Tech & Innovation Blog
Forrest Gump Teaches Everything That Matters About Networking
Career Development, Voice of Our People, Career Advice
Whether you are networking to expand your connections, interviewing, or having a career discussion with a mentor, create the best experience possible.
Forrest Gump Teaches Everything That Matters About Networking
By Liz Gelb-O’Connor, Global Head of Employer Brand & Marketing
Earlier this fall, I had the pleasure of attending one of ADP’s HR Master Classes led by Jason Delserro, our Chief Talent Acquisition Officer. The class was a quick thirty minutes and presented incredibly useful tips on intentional networking. All fast and insightful tips presented under the context of lessons learned from Forrest Gump.
Most people have seen the 1994 Academy award-winning movie featuring a younger Tom Hanks. Not only does Forrest extend himself to strangers, but he greets his old friend Dan with the exuberance he feels based on what he perceives as the value of their relationship. Because of Forrest, Dan ends up in a much better place. Forrest goes on to inspire millions with his run across the country.
There is something so simple yet powerful about how Forrest sees and interacts with the world and draws people in. Whether connecting with new people to expand our personal networks, requesting an exploratory discussion about current or future career opportunities, or actively interviewing for a new job, how can we harness the same magical power and incorporate it into successful and enriching interactions?
Reinforced during the talk was the intentional nature of great networking, including a cognitive exchange of ideas and information between people, leveraging commonality, special interests, and/or opportunity.
Four Questions suggested that you should ask yourself before networking or interviewing:
- What can I learn about this person before meeting with them?
- What do we have in common?
- What’s important to this person, or is there a problem I can help this person solve?
- What can I offer this person?
Here are some common pitfalls Jason mentioned that people should be aware of, especially when meeting with senior leaders or in the context of career discussions. Just remember, preparation and effort pay off in forming positive and lasting impressions.
Things to avoid:
- Not preparing or doing your research
- Not respecting people’s time
- Coming in too casual
- Lengthy and dense presentations
- Not following up on takeaways!
Researching a person you plan to meet with can be quick and effective. Use LinkedIn and study the profile of the person you are meeting before connecting or interviewing. Pro tip: They can see who has viewed their profile and will know you invested the time. For internal resources on colleagues, look at internal collaboration portals and internal profiles. If you are meeting with an executive, they might have been featured in company videos or blogs. Review their work. 
Whether leveraging a LinkedIn profile, article, or even their Instagram account, a well-placed comment or observation can go a long way in making a meaningful connection and creating commonality.
To summarize, whether you are networking to expand your personal connections, interviewing, having a career discussion with a mentor, or just someone willing to give you thirty minutes of their time, create the best experience possible.
Remember to do these things:
- Research/prep
- Find common ground
- Schedule for 30 minutes and plan for 15
- Be authentic!
- Ask, “How can I help you?”
- Follow-up
- Send a ‘Thank You’ note for their time.
Based on Jason’s advice, it’s that simple. Or, to quote Forrest, “That’s all he has to say about that.”
Interested in a tech career at ADP?
Click here to search for your next move, and visit Who We Hire.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Career Fair: Perseverance is the Key in Job Hunting
Early Talent, Intern to Full-Time, Career Advice
Recruiters want to find the star to add to their team, while candidates want to be the ones that shine.
Career Fair: Perseverance is the Key in Job Hunting
By Amy H. Chiu, Tech Brand Content Developer
What’s better than a firm handshake, a strong resume, and a great impression?
I remember first walking into career fairs seven years ago as an undergraduate student. Before the career fair, I was busy researching what a professional outfit meant. I stood in front of the mirror, changing from one business outfit to another. My feet felt awkward in those black closed-toe shoes, and I practiced smiling while saying my full name again and again.
Walking in the career fair, I saw other students and alumni holding copies of resumes in one hand and the map of the employer booths in another. Some looked stressed, and others looked excited while practicing their introduction line in the corner. Larger companies had long lines that averaged one hour or longer, like lining up for a ride at a theme park. I remember feeling overwhelmed, wondering how to stand out. The students and alumni were just as competitive and intelligent. I had seven seconds to make a good impression and five minutes to make my face memorable.
There were times when I started to wonder: When would someone take a chance on me? When would it be my turn? There were tears of frustration and a lot of nervous perspiration. I ask myself for the 10,000th time, “What does that person have that I don’t? If they take me, I will give my best and everything I’ve got. I promise.”
The stress of finding a summer internship and a first job was tremendous. Imagine waking up scrolling through social media and seeing many of your classmates posting, “I’m so proud to announce I’ll be starting as a (job title) at XYZ company,” followed by a sea of compliments. You check your inbox and refresh again, still nothing. No one talks about the rejections in the sea of positive social media posts on Instagram.
I remember feeling overwhelmed before attending my first career fair, I prepared and showcased myself by setting up a strong LinkedIn profile, writing a cover letter, and revising my resume. I even hired a career coach, visiting my strengths and weaknesses. I filled out worksheets, took personality tests, spent days and nights reading about my favorite companies on the list. On top of that, I visited the career center, attended more than 20+ workshops, and worked with counselors. I wanted to draft the “perfect” one-line bio on my profile, thinking it could make a difference. There were mock interviews, and I signed up repeatedly, hoping the skills would come in handy one day.
At the end of the day, I learned having a positive mindset in the process is just as crucial as any training. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed in the interview process. Allow yourself to be okay with that.
After finishing three internships and entering the workforce for a few years, I learned the value of perseverance. Speaking with many ADP tech associates as part of my job, I’ve noticed a common theme in their advice for future technologists: Do not be afraid.
Some other standard advice: continue to focus on your goal, ask questions, look for mentorship opportunities. Rejections are not the end of the world. It takes rejections to give you time to reflect, improve, and revise. Fear of rejection shouldn’t keep you from applying.
From the recruiter’s perspective
The hiring process is also two-sided. Recruiters want to find the star to add to their team, while candidates want to be the ones that shine. Sometimes people don’t recognize all the effort that goes into hiring and recruiting. Many students think about “impressing” the company rather than fitting into the company culture or the role.
I had an opportunity to speak with Lisa S., Senior Director of Talent Acquisition, and gained some interesting insights. Lisa and her campus recruiters want students to make the best-informed decisions on accepting an offer and ensuring the placement is an excellent match for both parties.
During our conversation, I was surprised to learn how frustrated companies get when students accept a job offer only to renege right before their start date to go to a different company.
I wondered if this happens more frequently in the world we live in today compared to 20 years ago. And does this occur only in tech, where most large corporations offer rich compensation to candidates? Is this a generational phenomenon? There’s not a right answer, but let’s observe and use these open questions in discussion with our teams.
When it comes to virtual and in-person recruiting events, Lisa encourages attendees to come prepared. From digital files to physical copies of resumes, have them ready. You never know who you will meet at the fair. Like it or not, a messy room in your zoom background shows the recruiter something about you.
Lisa and I also talked about the interview processes, and one thing stood out to me. Dear future candidates, please don’t memorize cheat sheet answers from online resources. The recruiters know, trust me, they know. Their recruiting experience can spot right away if your answer is authentic or not. I understand presenting your best self is essential, but please answer interview questions from the bottom of your heart. It sounds cliché, but verbally highlighting what you genuinely want makes you stand out.
Where do you want to be when you grow up? The last time you answered this question probably was when you had to write an essay for a homework assignment at school. I challenge you to find a balance between the job you are searching for and your passion.
It’s good to have a stable job, but great to have a job you love.
“Do you want to work in product development? Do you want to work in management? Have a definitive path and speak to it,” Lisa said. “Come to us and say ‘I want to be a (job title) because of X, Y, and Z.’ The more information the candidate provides at the career fair, the better for us to place them in the right area.”
Come to the ADP booth and learn about the six-week extended GPT Development Program. It’s an opportunity for students to meet with leaders and understand our products. You will make a real contribution if you are lucky enough to get chosen for the program. One of our students developed an algorithm to match graduating students with leaders based on their top five choices. Everyone has a voice here, no matter the title or years of service.
If I could tell my younger self one thing before I walked into that career fair, it would be: Go for it! Talk to the recruiter, and don’t be afraid to show your curiosity. ADP’s campus recruiting team spends time reading all the resumes they collect, but it’s the impression you make that sets you apart. We hire in various settings, including tech conferences, virtual fairs, and employee referral programs.
Fill your career path with pleasant surprises. Every decision adds up and reroutes you to a different place, preparing and building you for the next challenge. I’m excited to explore mine, and I’d like to invite you to take on your own unique adventure here at ADP.
Interested in our Campus programs or ready to start your next chapter?
Learn more about what it’s like working for ADP here and our current openings.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Looking for an Internship or First Job? Here’s the secret sauce to getting hired
Early Talent, Intern to Full-Time, Career Advice
A great candidate needs to come to the table with something to offer, and unique skills will get attention.
Looking for an Internship or First Job? Here’s the secret sauce to getting hired
By Liz Gelb-O’Connor, Global Head of Employer Brand & Marketing
Here’s some good news for people without an advanced degree. Just because you have a higher education doesn’t necessarily give you more marketable hard skills or soft skills than someone without a bachelor’s degree.
Why? You can’t learn some soft skills in school. Money can’t buy them, and books can’t teach them. But if you have them, they can set you apart. Same for hard skills you’ve developed on your own, like learning a design tool, taking a free Google Analytics course, or nurturing your love of photography. When creating a resume for your first job or an internship, dig deep and mine your hidden treasure of transferrable skills and interests to help differentiate yourself.
ADP Interns at Roseland Headquarter
A true story for you. When I hired my first marketing intern in 2014, I wasn’t sure what to expect. So, I approached the experience with an open mind and discovered something valuable—not all critical skills were found on a resume. Sadly, despite the high cost of college and university education, not all students emerge with marketable business skills. I guess that’s kind of the point of internships and first jobs, right? To gain marketable business skills. Still, a marketing class on the 4 P’s (business majors, you know what I mean!) is almost meaningless when competing for a marketing internship, while working knowledge of InDesign will likely increase your chances.
Here’s what happened. My recruiter sent me 5-6 potential candidates for our marketing internship. During the candidate interviews, I felt like a dentist pulling teeth. Or worse yet, the aunt no one wanted to talk to at the annual holiday party. Seriously, some candidates gave one-word answers and had such low energy during the interview that I wanted to check their pulse. Pro tip: Don’t be like them.
At the end of the process, only one candidate seemed viable. He accepted a juicy Wall Street internship before receiving our offer. I wanted to give up and hire an experienced temp, but my recruiter called and begged me to meet one last candidate.
Enter Mia*, a rising college senior and transfer student. A few things stood out on her resume, neither of which she learned as part of her pricey college education: she owned an Etsy store for custom-designed party invitations and had experience using Adobe Creative Suite. Not only were these skills directly relevant, but they indicated three things:
- An entrepreneurial spirit
- Ambition to learn
- An eye for design
When we met for an interview, she came prepared with great questions and displayed an authentically positive attitude. She also sent a “Thank You” note, which some people might consider “old school,” but it shows gratitude and respect to me. All things being equal, I will choose the candidate who says “thank you” over someone who doesn’t.
Two weeks into her summer internship, I was so impressed that I offered Mia a full-time position when she graduated.
Here’s the additional secret sauce Mia brought to the table:
- Initiative – She volunteered to take on tasks that I didn’t even dream of asking her to do. I’d throw out an idea, and the conversation would go something like this, “Oh! I’ll do that. I’m not sure how to do it yet, but let me figure it out, and I’ll get back to you with some recommendations.”
- Creativity – “I have this idea for If your cool with it, I’d like to design something and show it to you.”
- Collaborative – “Do you need help with that? I can help you.”
- Organically Take on More –“I’m done with that. Do you have something else for me to work on?”
- Reliable – As a leader, I’m flexible and very supportive with time-off and vacation requests. No last-minute, unexplained absences for Mia. She always requested time-off in writing and with notice.
- Respectful – She always treated people with respect and acted with integrity.
When I build my teams, I look for these traits and skills whether someone has a degree or not.
After Mia, I hired two more interns that became full-time employees after graduation. Both went on to have successful careers at ADP.
ADP associates
Some questions you may have:
What do I do if an internship requires a specific degree?
Hard skills aren’t necessary for some internships because on-the-job training is provided. That said, some internships may require you to be a matriculated college/university student to qualify. Even so, this is where your soft skills can make a difference: collaboration, creativity, reliability, being a team player, etc. If the internship program offered is unaffiliated with current college/university attendance, you may only need the skills to do the job.
So, look at the actual internship requirements and gather your arsenal of soft and hard skills that can be transferrable to that role—then showcase them on a version of your resume.
What if the job required 2 years of relevant experience and I only have 1.5 years?
Again, examine your transferrable skills and highlight them. You may have less than two years of experience in that exact role, but what else do you bring to the table? Showing you are an avid learner and taking the initiative to develop other skills will demonstrate traits that could make you even more valuable than someone with those two years of experience.
So, when you interview for an internship or your first job, think beyond your resume. Think about how to showcase the skills you have that make you an asset, a functional part of a team, and uniquely you in a way that adds something to a role. Please, don’t be the candidate with a low pulse rate. Be the one who shines with positivity and shows how you will make the existing team even better and stronger.
How did it all turn out for Mia? She stayed with our company for over 3.5X longer than the average new grad. We even featured her in one of our employer brand campaigns for our campus channel. It was indeed a pleasure to watch her learn, grow, and thrive in our company, where she moved from marketing to a tech UX Design position. We are still in touch on Instagram as she travels the world and navigates the next chapter of her career.
For more, listen to Life @ ADP Podcast Episode 3: Tips for Interviewing, How to Make Lasting Impressions, and Helpful Hints.
*Name changed for anonymity
Interested in Internships, Marketing, Sales, or Technology positions at ADP?
Click here to search for technology positions, here for internships, and here for marketing & sales positions.
Tech & Innovation Blog
“Building a World of Truly Inclusive Technology,” AnitaB.org Names ADP a Top Company for Women Technologists.
Women in STEM, Recognition, Grace Hopper
AnitaB.org recognized ADP for making the most progress toward the equity of women among companies with large technical workforces. We know that having a more diverse organization makes us stronger, and we are proud of supporting women in technology. Hear from Krupali who describes her recruiting experience with ADP at Grace Hopper.
At this year’s virtual Grace Hopper Celebration hosted by the nonprofit social enterprise AnitaB.org, they announced ADP earned the distinction as a 2020 Top Companies for Women Technologists Winner in the Large Technical Workforce category. Read the full press release here.
AnitaB.org recognized ADP for making the most progress toward the equity of women among companies with large technical workforces. We know that having a more diverse organization makes us stronger, and we are proud of supporting women in technology.
Our Global Product and Technology (GPT) organization stays close to industry benchmarks and has adopted measures to continue to drive progress. ADP also supports philanthropic organizations that nurture the career development of girls and women in the technology field, helping them to fulfill their potential as future tech leaders.
Our technology leaders are committed to driving diversity, including recruiting and developing women technologists while providing opportunities for them to grow their careers.
Since we are celebrating Grace Hopper, let’s check out a post about one of our attendees and hear from Krupali as she describes her recruiting experience with ADP & Grace Hopper.
#WomenInTech #ADPLife
To learn more about our Campus Programs, visit Who We Hire.
Tech & Innovation Blog
Internships to a Full-Time Career
Campus Development Programs, Intern to Full-Time, Pasadena
Accessible Video Controls
Video: Internships to a full-time career
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[LOGO: ADP, Always Designing for People]
[TEXT: Omar, Application Developer]
I actually started out here as an intern. I applied for the position two years ago. What kind of made me look into ADP itself was kind of, I had noticed the name ADP before, what it stood for. Its purpose. And the recognition it has in the industry, as a company.
So right off the bat, right away, I was like, OK, great. That’s probably a good position. I ended up applying two weeks later. I got a call from one of our associates here. I had the interview over the phone, and a week later, I was in the office.
It was a great experience to have a fresh out of college, going into a company like ADP. Fast moving, and I’ve learned so much in the last few years. It’s been a great journey so far.
Why do I stay at ADP? More than anything, I would say, the culture, the people, and the inclusion of being part of something greater. Here at ADP, I feel like, regardless of where you come from, we have people from all different cultures, different experiences, right? All different types of places.
And here, [it] doesn’t matter where you come from. If you are a junior programmer or barely getting into the field, if you have ideas, you’re more than welcome to share those ideas with everyone here. You have the ability to create. People really take your ideas to heart. It’s a company where you, I feel like, gives you a vessel where you can create and show your creativity.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TEXT: Ready to design what’s next? Visit tech.adp.com/careers.]
[LOGO: ADP, Always Designing for People]
[TEXT: ADP, the ADP logo, and Always Designing for People are trademarks of ADP, LLC. Copyright © 2020 ADP, LLC. All rights reserved.]
As you may be aware, we have a robust technology internship program. This is where we train our future leaders and innovators. Hear from Omar as he shares his experience as an Intern to a Full-Time Application Developer, why he chose ADP, and why he is proud to work for #ADPTech.
Tech & Innovation Blog
ADP recognizes three students for STEAM Awards
Scholarship Winners, Women in Tech, Diversity & Inclusion
Accessible Video Controls
Video: ADP recognizes three students for STEAM Awards
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TEXT] When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, WIT was faced with how to give inspiring STEAM students scholarship awards virtually. Fake interviews were set up to lead the scholarship winners into believing they had one last interview before a decision was made. Their reactions were priceless.
[DESCRIPTION] Young women of color speak to administrators on video screens.
[MARIUM ZAFAR] I’m a student at Georgia Gwinnett College majoring in IT.
[EVE BARRETT] I’m an incoming senior at Agnes Scott. Right here right next to me is my mom.
[SANDY ALI] I am a senior at Georgia Gwinnett College majoring in information technology software development and minoring in business.
[MARIUM ZAFAR] I think I took like an intro to coding class, and I said, oh no, I can’t do this. I was letting the environment influence me rather than letting my dreams or what I wanted to do influence me.
[SANDY ALI] When it comes to talking about WIT, it really helped me believe in myself when I was the only female in all my IT classes. I thought this, I’m in the wrong field. IT is not for me. And that’s why WIT actually supported me and believed in me.
[MARIUM ZAFAR] So when I joined Women in Tech, I was just so excited to see women in tech, women in STEM, and that be something that was normalized. So I want to be able to show other girls you can also go into tech.
[EVE BARRETT] Women who look like me, women of color, young girls of color, letting them know that you can do whatever you set your mind to. You shouldn’t let the statistics bother you. That’s what I’m trying to do in pursuing STEAM.
[KANYATTA WALKER] Have to let you in on a tad bit of a little bit of the secret here. So this is kind of a hoax. We knew all along you were the scholarship winner. So let’s just make it official. Congratulations.
[AISHA THOMAS PETIT] Congratulations.
[MARIUM ZAFAR] Did everybody know?
[LAUGHTER]
[MARIUM ZAFAR] Brianna, she knew ahead? Brianna, I’m going to text you after this and we’re going to talk.
[KANYATTA WALKER] Winner of the Women in Technology $5,000 scholarship from ADP is Eve Barrett. Congratulations.
[EVE BARRETT] Thank you.
[DESCRIPTION] Women smile and Eve hugs her mom.
[LAUGHTER]
[AISHA THOMAS PETIT] They made me do it, Eve. They made me do it.
[KANYATTA WALKER] Congratulations.
[SANDY ALI] Is that a joke?
[LAUGHTER]
For real?
[AISHA THOMAS PETIT] We’re very serious.
[DESCRIPTION] Young woman clutches her face.
[SANDY ALI] Thank you so much. I appreciate you so much for believing in me and for believing my goals and my dreams and awarding me this scholarship. It’s very honoring.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[LOGO] 2020 WIT CONNECT VIRTUAL
[TEXT] Thank you all those that participated in the making of this special video:
ADP:
Aisha Thomas-Petit, Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer.
Kanyatta Walker, VP, Global Product & Technology.
Georgia Gwinnett College:
Dr. Sonal Dekhane, Interim Dean, School of Science & Technology.
Dr. Umar Khokhar, Assistan Professor of Information Technology.
Dr. Hyesung Park, Assistan Professor.
Brianna Hickson, Student, Co-President WIT Campus for GGC.
[LOGO] ADP, Always Designing for People.
[TEXT] ADP and the ADP logo are registered trademarks of ADP, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 2020 ADP, Inc.
Catch all the feels as Aisha, our Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, and Kanyatta, one our Vice Presidents, break the news to three lucky STEAM winners for ADP scholarships. (Spoiler: there may have been some tears!)
Tech & Innovation Blog
ADP: A Virtual Internship Experience in Global Product & Technology
Interns, Virtual, Campus Programs
Accessible Video Controls
Video: ADP: A Virtual Internship Experience in Global Product & Technology
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TEXT] Meet ADP’s 2020 Global Product and Technology Summer Interns. When we first met our soon-to-be GPT Summer 2020 Interns, we never could have predicted how quickly the world would shift. We are so grateful to our 115 Summer Interns who came along on this virtual journey with us. So much so, that we’d like you to meet some of them.
[DESCRIPTION] Pictures appear one by one of young adults. Two of the young men and a young woman introduce themselves in videos. Text, Hello from our GPT Interns.
[PRANSHAV THAKKAR] Hey, everyone. My name is Pranshav Thakkar, and I’m a computer science Master’s major at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I have one semester left, so I’ll be graduating in December of 2020.
[MISCAN BUGATTI] Hi. My name’s Miscan Bugatti and I study at the University of Minnesota at Twin Cities, and I will be graduating next spring, so spring 2021. I’m majoring in computer science and have been loving it so far.
[WILLIAM ZUBACK] Hey, everyone. My name is William Zuback, and I’m an intern here at ADP. This coming fall, I’m going to be a senior at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, where I’m majoring in information science and minoring in leadership studies as part of the President’s Leadership Program there.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TEXT] When asked how to describe ADP in one word, here’s what we heard. Diverse, Supportive, Nurturing, Balance, Welcoming, Meaningful, Innovative. Here is some advice for future #ADPTech Interns.
[PRANSHAV THAKKAR] Hey, everyone. So my advice for future interns is don’t be afraid to ask questions or speak up or talk to anyone, because everyone here is really, really friendly and they want to see you succeed.
[SPEAKER] So one major advice I’d like to give future interns is to ask smart questions.
[WILLIAM ZUBACK] I think the best piece of advice that I could offer to a future intern of ADP is not be afraid to ask questions.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TEXT] Ready to see highlights from our virtual offices? Let’s Go. As a GPT Intern, you’ll receive:
• Exposure, guidance and learnings from Senior Leaders.
• Access to a mentorship program.
• Experience meaningful, global project-based work.
• Gain a sense of community with fellow interns.
• Participate in a corporate social responsibility day.
[DESCRIPTION] A man appears on a video call.
[AARON SMITH] Hi, everyone. My name is Aaron Smith, and I’m SVP of Product Development for our National Accounts Business Unit here at ADP. We’re really excited to have you join our team. And this week, I’m also excited to share with you some of my own experiences along with a little bit about the technology that we’re building.
[SUJINAN VENKATESH] My name is Sujnan Venkatesh. I am the Head of HR for the Global Product and Technology Organization at ADP. I want to start off with extending an extremely warm welcome to all of you to ADP and to a new normal. I didn’t think that I was going to be doing my first talk with all of you virtually, and it seems like it’s going to be like that for a little bit. So I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[DESCRIPTION] A laptop screen shows a video call with two men.
[TEXT] Demo meeting with my manager and mentor.
[DESCRIPTION] A screen shows a video conference with 25 participants. A screen shows another video conference.
[TEXT] Intern Happy Hours are my favorite.
[DESCRIPTION] Pictures showing a smiling young man and woman while holding boxes at a food bank.
[TEXT] Ready to design what’s next? Visit tech.adp.com. Find your way into our world. Follow us at ADP Careers. #ADPTech.
[LOGO] ADP, Always Designing for People.
[TEXT] ADP and the ADP logo are registered trademarks of ADP, Inc. Copyright 2020 ADP, Inc.
Faced with the challenges of 2020, ADP moved ahead and took this year’s global summer internship program virtual! How did it go? Hear what our interns had to say!
All-Female 48-Hour Hackathon Attracted 200 Virtual Participants
ADP supports events such as this in an effort to encourage more young women to pursue STEM careers.
During a global health event with social distancing in full swing, is there any group better prepared to embrace a 48-hour virtual gathering than tech-savvy female students? Probably not. For the second time, ADP sponsored the Major League Hacking (MLH) Hack Girl Summer Hackathon to encourage female software engineers to pursue their dreams. But this was the first time the event was not held in person.
The June 19-21 virtual hackathon attracted more than 200 participants and at least 50 ADP associates volunteered as organizers, mentors, judges and participants for this event.
Daina Bowler, ADP Vice President of Sales and iWIN board chairperson, kicked off the event, delivering her remarks via streaming platform. Daina told viewers that the ADP iWIN business resource group is comprised of 5,000 ADP women from around the world who are dedicated to encouraging and preparing women and young girls to achieve successful careers in STEM.
After the welcome, participants quickly organized into 70+ teams and then started the creative process and coding effort to develop the best application. The popular gaming chat application Discord was used to find team members to work with and to find mentors to chat with while hacking.
ADP volunteer mentors had their own active Discord channel where coders could ask for guidance on project ideas or pose technical questions to troubleshoot issues. As the corporate sponsor, ADP also presented two well-received workshops.
Workshops
Aini Ali, ADP Vice-President, SBS Operations and iWin Empower Board Chairperson; and Laura Colon, Senior Program Manager – SBS Operations; conducted the first workshop, “Up and Coming Technology” which described all the amazing ways technology has changed the world. She described the incredible advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation that will drive future innovation. It is a very exciting time to be a techie!
Ellen Hongo, ADP Senior Director of Strategy GSS, conducted the second workshop “Crafting a Chatbot People Want to Use.” Ellen described what goes into designing and creating chatbots using IBM Watson technology, and how they are used at ADP to improve client experience and support. Ellen’s workshop opened a new area in automations for the young women to consider as they prepare to enter the workforce of the future.
The ADP challenge “Happy at Home Presented by ADP” was to create a hack that helps folks stay happy at home. The participants’ project could be designed to tackle at-home productivity and entertainment, make working remotely easier, or help users connect with friends and family remotely.
After 48 hours of intense coding and a long sleepless weekend, it was time for the judges to see all the application demos and presentations by the students. There were 27 terrific submissions on DevPost for the ADP challenge. DevPost is a global community where software developers share their projects to inspire and learn from one another. The ADP volunteers on the judging panel evaluated and rated the projects on originality, technology, design, completion, learning and adherence to theme. There were so many fantastic projects made by women, for women. It was no easy task to choose the winner of the ADP challenge.
Challenge Winner
During the closing ceremony, Aini Ali announced the ADP challenge winner which was the application called “Inspiration.” This creative iOS application was developed by a high school student who wanted to empower other young women to pursue their interests in STEM because diversity is important in the STEM field. The Inspiration app allows young girls to explore different STEM careers through simple objects.
Users point their phone’s camera at an object and take a picture of it. Using machine learning and object detection/image labeling, the app detects what object is in the photo. It then displays relevant careers in STEM involving the object and prompts the user to view an influential woman in the same career. Every day, the app’s home page displays a new influential female for girls to learn about.
The iOS app was built using Xcode and SwiftUI. For the front end, the student designed all the UI using Sketch. For the backend, she used machine learning API and Firebase. The machine learning API uses the ML Kit Image Labeling’s base TensorFlow model in order to predict the objects in the photos. The Inspiration app was truly a very creative and innovative application!
The Major League Hacking Organization (MLH) organizers truly appreciate ADP’s sponsorship and partnership. We look forward to doing many more hackathons together in the future. Thank you to all the ADP volunteers for the outstanding energy they brought to this event. We all learned so much about new technologies used to conduct a virtual event of this magnitude and it was an amazing experience.
ADP is proud to support women’s hackathons to encourage more young women to relentlessly pursue their dreams of changing the world using innovative technology. Through this hackathon sponsorship and our significant partnership with Girls Who Code – focused on closing the gender gap in tech — ADP demonstrates our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion by promoting and supporting women in technology careers.
Learn about STEM career opportunities at ADP by visiting tech.adp.com.
Tech & Innovation Blog
When things go South, you go North, East or West!
Career Advice, Culture, Women in STEM
Sometimes, it is obvious. Sometimes, it is subtle. Yet, in all cases, there are early warning signs. If only we could pause to take it in!
Where is that time anyway? When we are pursuing a Ph.D., juggling life as a student or mid-career professional, so often, we only catch ourselves off course a bit later than we would have liked.
The world of work, as we have known it has been changing for a long time now. If you are in the United States, the change has been visible…
- The highways we paid tolls on used to have people manning booths and giving out change. Now, we have EZPass and exact change lanes!
- The supermarket and grocery store checkout lines had cashiers and more lanes open. Now, we have self-checkouts!
- The number of supervisory (aka people management) roles are decreasing. A great example, next time you go shopping, look out for the robots (yup, I am serious) that now perform repeatable tasks of checking “status” and reporting up.
- And so many more…if only we paused to take it in.
Thanks to much-needed automation and business process improvements, essential for the evolution and optimization of business, the current workforce (yes, that is us!) are directly or indirectly in the path of changing work models that offer significant growth opportunities and yes, challenges.
The way I like to think about it is this: a challenge is an opportunity to rethink and reimagine the possibilities previously undiscovered.
As individuals, we spend a tremendous amount of time at work and put our hearts and souls into doing our very best to deliver stellar results, and look to grow with and within the organization. Passion, purpose, and growth are essential contributors to happiness. Happy employees find intrinsic motivation to explore, experiment and excel in their work through moments of Flow. That work happiness is abundantly positive and contagious in a way that radiates through every interaction with every person.
In the landscape of robots, robotic process automation, and AI that look to optimize work environments, there are naturally fewer vertical job opportunities as organizations realign to provide abundant lateral growth opportunities and training for their employees.
In the fast-changing world of work, it is natural to feel disappointed and frustrated when conversations with the manager on career-growth prospects either do not exist or are bland and uni-directional. We are human. It’s natural to want recognition and additional responsibilities that offer growth to learn something new.
When things go South, there are early warning signs in conversations such as “why you are not qualified” rather than “how you can acquire skills needed.” Then, out of the blue, that position you aspired to have and worked very hard to get goes to someone else.
Yes, it happened. You just got passed over for a promotion, and the only thought that fills your mind is that you must quit and find a new job on the internet!
How about we change the situation to our advantage? It is in moments of utter despair that we are closest to finding our success. But that can only happen if we can recover fast and find our inner strength to ReEmerge stronger and more resilient than we have ever been before.
- Easier said than done, yes, but why not consider this event as a welcome sign for us to get out of our comfort zone and try something new in another part of our organization?
- Start by identifying your passion and your purpose. Find alternative applications in emerging fields and cool new projects. The human mind has unlimited potential, so believe in yourself. You will be amazed at the strengths you discover within yourself.
We are amazing Individual Centers of Excellence (I.C.O.E.), and we own and drive our career to define our success.
We can grow in any direction we want and go as far as we choose to and do so at the pace that works for us.
Yes, take that vacation time off or mental health day to relax, recharge, and reactivate the inner core strengths that propel you forward. Identify new areas of growth within yourself and the organization.
You can leverage your tenure, experience, and expertise to your advantage and help support your organization’s business goals. Cross-pollination provides an excellent opportunity to add your uniquely human perspective.
Continuous learning is critical to personal and professional growth and helps to future proof your career, so keep learning! There are so many free and low-cost online options including Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and also check for learning options within your organization.
Yes, there is hope, and there are new areas of growth…just not where you expected to find them.
- Go North! Yes, get out of your comfort zone and explore opportunities in other areas of the business operations using your translatable and scalable skills.
- Go East! Look at job opportunities posted on your organization’s career portal. Set up a quick 15-min conversation with that hiring manager to discuss their expectations of skills, responsibilities, and business outcomes to see if the opportunity is for you. Is that not cool?
- Go West! Quickly learn a brand-new skill that is in demand and explore lateral movement in your group by asking your manager to expand your role to increase your responsibility.
Please, invest in your career success. Build on your tenure and grow with and within your organization.
So, have you identified any early warning signs? If so, have you looked at your career portal to initiate a conversation with another hiring manager?
Oh, the places you can go, if only you keep driving. Best of Luck!
(Originally published on LinkedIn November 4, 2019. Republished with permission.)
Tech & Innovation Blog
Designing a Happy Career and Loving Your Work #GHC19
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Speaking at#GHC19 was a priceless experience! It was truly an honor to be accepted to speak at GHC.
Jyotsna M. Speaker GHC 2019; 12th year at ADP | Lead Product Manager – Security, Access and Identity Management, Global Products and Technology
It gives me great joy to write my first article and dedicate it to the amazing Grace Hopper Celebration 2019 in Orlando, Florida. Wow, 25,000 attendees and very well organized and executed, congrats to all.
Speaking at#GHC19 was a priceless experience! It was truly an honor to be accepted to speak at GHC. Thoroughly enjoyed and loved the amazing experience speaking at #GHC19 at CR222: Designing a Happy Career and Loving your Work at the Hyatt Orlando Ballroom L.
I am feeling very blessed to have had this opportunity to make an impact on the career growth for success and happiness of 400 women and so many more through this session. Thank you #AnitaB.
Heard of Buy One Get One Free? That’s it — First-time speaker and first-time attendee… super cool and a blessing to remember and reflect on the opportunity. There is an unwritten rule, rightfully so, to be aware of the great responsibility that I have been given to share, inspire, and empower our attendees, mostly women and students, to pursue their career aspirations and find areas to grow in the landscape of AI, robot, and robotic process automation.
“Keep learning, keep growing, and be happy always.”
Video recording of CR222: Designing a Happy Career and Loving your Work delivered on Oct. 4, 2019
Stop worrying, start preparing! It is natural to be worried about jobs disappearing because of a fast-changing industry where the norm is either disrupt or be disrupted. Worrying does not help, it that not true? So why not apply the lessons from our own life to prepare for the future that is here and now?
Got to love networking and meeting new people who become friends! It was an amazing experience to attend the celebration, connect with amazing speakers during the speaker reception and build relationships that we will cherish for a long time and take this priceless memory with us. Everywhere we go, people want to know that we are a #GHC19_Speaker. Let us make a meaningful difference in our communities and help support each other.
Work culture matters! We spend a phenomenal amount of time at work and it is most important to be in an environment that is accepting you for the person you are and providing you the coaching to mold you into the person you become as you learn to grow with and within the organization. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect and bond with my friends at ADP. I can just go on and on about how cool it is to know about the different projects we work on and how we brainstorm and connect as people first to deliver the best results for our business. We are a very diverse team and it is great to work in a culture that is inclusive and promotes talent growth and innovation in everything we do… it’s priceless! Checkout ADP Tech careers!
Diversity and Inclusion are most important for the success of the business! The mention of #GHC19 and AnitaB.Org — leading the frontiers in diversity, inclusion, and beyond… empowers you to find your inner courage and step up the game to be part of a cause that is so much bigger than ourselves. I am talking about achieving the rightful recognition for our work and opportunities to pursue career aspirations and initiate crucial conversations with the manager or mentor on ways to grow with and within the organization.
Mentoring — A GIFT THAT PAYS FORWARD! Truly thrilled to have the opportunity to mentor our student attendees to share our experiences and help them navigate the current landscape.
- I discovered a technique that I would call speed mentoring… focus on the quality of the conversation to guide and coach, rather than quantity, and leveraged LinkedIn Messaging and in-person time at the conference over coffee or waiting at the food court.
- Trust me, so many easy ways to mentor and it does not need to feel overwhelming.
- Set expectations and get ready to learn from brilliant young minds, yes, mentors learn as well during this process.
Time goes fast… Yes, it is natural to want to be in that space of GHC and not leave. Yet, we have the responsibility to bring back our learnings with us to apply at work so we can change our minds, change our perspectives, and set course towards career success and abundant happiness for ourselves. This inner happiness will propel us forward and become our catalyst to create new pathways to pursue.
#WEWILL change the world as we design our own careers and find our new destinations in our unique journeys for a very happy career journey. Future is here and now… 3, 2, 1 — let’s reactivate our career aspirations and find our happiness doing what we love — it’s important!
Let the learning continue… here is to continued success to all of us in all that we do! Best of Luck! See you soon #GHC20.
(Originally published on LinkedIn October 10, 2019. Republished with permission.)
