The document provides 8 tips for new graduates from the CEO of Charity Blossom. The tips include working hard, loving your job, making friends, understanding politics, having a career path, not eating all the free food, recognizing the importance of women in the workplace, and continuing to learn through reading blogs and forums. The document is targeted at software engineers but may provide general guidance. It encourages graduates to seize opportunities available to them as valued employees while also maintaining a work-life balance.

1. 8 tips for new graduates
A slightly irreverent viewpoint
Wayne K.Yamamoto, CEO
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

2. CSE as a Foundation
Wayne K.Yamamoto
CEO, Co-Founder
Co-Founder, VP Products
Chief Architect (first engineer),
Vice President, Engineering
Sun Microsystems, Engineer
Bell Labs, Engineer
University of Washington
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

3. Helping your charity blossom
(commercial)
• Startup in Palo Alto, CA
• Help nonprofits raise money
• “Work hard. Do Good. Get Paid.”
• Looking for interns and new grads (engineers)
• Interested?
www.charityblossom.org/corp/uw
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

4. A perspective from the
trenches
• Intended for new graduates entering the
work force
• Mostly for software engineers...
• ...joining a startup
• ...but possibly helpful in general
• Your mileage may vary
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

5. Nerds (you) rule!
You are valued, in high demand, and have power.
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

6. Nose to the grindstone
Work Hard!!
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

7. Love what you do
Life is short.
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

8. Make Friends
Summer Bash
This is important.... but go to the parties.
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

9. Politics Matter
You “Cool Kids”
Make friends with the cool kids.
It’s junior high school all over again.
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

10. Have a career path
Guido
van Rossum
l
ch nica
Te
Mark
Zuckerberg
Bill
Gates
You
Bus
ine
ss
Steve
Jobs
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

11. Don’t eat all the chips
There will be free food. It’s not without cost.
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

12. Women matter(s)
: = 10:1
Sheryl Sandberg, Emma Brunskill,
Barbie COO Facebook UW/MIT/UCB Joy Su,
Topix
Barb Liskov,
Adriana Gascoigne MIT
Marissa Mayer, Gail Alverson,
yamamoto@charityblossom.org VP Google UW/Cray
www.charityblossom.org

13. 8 tips
• Nerds (you) rule!
• Keep your nose to the grindstone
• Love what you do
• Make friends
• Politics matter
• Have a career path
• Don’t eat all the chips
• Women matter(s)
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

14. Reading
• TechCrunch
• Techmeme
• Hacker News
• stackoverflow
• reddit
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org

15. Questions?
Wayne K.Yamamoto, CEO
Charity Blossom (www.charityblossom.org)
yamamoto@charityblossom.org
www.charityblossom.org