BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
PRODID://WITN//424548
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260609T162650
VTIMEZONE:America/New_York
DTSTART:20250625T160000Z
DTEND:20250625T170000Z
UID:424548
SUMMARY:WIT Works Webinar - Bridging the Gap from Student to Professional!
LOCATION:Virtual
DESCRIPTION:WIT Works Webinar - Bridging the Gap from Student to Professional!\n\n06/25/25 12:00 PM EST\n - 06/25/25 01:00 PM EST\Description:\nThis WIT Works Webinar is open to all members of The WIT Network.\n\nMaking the leap from academia to the professional world can be both exciting and overwhelming. In this session, Dona Maria Jose, Senior Software Engineer at Salesforce, will guide students and recent graduates through the essential steps to thrive in their early careers. Covering topics from preparing yourself for the transition and navigating the first days on the job, to building strong networks, managing finances, and prioritizing self-care — this talk offers a holistic approach to launching a successful and sustainable professional journey. Attendees will gain practical strategies, actionable insights, and real-world advice to confidently bridge the gap from student to professional.\n\nYou'll walk away with:\n \n\n\n	Practical strategies to navigate the early days of a new job, including how to build your brand, understand team dynamics, and find growth opportunities.\n	Actionable tips for managing personal finances, such as budgeting, maximizing company benefits, and understanding ESPP and 401k plans.\n	Guidance on building meaningful networks, including finding mentors, engaging with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and participating in external communities.\n	A mindset shift toward embracing challenges and handling failures, to foster resilience and continuous learning.\n\n\nMeet Dona Maria Jose\n\nDona Maria Jose is a Senior Software Engineer at Slack with close to a decade of experience in Product Development. She focuses on fullstack development and her expertise is in developing highly scalable and reliable products. She holds a master's in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Arlington and has contributed to innovative projects at Visa, Microsoft, and Dropbox. As a passionate advocate for diversity, Dona founded the Dallas AnitaB community and is a Global Volunteer Leader for AnitaB.org. She also serves as a Women Tech Makers Ambassador and mentors students, empowering women and international students to pursue tech careers. Her speaking engagements focus on career growth, personal branding, and mentorship.\n\nWednesday, June 25, 2025            \n12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time\Location:\nVirtual\n\n,
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:WIT Works Webinar - Bridging the Gap from Student to Professional!<br /><br />06/25/25 12:00 PM EST - 06/25/25 01:00 PM EST<br />Description:<br /><p><img alt="" src="https://thewitnetwork.com/photos/Dona_Marie_Jose_Framed_05162025215328.PNG" style="float:left; margin-left:20px; margin-right:20px; width:300px" /><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif"><strong>This WIT Works Webinar is open to all members of The WIT Network.</strong><br />
<br />
Making the leap from academia to the professional world can be both exciting and overwhelming. In this session, Dona Maria Jose, Senior Software Engineer at Salesforce, will guide students and recent graduates through the essential steps to thrive in their early careers. Covering topics from preparing yourself for the transition and navigating the first days on the job, to building strong networks, managing finances, and prioritizing self-care &mdash; this talk offers a holistic approach to launching a successful and sustainable professional journey. Attendees will gain practical strategies, actionable insights, and real-world advice to confidently bridge the gap from student to professional.<br />
<br />
You'll walk away with:</span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Practical strategies to navigate the early days of a new job, including how to build your brand, understand team dynamics, and find growth opportunities.</span></span></span></li>
	<li><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Actionable tips for managing personal finances, such as budgeting, maximizing company benefits, and understanding ESPP and 401k plans.</span></span></span></li>
	<li><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Guidance on building meaningful networks, including finding mentors, engaging with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and participating in external communities.</span></span></span></li>
	<li><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">A mindset shift toward embracing challenges and handling failures, to foster resilience and continuous learning.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif"><strong>Meet Dona Maria Jose</strong><br />
<br />
Dona Maria Jose is a Senior Software Engineer at Slack with close to a decade of experience in Product Development. She focuses on fullstack development and her expertise is in developing highly scalable and reliable products. She holds a master's in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Arlington and has contributed to innovative projects at Visa, Microsoft, and Dropbox. As a passionate advocate for diversity, Dona founded the Dallas AnitaB community and is a Global Volunteer Leader for AnitaB.org. She also serves as a Women Tech Makers Ambassador and mentors students, empowering women and international students to pursue tech careers. Her speaking engagements focus on career growth, personal branding, and mentorship.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif"><strong style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif; font-size:16px">Wednesday, June 25, 2025&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</strong><br />
<strong>12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time</strong></span></span></span><br />Location:<br />Virtual<br /><br />,  
PRIORITY:3
TRANSP:TRANSPARENT
BEGIN:VALARM
TRIGGER:-PT5M
ACTION:DISPLAY
DESCRIPTION:Reminder
END:VALARM
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR