Din Nguyen didn’t always imagine himself working at a dynamic company like Medtronic. In fact, there was a time when just the thought of meeting people face-to-face left him with shaky hands and a racing heart. An introvert who struggled with social anxiety, Nguyen found his path to a career in information technology to be as much about building confidence as it was about honing technical skills.
Nguyen transferred to the University of Minnesota’s computer science program in 2021, and later into the Information Technology Infrastructure (ITI) bachelor’s degree program in the College of Continuing and Professional Studies. The program takes a broad approach to technology, combining business and IT courses for a well-rounded education.
“The ITI program offers sub plans that students can focus on such as cloud, systems, security, networking, etc.,” says Nguyen. “I primarily focused on the security route, but I took other classes that also went through cloud computing principles.”
While Nguyen found his academic footing, one challenge lingered: “I’ve always been super introverted,” says Nguyen. “I didn’t really like to talk to people. My head would get hot, my hands would shake—it was like my mind would just go blank.”
To gain some confidence, Nguyen joined several student organizations to practice interacting with others. By his junior year, he was ready to focus on getting an internship with the help of Career and Internship Services. Working closely with career counselor Liz Hruska, Nguyen practiced mock interviews and presentation skills.
“Liz really helped me get more comfortable,” Nguyen says. “We did a lot of mock interviews and she gave me tips, like standing in a confident posture before interviews to calm my nerves. It sounds simple, but it really helped.”
Hruska also introduced Nguyen to the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure his responses during interviews. “Before working with her, I was all over the place in interviews,” he says. “But learning how to organize my answers made a big difference. I felt more in control.”
An internship leads to a career
Soon, Nguyen was applying for internships and attended a career fair where he met with representatives from his number one choice: Medtronic. He then followed up with informal chats over coffee with the Medtronic reps, getting advice on how to prepare for an interview. “I was really nervous going into it,” says Nguyen of the internship interview. “I had already gotten a lot of nos. But all that matters is that I got that one ‘yes.’”
Diving into his internship at Medtronic, Nguyen began working on the company’s IT infrastructure team, gaining hands-on experience managing and supporting cloud-based systems.
“I got to work on real projects that impacted the company,” Nguyen says. “One of the coolest parts was helping with system modernization—seeing how all the pieces fit together sparked my interest in cloud computing. It made me realize this is the kind of work I want to keep doing.”
At the end of internship, each of about 20 interns were asked to give a presentation, which would essentially serve as their application for employment to the company. With so many interns vying for positions, Nguyen was afraid he wouldn’t make the cut. “I was super nervous, but all the prep I did with Career Services paid off,” he says. “A week later, during the company’s farewell event, my manager pulled me aside and whispered that I would be getting a full-time offer. I was so shocked—I hugged her right there!”
Nguyen credits much of his success to the support he received from Career and Internship Services. “Without Liz helping me prep for interviews and presentations, I don’t think I would’ve made it,” he says. “It wasn’t just about technical skills—it was about learning how to present myself confidently.”
“It’s still a bit surreal,” he adds. “But I feel a lot more confident now than when I first started college. If you’d told me back then that I’d be talking to the CEO and landing a full-time job, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
This story was adapted from the College of Continuing and Professional Studies