FIRST mentors and alumni from Founding Sponsor Johnson & Johnson joined FIRST participant Namirah for a conversation about how their FIRST experience is important to their work at Johnson & Johnson.

• You never know who from your network might be able to connect you with an opportunity.
• Hiring Managers are looking for the skills that you already possess.
• Personal mentors are key to breaking into roles/ fields – especially for women and people of color.

Becca Doyle, FIRST Alum, Supply Chain HR Leader

I was actually hired for [my first] job by the lead mentor of my FIRST team! And in [most] every job change, the relationships I’ve built throughout my career have played a hugely important role. What's great about FIRST is, you're working alongside mentors and student colleagues, potentially for years. And they not only get to know you as a person, but they can also see you in action in a work setting and get a good understanding of what you're capable of delivering. Finding a job is about the relationships you've cultivated. You never know who from your network might be able to connect you with an opportunity."

Sarah Asio, PhD, Data Science Lead for Medical Devices

Identify a mentor for yourself. [Consistent] encouragement from my mentor pushed me forward in the research and topics I was interested in, which was really important in helping me to get across the finish line. Find a mentor, someone who you respect who is where you want to go.

Find self-confidence deep within. No matter what anyone else says, you yourself have to be sure of your skill set…. [as a woman] many times I find that I need to raise my voice in a conversation or use a little bit more oomph to be part of a story and not be quiet in the background."

Mason Markee, FIRST Alum, Director of Mechanical Engineering for Robotics & Digital Solutions

When I was looking for my first jobs and internships, I leveraged a lot of the skills that I developed in FIRST to bolster up my resume and really impress hiring managers. And now I'm on the other side of that equation as a hiring manager. I review a lot of resumes. I talk to a lot of candidates. I find that what you do in FIRST is extremely relevant to what we do in the real-world – you are learning how to solve problems, you are learning how to deal with technology, you are learning how to push things forward. That's all extremely relevant. My advice would be to leverage the skills you've learned, and really show those off."

For more career tips from these experts, watch a recording from the webinar below.