There is no place like Berkeley. It’s a place of juxtaposition and complexity. It’s a city that looks like it’s stuck in the 1970s, while also being a center of innovation in technology and research around the world. It’s both dense, urban, and chaotic, while still being entrenched in nature through its beautiful redwood trees and gorgeous bay views. Berkeley is a confusing place, and sometimes it’s hard to wrap my head around. However, one thing I know for sure about Berkeley is that it has changed my life and I found a place for myself here.
I like to say that Berkeley is a land of opportunity, and it is something I say during my tours. Berkeley has given me opportunities that I would have never gotten otherwise. I have met some insanely impressive people here and have learned so much from them. Here is one example.
Last month, a full circle moment occurred for me when I met Charles Huang, a Berkeley alum who happens to be one of the creators of Guitar Hero, a rhythm guitar video game I played religiously as a child. Guitar Hero was the reason I fell in love with playing the guitar, love indie and rock music, and how I found a passion for music. Guitar Hero changed my life, and I would not be the same person if it had not existed.
I met Charles because he was a speaker for one of Berkeley SkyDeck’s conferences for its Accelerating Careers in Entrepreneurship Internship Program, which I’m a part of. Charles spoke about his journey being a serial entrepreneur. He told us he had started 7 companies and only his third company was a massive success. That one success happened to make the most impactful video game I had ever played, so I reached out to him on LinkedIn to ask him if he would be willing to chat with me for 30 minutes on Zoom. To my surprise, he responded and we scheduled a Zoom meeting. During our first meeting, Charles told me more about the story of how Guitar Hero came to be. He had actually gone to China after graduation and found a business opportunity to create dance pads for Dance Dance Revolution. Eventually, he and his brother came up with the idea to “sell fun” and create a game that involved both a hardware and software component like DDR. This idea ended up being Guitar Hero, with its toy guitar being the hardware component and the video game being the software component. Learning about how Guitar Hero came to be from the person that created the game is a moment I will never forget from my time at Berkeley.
At the end of our Zoom meeting, Charles offered to meet again if I had any more questions. I agreed, and we had a second Zoom meeting where I asked him for career advice. He told me to think backwards when planning a career. He said that “if you have an end career goal, then you should think about the skills, qualifications, and previous experiences needed to achieve that goal. You should then continue this process until you hit the present”. I used his advice.
For once in my life, I feel like I have my life figured out. For the time being, I want to be a product manager and possibly a future entrepreneur (once I have a good startup idea). Thinking backwards, I’m currently working to gain marketing, UX, leadership, and analytical skills through business development and marketing internships I have lined up through networking with entrepreneurs like Charles. I have also learned that you should always ask people for advice, no matter how influential or intimidating you think they might be. The worst they can do is say “no” or ignore you, which honestly will lead you back to where you were before asking. The best that can happen is getting amazing career advice, internship and externship opportunities, and insightful conversations you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
Without a doubt, Berkeley changed my life. I have gained so much knowledge and experience through the networking opportunities I’ve gained through being a Berkeley student. If you end up going to Berkeley or are currently a Berkeley student, my advice for you is to look for opportunities everywhere you look and take those opportunities as they come. If you follow this advice, Berkeley might change your life too.