Emily Lam (BACS 2008)


Why did you decide to major in computer science?

I was originally a math major. During the spring semester of my second year, I was looking for electives to take. My math advisor suggested that a CS class would be a good choice. Therefore, I signed up for CS 205 [note: this course is now called cs2220] because it was geared toward students who are not in the engineering school. Though initially just chosen as a fun and useful elective, the class totally changed my perspective of the study of computer science. It was about so much more than programming, but really delved deeper into the theories and algorithms behind it. I decided to go on full scale and earn a major. Although I didn’t start my CS academic career until much later, it was so worth it.

Are there any things you wish you did more or less of as a student?

Things I wish I had done more of:

  • Take MORE CS classes! (I seriously wish I stayed an extra year in school just to take more CS classes even if they are NP-hard)
  • Spend time explaining stuff I learned in CS classes to my baby sister who is 10 years younger than me.
  • Volunteer as a research assistant to Grad students.
  • Going to office hours!

Things I wish I had done less of:

  • Memorizing theories (that’s what happened when I tried to cram a CS exam. Truth be told… it never works).
  • Studying alone.
  • Whining.

What have you been doing since graduating?

After graduation, I took a full time offer with Accenture as their consultant analyst. I worked on a lot of proposals and did a lot of system functional designs, but I never really liked what I was doing. It took me a good while to get out of a comfortably paying job to seek something different. Then, I joined Computer Science Corporation for their cloud practice and started working as a junior Google Application developer. Although it seems like I took a step backward in my career, I finally enjoyed what I was doing and performing my best at work. I was involved with two cloud projects in DC (Google Apps Engine for Patent Trademark Office and Google Apps for Business for United States Agency for International Development).

Just a month ago, I was appointed as the subject matter expert on Google Applications and the deployment lead for a long term Google Apps for Business project in Amsterdam for PON Automotives. Moving to Europe reminds me of all the culture shock I experienced when I first moved to US, but it has also been one of the best experiences in my life.

Work asides, I also started doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu after graduation. I found a lot of wisdom in practicing martial arts especially those involved with grappling and throwing. It really helps me to relax and relieve stress. My goal is to be a combat athlete and compete in a jiu-jitsu tournament someday.

Do you have any advice for current computer science students?

Please don’t rush into a job or take the first job that comes to you right after graduation (same goes for Internships). I made the mistake of going into an IT consulting firm as an entry level analyst right after college because I was desperate for a stable job. Little did I know that it is way more difficult to switch fields once you are cast as a management consultant than at entry-level. I never knew it would take so much effort to switch from functional designer to an application developer within the same IT industry. For those of you who want to work in the software industry, stick to it until you find the job you want. Or else, you will waste a lot of your precious time doing a job that you are OKAY with and having the most difficult time switching out of it. Be patient :)