Google@Middlebury
Several Middlebury alumni, who work at Google (“Googleburys”) in various functions, will be visiting campus to discuss career opportunities at Google, share insights into their work experience there, and offer advice on how to best prepare for such opportunities.
They will also conduct one-on-one resume review meetings with interested students and lead an afternoon of breakout sessions where they will discuss their respective functional roles and the future.
Google@Middlebury Schedule
Register for the individual events in Handshake by clicking the links below.
Thursday, October 26
7:00-7:45 pm - Google Information Session (BiHall 220)
Several Google alumni, working at Google in a variety a functions, will talk about careers at Google, what it is like to work there, and an overview of the hiring process. Students are then invited to stay for a social event to get to know the alumni over pizza and beverages.
A Conversation With:
- Aaron Smith ‘09, Head of Industry Content @ Google Cloud
- Dominick ‘Dom’ Jimenez ‘18, Associate Contracts Manager
- Jamie Crepps ‘10, People Operations, Program Management
- John Sterling ‘96, Software Engineer
- Sam Temes ‘07, Managing Director, Global Product & Sales Strategy
Moderated by: Jeff Sawyer, CCI Career Advisor Technology
7:45 to 8:30 pm - Pizza Social Event (BiHall 220)
All professionals in attendance for the program and students.
Friday, October 27
9:00 am-11:30 am - Resume Review Office Hours (Kitchel House)
If you are interested in a career in technology, don’t miss this chance to get valuable feedback on your resume from Middlebury alumni currently employed in the industry. Resume reviews are private, one-on-one 20-minute conversations.
Click on the link below to sign up for your 20-minute meeting with the alumni.
- Aaron Smith ‘09 (FMMC, Psychology), Head of Industry Content @ Google Cloud
- Caryn LoCastro ‘07 (Sociology & Anthropology), Senior Media Lead, Marketing at Google
- Dominick ‘Dom’ Jimenez ‘18, Associate Contracts Manager
- Jamie Crepps ‘10 (Economics, Spanish), People Operations, Program Management
- John Sterling ‘96 (Computer Science), Software Engineer
- Leah Bracken ‘18.5 (Computer Science), Google Cloud Engineer
- Sam Temes ‘07 (Geography), Managing Director, Global Product & Sales Strategy
12:15 – 1:15 pm - Product Commercialization and Go-to-Market (BiHall 216)
Please join several Googleburys working in a variety of different functions who will share details about the role of partnering across various functional teams to take a product from concept to commercial success. Googlers representing sales, engineering, product management, and everything in between, will bring to light the process and thinking that goes into designing, building and selling products for consumers and businesses alike.
1:30-4:15 pm - Workshops
Alumni will host workshops during this time focused on a variety of professional roles in technology, both technical and non-technical roles. The alumni host(s) will lead a conversation about what their functional work entails (“a day in the life of”), what is important for success in these roles, and how best to prepare yourself to pursue these opportunities. Each workshop is 45 minutes. Attend them all or select only the ones most relevant to you; there will be short breaks between each session to allow you to come and go.
1:30 to 2:15 - People Operations at Google is a Strategic Function (BiHall 219)
Jamie Crepps ‘10, People Operations, Program Management
People Operations (POps) focuses on the people side of business, designing and implementing programs and initiatives that create a culture of inclusion, belonging and innovation. Our goal is to create a workplace where everyone can do their best work and contribute to Google’s success. In this workshop, we will explore the different types of roles in People Operations, the skills that Google looks for when hiring for POps, and how your liberal arts background sets you up for success. Jamie will share more about her personal career journey at Google from sales to YouTube product strategy to People Ops – come learn more about what a career path could look like in a variety of non-technical roles at Google.
2:30 to 3:15 - Product Marketing & Media Strategy (BiHall 219)
Caryn LoCastro ‘07, Senior Media Lead, Google Marketing
What is Product Marketing and how does it work at Google? This session will explore the role of marketing within the tech product lifecycle, and how different teams come together to answer big questions like: what do consumers and businesses want from our products? How can we demonstrate our product magic in the marketplace? Caryn will share the mission behind her team, the Media Lab, and how Google’s advertising priorities are evolving, as well as what skills Middlebury students can expect to use in this type of role.
2:30 to 3:15 - Overview of First Destination Roles (BiHall 216)
John Sterling ‘96, Software Engineering Manager, Google
John will provide students with an overview of the typical first destination roles for CSCI majors within the tech industry, as well as the typical career path progression from that entry-level role. Discussion should include:
- A description of the “standard” entry-level SWE roles;
- Which ones are in most demand;
- What differentiates the roles;
- What types of individuals are best suited for those roles;
- The qualifications (academic and extracurricular) expected for these roles; and
- What students can do to best position themselves to get internships and full-
3:30 to 4:15 - The Art and Science of Technology Storytelling (BiHall 219)
Aaron Smith ‘09, Industry Marketing & Sales, Google Cloud
This session will explore the process of crafting business and technical content about Cloud, AI, and other emerging technologies. In his job at Google Cloud, Aaron grapples with questions like: “What is the right altitude to explain this technical concept? How do you simplify without being too simplistic? How much do you present what’s possible today vs. art of the possible tomorrow? How do you structure a tight story to hold an executive’s attention?” Aaron will share a perspective on careers at the intersection of product marketing, technical writing, and business development, and what impact generative AI might have on content development roles.
Guest Bios
Aaron Smith ‘09, Head of Industry Content, Regulated Industries @ Google Cloud
Aaron leads global sales content for Financial Services and Healthcare, creating customer-facing assets that position Google Cloud in the context of industry-specific challenges. Aaron spent 5 years with Google Ads translating consumer and market research into actionable insights for Financial Services customers. He now focuses on simplifying complex concepts for technical and business audiences, and supporting Google Cloud’s global sales team. Before Google, Aaron conducted primary research at Harvard Business School, where he worked with professors to co-author a dozen case studies in the technology sector, and led two studies quantifying the value of personal marketing data to the U.S. economy. He holds a Master of Science in Business Analytics from NYU Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College.
Caryn LoCastro ‘07, Senior Media Lead, Marketing at Google
Caryn is a senior lead on Google’s Media Lab team, overseeing integrated marketing campaigns for Google’s business products, consumer apps, and social responsibility initiatives in North America. Additionally she directs video innovation projects and thought leadership content across Marketing product areas, showcasing how Google’s media strategies can inspire other top advertisers. In her ten years at the company, Caryn has also led go-to-market strategy, market research, and brand consulting functions for US advertising solutions and sales teams, helping Fortune 500 customers unlock new opportunities through YouTube and Google Marketing Platform. Previously Caryn spent seven years in TV marketing at AMC Networks, Viacom, and NBC Universal, amplifying series content, brand moments, and media products with consumers and promotional partners. She graduated from Middlebury in 2007 with a BA in Sociology & Anthropology and minors in Film & Media Culture and Spanish, and later completed the Tuck Business Bridge Program at Dartmouth.
Dominick ‘Dom’ Jimenez ‘18, Associate Contracts Manager at Google
Dom reviews and negotiates commercial inbound agreements for Brand Marketing, Events, Creative Labs, and Government Affairs and Public Policy teams. Dom is a legal lead of Google’s Career Certificate program, a Grow with Google initiative that offers training, tools, and other resources for job seekers, students, teachers, and local business owners across the US. Originally from Harlem, NY, Dom attended Middlebury College where he studied Political Science and was an active member of the Residential Life team.
Jamie Crepps ‘10, People Operations, Program Management
As the head of Cross-Cloud People Programs and Culture, Jamie leads a team to deliver Google’s people strategy (think: hiring, performance management, leadership development, inclusion/belonging and more). As part of her role, she partners extensively with senior leaders to shape the culture, behaviors and mindsets needed to keep pace with the rapidly growing Cloud business.
Jamie was an Economics major and some of her favorite courses were Competitive Strategy and MiddCore. She joined Google directly from Midd in 2010 and has chartered a unique path from starting as an Account Manager in advertising sales, to leading teams for YouTube product strategy, and most recently pivoting from the business to People Operations. She is passionate about developing people and now runs a small private leadership coaching practice in addition to her work at Google.
John Sterling ‘96, Software Engineer
John, a Computer Science major, started his career working at a series of early stage startups in San Francisco, at the beginning of the initial internet boom. After that he worked for Visa launching a tech hub office in Portland, Maine that worked on a variety of payments solutions. Through the years John has worked for both established companies and startups in a variety of SWE roles, often managing people as well. Currently John runs a SWE team for Google Wallet in San Francisco.
Leah Bracken ’18.5, Customer Engineer, Google Cloud
Leah joined Google in September 2022, and her focus is on the technical strategic plan for cloud accounts such as identifying customer needs, product implementation, optimization and troubleshooting. Before Google, she worked as a Cloud Engineer for Oracle, where she was part of the Code Innovate Team. She served as a Team Lead and specialized in Oracle APEX solutions for the delivery of Hackathons, the development of Proof of Concepts, and delivery of webinars.
Sam Temes ‘07, Managing Director, Global Product & Sales Strategy
Sam leads a global strategy and commercialization team for the Google Marketing Platform and various other products for Google’s advertising customers. He joined Google through an advertising technology acquisition and has had roles in business development and sales, in addition to his current role. When not at work, he loves spending time in Vermont, exploring the trails of the Mad River Valley and north central Vermont. Sam graduated from Middlebury College in 2007 with a BA in Geography.