Ninety of my first-year classmates signed up for Tech Trek and bought tickets to travel across the country during their fall break, with high expectations to learn more about the recruiting opportunities and visit the headquarters of companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. When I signed up to be one of the Tech Trek leaders, I had little knowledge (and a lot of anxiety) on how tech companies in the Bay Area and Seattle would perceive the Fuqua brand. Would they be willing to talk to our group of students?

Ultimately, I realized all the anxiety was unnecessary. I couldn’t have asked for a better reception from the companies and a stronger team spirit from our group of colleagues on this journey.

My first impression was being blown away to see how many different tech companies were more than happy to host, working hard to impress us and making sure that our expectations were surpassed. From big players such as Facebook, Cisco, and Salesforce, to smaller companies such as GoDaddy and Yelp, each company we visited made sure that we met with executive level employees, sometimes even including the CEO. Furthermore, a significant amount of time was spent by companies presenting key products that were not yet launched, touring the enormous campuses and displaying new technologies that are going to disrupt the market.

Secondly, I was impressed with the sheer size of the alumni community Fuqua has on the West Coast. Our school’s brand within the tech space is a strong one for sure, and the Team Fuqua spirit is ubiquitous. Almost every company we wanted to visit, even traditionally more reserved companies such as IDEO and Jabil, said “Yes!” to our request. The alumni we contacted went out of their way to make sure we had the best experience possible. We even had a coaching session on how to recruit for tech and be successful in whatever career we chose to pursue! To top it all of, around 40 alumni showed up to the happy hour we hosted in San Francisco. It was a memorable night, making me proud and grateful to be part of the Fuqua community.

My final impression was that much of Tech Trek’s incredible success was because of the cooperation from our classmates and the support of the Fuqua’s amazing Career Management Center. In just five business days we had visited nearly 20 different companies. Everyone embraced the Team Fuqua spirit and made sure we were having meaningful interactions and pushing the community forward in our learning journey. The bonus San Francisco event where prospective students joined us was a blast, and the last night gathering in Seattle was just the perfect ending to a great week.

Here are some additional thoughts from students in our group:

“I appreciated the selection of companies and that they were prepared to engage in discussions with us and show their company’s culture.”

“I liked the opportunity to get to know companies that were off my radar.”

“I gained a better understanding of the tech world, the types of roles, the different cultures and how companies are located across the Bay Area. Also, I liked getting to know other students who are as interested in tech as I am.”

I’m grateful to have such an amazing group of classmates and a supportive school community that helps each of us achieve our career goals. The tech DNA at Fuqua is a strong one for sure.

An Instagram Story from the visits to Amazon and Microsoft