HFID Student Prudence McMaster Shares Her Experience at AfroTech

The annual AfroTech Conference is widely recognized as the largest Black tech conference, providing opportunity for students and aspiring tech professionals to connect with a community of 20,000+ Black tech innovators and recruiters. We interviewed MS Human Factors Information Design (HFID) student Prudence McMaster about her experience at the 2020 AfroTech event and how she landed her current position as Director of Services at F5 Solutions & Products.

1. Tell us more about you. Where are you from and what made you decide to study at Bentley University?

I am from San Juan Capistrano. I decided to go to Bentley because they are known for their Human Factors program. I spoke with Professor Bill Gribbons, the head of our department before signing up and he made the program come to life and sound amazing. So after that discussion I had to sign up. I was going to gain expertise in human factors, how could I resist?

2. Tell us about your experience attending the AfroTech conference in November.

It was virtual and extremely detailed and engaging. You could design your own avatar and go to the exhibit hall and talk to hundreds of recruiters across different industries. Or you could attend an event, listen to a talk, go to a virtual club 🙂,network with others and literally hear their voice through their avatar, or take a boat out on the virtual ocean.

3. What most surprised you about your experience?

How engaging it was not only during but after. I received notifications of past event recordings, offers to have complimentary resume review sessions, and updates about things I was interested in. I also received a handful of interviews as a result of attending the conference, one which resulted in me landing my current job as a director for a software company.

4. Who were you able to meet by attending the conference?

I was able to meet with several individuals in the field and made a plethora of connections with tech industry recruiters.

5. Are there other examples from your Bentley experience connecting with industry professionals that you would like to share?

They offer training events (the one on cryptocurrency was my favorite) and special access to talk with startups looking for industry candidates.

6. How did attending the conference help to shape your future career plans?

I found my current job by attending the conference, so it has had a positive impact on my future as I love what I do and who I work for. It has also shown me that positive things occur when you take the time to invest in yourself. Getting an education can be a pricey investment, but worth it, and necessary.

7. What are your plans after graduating? How do you think your education will help you achieve these goals?

My plans after school are to have such a profound understanding of human factors and to leverage my knowledge to produce high quality results. My long-term goal is to earn the title of Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at my current company.