What’s Next — Civic Tech Fellow Tiffany Vuong

Where did you study?

I recently graduated from San Jose State University this past May. I received my degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a minor in Business.

What were your main duties as a Microsoft fellow?

A few of my responsibilities included: facilitating strategic planning efforts with non-profit partners in terms of leadership transition and the reiteration/restructuring of their organizational foundation, assisted and supported the Corporate Responsibility team’s event staff in coordinating logistics for on and off-site events, streamline the process for tracking and accessing the team’s grant database, and improved forecasting accuracy by making sure the grants budget sheets for the last three fiscal years were up-to-date.

What has been your favorite project with Microsoft?

My favorite project during my fellowship with Microsoft was assisting the nonprofit, Innovate Your State, with their event logistics. This year, they hosted their 3rd Annual Civic and Gov Tech Showcase in San Jose. I was responsible for vendor research and management, volunteer recruitment and organization, day of event support, content creation, etc.  

Where is civic tech taking you next?

My next move is working in the Industrial Engineering field utilizing my degree! Although I am not directly working in civic tech now, I will continue to have an interest in researching and observing the advancement that happen in that space. Maybe in the future I will find myself in civic tech once more.

What advice do you have for future fellows?

I have three pieces of advice for future fellows. The first is to reach out to another fellow for support, especially if they are close by. Shout out to Celia Moreno, our San Francisco Fellow, for being a great support system and joining me on workplace adventures like taking the Microsoft bikes out in the middle of the day. Second, understand your strengths and skill sets to find projects that are relevant and interesting to you (even if you may feel it is not what is expected of you). Thirdly, talk and network with people around the office. No matter how shy, timid, and awkward you might feel (trust me, I know the feeling), ask people about themselves and what they are working on. If you have difficulties finding projects to spearhead in the beginning, it is a great start to contribute to projects others are working on.