“People were very positive here. They weren’t
complaining. They focused on solving problems
and building things together. The weather and
the mentality and the vibration and the innovation
—it’s a very motivating environment.”
The love of learning and travel brought Eva Janos to the tech capital of the world to study project management and tech writing, an adventure that has opened new doors and led to a successful job at a financial software company in Silicon Valley.
“I wanted to learn project management best practices related to software development, principles that could be applied in technical writing as well,” she says. “And, I wanted to learn from instructors who have been practicing all they teach.”
A native of Transylvania, Romania, Eva has a bachelor’s degree in English and in German, as well as an additional major in Translation with English, German, and Hungarian as working languages. She loves the mechanics of language.
Eva taught English and German in Hungary and did translations for a few years, including translating mobile phone user guides into Hungarian. She was interested in new technology. The mobile phone company offered her a technical writing position and she worked to learn all about job. When a business trip brought her to Silicon Valley, she fell in love with the region. It was a respite from the cold, dark winters of home.
“People were very positive here. They weren’t complaining. They focused on solving problems and building things together. The weather and the mentality and the vibration and the innovation—it’s a very motivating environment.”
International student advisors helped Eva navigate the matriculation process into the Project and Program Management certificate program and she updated her technical writing skills in the Technical Writing and Communication program as well.
The courses focused on practical experience and included group exercises and simulated projects. Students with different cultural and professional backgrounds worked together through all the phases of managing a project to its successful completion.
“It was interesting to compare how project management is done in reality and how it should be done, and what theoretical aspects of it represent challenges in practice, in daily work.
In her new job as a technical writer she works closely with teams, applying the best practices she learned at Extension. The company she works for has sponsored her for an H1B visa so she has extended her stay.
“I was wondering what it would be like to live and work in Silicon Valley. This is paradise for technical writing. So much is going on in my profession.”
When she’s not working, her love of the ocean and traveling takes her on long road trips.
“That was one of my dreams. When I saw the American movies, I wanted to drive on a road where there’s nothing ahead, just exploring the country and many beautiful places.