A True American Story: My Careers in Silicon Valley Companies and the Education Journey to Get There

Ralph Lemke Principal Software Architect, Ret. (Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, Yahoo), Silicon Valley, United States

Abstract

This chapter, told in the first person, brings to the readers candid conversations and valuable education and career advice from a much accomplished software engineer in Silicon Valley. Having worked close to 40 years in most of the well-known high-tech companies in the world, the author recounted his education through the UTA (University Transfer Education) entry point, and his work experiences in nine high-tech companies as a team member and as a manager. It holds immense significance for readers to recognize that nearly half of American undergraduate degree holders embarked on their educational journey at UTA—just like Ralph—and eventually ascended to the pinnacle of their careers. His observations will provide students seeking careers in the high-tech world with deep insights and profound lessons. He takes the readers through his companies arranged in sizes and describes the working environment, the pros and cons, and what it takes to be successful.

Keywords: UTA, community college transfer, job search, job interviews, teamwork, Silicon Valley, career ladder, job performance, success in high demand high output high tech companies, entry points

How to cite this chapter: Lemke, R. (2024). A true American story: My careers in Silicon Valley companies and the education journey to get there.In J. Luan, L. Habte, D. L. Di Maria, & K. Bista (Eds.), Entry points to US education: Accessing the next wave of growth (pp. 130-157). Star Scholars Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32674/4r0sfm57