First Year MS Seminar (CME 299): ICME Graduate Student & Career Success Course

In this interactive class, participants will engage in community-building activities designed to foster lifelong connections with classmates in grad school. They will learn, practice, and apply strategies for creating a supportive network and establishing valuable relationships during their graduate studies.

Guest Speaker: Eric Moy brings a breadth of experience with academic and student affairs, most recently serving as an Undergraduate Advising Director in the Office of Academic Advising at Stanford University. He has taught courses on community development, student affairs, and have facilitated various workshops and activities on community building through the lens of authentic reflection. Eric has multiple graduate degrees including a PhD in Mass Communications, EdS, Juris Master, MBA, SW, and MS. Eric loves to travel, having collected postcards from over 200 places across all 7 continents.

Students will be able to create a standout resume and cover letter tailored for internships, utilizing current trends and strategies to effectively showcase their skills and experiences. Plus, you will hear from recruiters on what they look out for when they review resumes.

Guest Speaker: Daisy Chavez Serrano is the Associate Director of Career Coaching and Education at Stanford University's School of Engineering & The Doerr School of Sustainability. As a career educator, Daisy collaborates with students to guide them in exploring and defining their personal and professional goals. Her previous experiences span multiple areas, including academic advising, residential life, admissions, and career services. Daisy has a robust background in executing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as well as coaching.

Students will develop key interview strategies and techniques, focusing on confident communication, effective self-presentation, and networking skills. The session includes hands-on practice and personalized feedback to enhance performance and build valuable connections.

Guest Speaker: Matt Vassar is a lecturer at Stanford University’s School of Engineering Technical Communication Program and the Principal of Vassar and Associates, where he empowers entrepreneurs, engineers, and business people working in tech to create compelling presentations that spread their ideas. He offers his clients evidence-based strategies to perfect pitches, sharpen storytelling, and transform technical talks with clients, including Gap, Nextdoor, and Greylock Partners. Matt received his MA in Communication from Stanford

Students will develop and enhance their presentation skills, focusing on techniques for delivering clear, engaging, and impactful presentations.

Guest Speaker: Matt Vassar is a lecturer at Stanford University’s School of Engineering Technical Communication Program and the Principal of Vassar and Associates, where he empowers entrepreneurs, engineers, and business people working in tech to create compelling presentations that spread their ideas. He offers his clients evidence-based strategies to perfect pitches, sharpen storytelling, and transform technical talks with clients, including Gap, Nextdoor, and Greylock Partners. Matt received his MA in Communication from Stanford

This workshop offers expert tips and advice from ICME alumni and recruiters on excelling in technical interviews. Attendees will learn how to approach technical questions, present their solutions effectively, and gain practical insights to enhance their interview performance.

Students will explore best practices for negotiating job salary and conditions, focusing on achieving fair terms while maintaining positive relationships with future employers. The workshop includes interactive discussions and partner practice sessions.

Guest Speaker: For more than 30 years, Jessica Notini has provided hundreds of negotiation, communication, mediation, conflict resolution, facilitation and related workshops throughout the United Stated, Latin America and Europe for more than 30 years. She has consulted with and led seminars for both private entities and public institutions and has experience adapting these workshops to the varied needs of different professionals in areas such as law, medicine, human resources, education, biotech, construction, pharmaceutical, and accounting. Her workshops are always highly interactive and dynamic.  Some of her past clients include GoogleX, Dell, Twitter, Salesforce, Genentech, Novartis, Gilead, KPMG, Microsoft, Vericomp, Bio-Rad, ViaSystems, Amgen, Cognizant, and Swinerton. Ms. Notini is also also an Adjunct Professor in the law schools at Stanford, Berkeley, UCDavis and Hastings. She is past Chair of the California State Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and past President of the Northern California Mediation Association.