Image: Haizan Zeng
Master of Finance with Merit (2013)
Haizan Zeng is an experienced Software Engineer and Data Analyst. In her current role, she is the Senior Software Engineer at Netflix in San Francisco. Before this, Haizan also worked for a number of enterprises such as Google and Capital One in the field of software and system engineering as well as data analysis.
Haizan had first obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in China, majoring in Computer Science and Engineering. She later decided to pursue academia in a different field and graduated from the CBE in 2013 with a Master of Finance degree. She believes her degree from CBE helped broaden her career paths in Australia and the United States. She also undertook research positions before joining the private sector.
Haizan’s career reflections:
What should students prepare for the best possible interview?
To prepare for a good interview, one must have a long-term strategic plan and a short-term working plan.
Building a strong resume is a long-term goal. Always pushing your boundary to make yourself better, to embrace changes, to learn fast, be bold and be humble. Start this planning today in class!
In a short term when you are looking for new opportunities, I have some ideas that can help:
- Make sure that you understand the company. Every company has its own uniqueness of culture and values, which have huge impacts on the work style of the company and their criteria about talent acquisition.
- Make sure you understand yourself. What you are passionate about, your strengths, your weaknesses, what you are proud of and what you can do better are some key elements that you must work out so you can find a matched dream company.
During the interview, don’t be shy to ask questions, even asking for help when you are stuck!
What advice do you have for students wanting to work in the San Francisco Bay area?
The San Francisco Bay Area is the innovation hub of the world. Things are created, invented everyday here. I suggest anyone who wants to work here always be curious. Checking out new things in the industry can freshen up your mind and inspire a lot of new ideas. Doing so will make it easier to find your matched companies in the area.
Last but not least, don’t forget to connect to your alumni network here! Sharing information and helping each other are as important as creating novel ideas and learning from others