
I have learnt that role of engineers in ensuring that emerging technologies such as AI and IoT are used to drive society for the better is highly crucial as the scope and impact of these technologies in shaping all aspects of our lives are expanding rapidly.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
The exposure to different industries and technologies during my courses and co-ops has helped me discover my passion. Additionally, I believe that the soft and technical skills I developed throughout my degree have prepared me well for my career.

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
Never stop learning and carry on discovering your passions. This is an endless journey with the goal of living life to the fullest. On top of that, keep celebrating your achievements! 

What do you do in your current position?
NeuroCatch Inc. is a medical device company developing the NeuroCatch Platform. It uses an EEG-monitored audio test to analyze brain activity, providing an objective evaluation of cognitive function. On the biomedical systems team, we work with mechanical/electrical design, testing, and manufacturing, all while navigating the associated medical device regulations.

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
I've learned that as an engineer, you must embrace challenge and not let failure affect you too much. It's rare to achieve ideal results the first try, so you're always thinking of improvements. My mindset became much more optimistic when I began viewing roadblocks as opportunities to think creatively.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
I was one of the first undergrads to challenge Bonnie Gray's biomedical microdevices course. Through that I secured a co-op developing a novel biosensor which used those techniques. I also took a course on clinical neuroscience that used the NeuroCatch Platform technology I work on today. Everything was interconnected! 

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
This is the beginning of a new chapter, so setting goals for after graduation can provide motivation and direction. As a new graduate, you know much more than you think you do! However even though your degree might be finished, be prepared to constantly be learning and expanding your skillset. 

What do you do in your current position?
I’m currently working as a Machine Leaning engineer in Ag-Tech space developing solutions for food supply chain. We leverage high quality data (e.g. food images) and are working to provide predictive analysis about food quality and their yield. My work, in collaboration with plant scientists and farmers, is enabling consistent, indoor, high quality nutritious food and feed, in any climate, 365 days a year.

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
I graduated in the middle of the pandemic and having talked to many people during networking and giving interviews, I realized that as much as it is important to know the right skills, it’s equally helpful to have a platform which shows it. It could be a webpage, blog posts or even YouTube videos showing demos. I highly encourage current students to have a platform with details of your work to support the things you mention on your resume. It really helps. 

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
SFU played a very important role in introducing me to the latest research in my field, a knowledge which I actively get to use in my work. Meeting people from different cultures also helped me broaden my perspectives and build diverse connections. I’ll always cherish the mentorship from my advisor, the friends I made and the time I spent with these friends in and out of campus. 

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
It’s an exciting world out there. Don’t overstress yourself with the expectations of “what may happen.” If possible, take a break and travel for a few months. Prepare yourself best you could but life after graduation is another journey of its own with its lessons. Allow it to unfold and enjoy the process. 

What do you do in your current position?
What happens inside the brain of an astronaut operating in space or a pilot performing flight maneuvers? As a neuroimaging scientist and neurotechnology innovator, I create and commercialize technology advances that both improve our understanding of brain function and enable assessments of cognitive state in such complex situations.

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
A valuable lesson has been finding out that soft skills are equally if not more important than technical skills. For example, as a supervisor, it is vital to be able to provide constructive criticism but this is a skill that I had to learn on the job after graduating. 

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
My PhD work created the world’s first brain vital signs, which has now become a Health Canada approved device. This provided me with both technical skills and exposure to pathways for technology commercialization. This duality is unlike traditional graduate school experiences and have enabled me to become a well-rounded researcher.     

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
My advice would be to go into a new area for the post-graduation position. Often it can be scary to go into a new area especially after years working within one area as a PhD student. But going into a new area can actually be quite rewarding and fulfilling. 

What do you do in your current position?
Currently, I’m a postdoctoral fellow at SFU focusing on research of 3D printed wireless sensors. Starting from this fall, I’ll be working as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Department at Baylor University, Texas US from August 2022. I’m excited to continue my research on integrated biosensor system.

What is a valuable skill or lesson that you have learned since graduating?
I have learned technical skills related to biomedical engineering as well as soft skills on how to collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds during my Postdoctoral research period in University of California, Irvine. These skills helped me to be a more interdisciplinary researcher with a more inclusive mind.

How has your experience at SFU prepared you for your career path?
During my PhD program, I especially learned how to do research independently and how to communicate effectively. I really enjoyed working together with other students in the lab. I also appreciate all supports from excellent faculty of SFU regarding great advice on research and career development. 

What advice would you like to share to students who are preparing for graduation?
I know graduation is exciting, but it could also be stressful to find a new position. Try to keep positive attitude and have a grateful heart all the time. Please be prepared and keep on knocking doors to find the opportunity that fits you the best. Best of luck!