Career Awareness Program: A Visit at Google

“I had an awesome time at Google! I learned a lot about the different jobs, ate some snacks and one day maybe I can be a Googler too,” 13-year-old CAP student, Matthew shared.  

The Career Awareness Program (CAP) is designed to help New York City adolescents understand the relationship between school and work. They attend Camp Mariah during the summer and participate in year-round programs including Tutoring and Job Shadowing opportunities during the school year. Job Shadowings provide students with an inside look at different careers and companies – and their most recent trip was a visit to the Google headquarters.  

As soon as we entered Google headquarters located at a busy Manhattan intersection on 8^th Avenue, we were greeted by an incredible team of Googlers and a bright “Google” sign that reallycaught the student’s attention.  

Fresh Air students were guided through a tour of the main engineering offices – they discovered the game room, several kitchens with a lot of snacks, different workspaces and learned fun Google facts along the way! 

At the end of the tour, a team of Googlers shared about their own careers and their current role at Google. Fresh Air students had many questions for the Googlers – “What is your favorite part of working for Google?”, “What is the most memorable project you have worked on?”, “What is something we can do now if we are interested in working for Google someday?”, “Do you have any general career or school advice?”. Check out the Googlers advice below:  

• “Engage in volunteer work, mentorship opportunities and other programs that will expose you to people and experiences that will contribute to your overall growth and education/career aspirations,” – Faben Ayele, Account Manager 
• “Try everything! If there’s a class on coding, take it.  If there’s a talk about art, go to it.  The more you experience, the more next-steps seem possible.” – Corey Moran, Head of Industry, Luxury & Fashion 
• “Through my adult life I have learned how important it is to have a great network of support in all of my endeavors and only wish I started making connections even earlier.” – Antonia Mangino, Account Manager  
• “Figure out what you’re passionate about and look for work in that area. Also, make sure you read books, always keep learning.” – Kathryn Connor, Account Executive 

The students learned a very important lesson that a career path is a personal journey and that it is important to try and experience as many different things that interest you.  

“I wanted to go to Google because one day I want to be an engineer. I liked hearing about the Googlers job and learn that there are more jobs at google besides being an engineer,” 14-year-old, CAP student, Angela shared.