In this interview, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Sebastian Munoz, an alum of our March 2022 cohort. He already applied for a Project Management internship at Accenture when he began School16, and credits the program with getting him through the interview process!
Before joining School16, you were studying computer science in community college, and getting ready to transfer to a four year program. What made you then decide to get into tech?
I was struggling to get an internship. I was interested in project management and technical consulting and wanted to better my chances.
How did School16 impact your internship search?
I started my cohort when it was time to interview, which I think played a huge role in helping me secure the role.
I was a Business Analyst intern at Accenture Consulting with a focus on Project Management.
Tell me more about this Project Management focus.
I was exposed to different facets of consulting. In one data gathering project, I was the digital liaison between the engineering team and stakeholders. I also did more business analyst work with the sales and finance teams.
I don’t like feeling bottled into a narrow pathway. I’m glad I got to wear many hats in this role, and have cast a wide net looking for my next role.
That sounds like interesting work! Now you entered School16 with an interest in tech already. What wins did you leave with?
I learned to be more intentional with my connections. That was a game changer.
I reached out to my managers and coworkers and connected on LinkedIn so we could stay in touch.
Since my cohort ended, I’ve been going to bars and events with friends to meet new people. I’m really glad I’ve stuck with that.
I’d ask you what aspects of networking stuck with you the most, but it seems like you’ve been doing a little bit of everything, from cold outreach to meetups in person!
I’m a very sociable person. Here’s the difference. Before, I was only social to make friends. School16 helped me realize that I can expand this skill to help make connections in my career.
Beyond networking, speaking up really impacted my role at Accenture. I was among a group of interns and found out one day a lot of them weren’t asking for help.
On the other hand, I was always asking, to the point where I thought I was being annoying! It was cool to find out I was doing something that other people weren’t, and that our managers were encouraging. After all, they didn’t expect us to know everything.
Based on your Project Management role and experience at School16, what advice would you give to a fellow alum who has just completed the program?
I would say it’s a numbers and time game. This can feel mentally grueling.
So think about it this way. You want to try and get to as many interviews as you can. The amount of time you put in does pay off. Persist. Just keep going.
