Empathy Map for the Design Thinking on-line course at Stanford University.

1. Empathy Map for Design Thinking Course at Stanford University
Say:
• It was very frustrating with finding a job, as I didnʼt know where to start looking.
• After I found an initial place to look for a job (university job center), they didnʼt have much
coverage in the IT industry.
• I found it frustrating to find places where to look for work, a university jobs center wasnʼt
very useful with suggestions on further search.
• I wanted to stay in the same city and find a local company to work for.
• I ended up googling a lot and trying my luck with online IT-specialised agencies.
• I felt intimidated by requirements for a graduate student as nearly 80% of technologies
wasnʼt covered during a university program.
• University jobs fair was useful in a sense to see who your potential employees and hear
what youʼre expected to know.
• I kept thinking that I have forgotten to ask relevant and important questions from
potential companies Iʼd like to work for.
• I havenʼt realised that jobs fair was a miniature interview, in a sense, and wish I was
better prepared with questions and research.
• I was extremely nervous during the interview process as I knew that my current
knowledge from a university only matched half of what was on the requirement list of
technologies a company expected you to know.
• I havenʼt realised that companies are also interested in people who can work in teams,
eager to learn and are not afraid of responsibility. As such I havenʼt told them about my
successful experience in that areas.
• First days at work I was unctuous that I donʼt know what they expect me to know.
• Actually, even have graduated with 1st class, I still felt apologetic about luck of my
knowledge, I donʼt know if itʼs due to the fact that Iʼm a girl and there arenʼt many females
in IT. I was a second programmer in the 30-35 people company.
• I was lucky enough to work for medium sized company who valued their employers.
• I enjoyed the fact that questions were welcomed and I was given help with learning new
things.
• I have to say that we have covered lots of theory at a university, which was great base
knowledge.
• I wish that we had more practical and realistic problems assignments in the university. I
think that it would help me more at work.
Think:
• That companies wonʼt compromise on knowledge set.
• Not thinking that companies have human and character related values and requirements
rather than only knowledge ones.
• That more realistic assignments at university would have helped to better prepare for
real life work.

2. Feel:
• Frustrating not to know where to look for a job in a specific sector.
• Very nervous during the interviews because of being a woman in men dominant industry.
• Very nervous during the interview because of lack of the initial/graduate knowledge.
• Enjoyed working in the supporting work environment.
Insight:
Knowledge and experience centered view of working for a real life company is only a part
of it. Employees need to understand that their human related characteristics, such as,
desire to learn, ability to take responsibilities, good team worker, as important as their
knowledge. Nurturing these abilities will help them to reach their potential and allow them
to keep improving.
Problem Statement:
A 1st class female IT course graduate, highly motivated, avid learner, high standard work
oriented, responsibility taking, who works equally well in a team or alone needs a way to
be better emotionally prepared for work at a real life company because she has got a
narrow understanding of what a real world company values thus preventing her reaching
her potential and contributing to companyʼs business.