Valuable Career Lessons For Every CS Student From Sreekuttan Sudarsanan

If you are a CS student you are probably wondering, what does it take to land a software developer job at Apple? 

Why not ask Sreekuttan Sudarsanan (sreekuttan.me)? This young guy has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a wealth of experience in software development.

And here are a few career tips every CS student can learn from him!

Who Is Sreekuttan Sudarsanan?

Ever since he was a child, Sreekuttan was fascinated by technology. His passion for IT considerably influenced his career choice and helped him find his happiness in Computer Science.

So, Sreekuttan got a Bachelor’s Degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia. And today, this aspiring young professional enjoys participating in hackathons. In addition, he is solving complex programming tasks, and connecting with like-minded people.

“Ever since I was a child I loved to explore old computers, iPods, and such. It was just a big fascination to me as to how this works and all. Now as a young adult I am intrigued by innovations in the technology community.”

Professional Achievements Of This CS Student

Sreekuttan is a curious-minded software developer, who enjoys discovering new perspectives from the industry. Even though he is still at the very beginning of his career, his achievements are quite spectacular. Therefore, just keep reading, and it will be clear why a CS student can learn a lot from Sreekuttan.

Sreekuttan worked as an End-User Support Specialist at Drexel University. Additionally, he worked as a Software Developer at multiple companies, including Drexel Empathic Labs, Dell Boomi, and Skillz Inc. 

In 2021, Sreekuttan landed a job at Apple as a Software Engineering Intern. Today, he is an invaluable member of the Sharing and Proximity team, where he works on designing, implementing, and validating production-quality software.  

How To Pursue A Career As A CS Student?

The Computer Science field is growing at an astonishing pace. It consists of a wide range of theoretical and practical areas one needs to bring to perfection in order to succeed. 

Therefore, pursuing a successful career in CS takes more than excellent technical knowledge. 

Here is what Sreekuttan teaches you about advancing your professional path in this sector:

Carve Out Your Industry Skills

Sreekuttan’s example proves that it takes a great deal of self-motivation and discipline to pursue a successful career in Computer Science. Most importantly, he shows how important it is to be enthusiastic about what you do. It is the passion for continuous professional development that helped Sreekuttan put himself on the radars of big companies like Apple. 

This determined CS professional has been continuously improving his programming skills. He is proficient in HTML/CSS, C++, JavaScript, XML, Java, and Illustrator.

Unleash Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

What sets an elite Computer Scientist from an average one? From this CS student’s example, we can conclude that the key is innovativeness and a meticulously-nurtured entrepreneurial spirit. 

Sreekuttan’s entrepreneurial mindset is best reflected in the multitude of projects he worked on during his academic years. 

One of them is Altitude, an innovative vacation rental platform. Primarily developed in HTML and CSS, this platform also uses the Amadeus API and the Google Places API for searching and recommending travel options. 

However, one of the projects Sreekuttan is most proud of is his FlashCard Generator. This piece of software helps students easily review lessons by generating random flashcards. Flashcards are generated either manually or through the speech-to-text process. 

Limited programming experience or the lack of tools should not prevent you from growing your innovative ideas into something valuable and meaningful. On the contrary, that is the opportunity to acquire more hands-on experience. It also helps prepare for the unique challenges that every new project bears. 

Give Back To Community

Regardless of his hectic schedule, Sreekuttan somehow manages to find time to volunteer. 

During his university years, this CS student was a Vice President of DUCSTeach, a student-led organization. The team unified volunteers from Drexel University who provided technical assistance to local schools in need. 

The goal was to make Computer Science more available to students who wanted to learn more about it. So, they worked with both middle and high schools, using gamification to make Computer Science understandable. Sreekuttan’s task was, among other things, the development and execution of a curriculum for an Intro to Computer Science course.

Apart from making you feel good about contributing to the community, volunteering also plays a significant role in your career development. So, it adds value to your biography and helps you get noticed by socially responsible companies. 

Start A Personal Website

Now another useful tip for every CS student. We live in an enormous digital ecosystem. So, creating a detailed resume or a LinkedIn profile is not enough to put yourself in front of potential employers. Building a personal website is the way to go. 

The example of Sreekuttan Sudarsanan backs me up on that. Here are a few personal website-building tips you can learn from this wise web developer:

Use your personal name in your domain name

Today, a growing number of employers research job applicants online to learn more about them. Owning a website with your personal name in the domain name gives you a noticeable advantage. 

And, that is exactly what Sreekuttan did. He combined his first name with the .ME domain extension to make his online presence more personal and memorable. If someone tries to look him up, his website will be the first thing they see on Google!

Control your online information

Owning a personal website helps you control what a potential employer will find when they search for you. 

A personal website offers you the freedom to present your professional information in ways that are not possible through social media. You see, social media use limited, pre-defined templates that make all profiles look the same. As a website owner, you decide how to present yourself to the world. 

For example, Sreekuttan uses his personal website to creatively emphasize his core CS skills and working experience. In addition, he provides a link to his online CV and social media channels, making himself more approachable to future employers.

Show that you take your job seriously

So, a neat, informative, and responsive personal website, like sreekuttan.me, also sends a message that you are a perfectionist and that you take your work seriously. Additionally, this gives a recruiter a glimpse into your personality and makes your online persona more relatable.

Wrapping Up

Computer Science is growing at an astonishing rate, providing young people with countless opportunities. You just need to explore its full potential and start developing your career strategically. We hope that the example of Sreekuttan Sudarsanan will help every CS student pursue a steady career in this area.

Sreekuttan, thanks for being such a valuable member of the .ME community!