Adaptability and enthusiasm land alumnus "dream job"
Alumni & Friends, Summer/Fall 2003
Mathew T. Benson, ?02, nearly had a meltdown when Boeing of Houston contacted him last December for an interview for his dream job.
Landing the job, Benson said, took the ability to quickly adapt to a situation and to be enthusiastic. He showed Boeing this adaptability under pressure when he taught himself the basics of two computer languages to create a Web site. He then burned the Web site to a CD in the shape of a business card. ?They knew from my research, work and excitement,? Benson said, ?that this was really my dream job.?
Benson, graduated with a double major in physics and management computer systems and a math minor. He works for Boeing as an embedded software engineer in the Hardware Software Integration (HSI) group. The HSI group ensures that all equipment and software will function correctly before it?s sent up to the International Space Station. Within HSI are smaller groups like Integrated System Analysis and Test where Benson works with manufacturers to test and analyze equipment before it is shipped to NASA.
A non-traditional student who spent five years in the Navy before entering college, Benson credits his unique undergraduate experience at Kitt Peak National Observatory, near Tucson, Ariz., as one of the key factors in his successful job search.
?The job market isn?t the best,? said Benson. ?So I couldn?t believe that not only did I find a job, but the job I landed was one of the first I applied for.? ? Cindy Vergenz