Alumnus launches career at Google

Jordan Dawson '25 is a self-proclaimed dreamer. He’s also tenacious in his pursuit of those dreams.

Recently, he was selected for one of the most competitive tech jobs in the country: an associate product manager at Google. Usually only about 45 or 50 applicants from all over the world each year are accepted into Google's Associate Product Manager program. Dawson is one of them. 

Dawson had an outstanding resume. He graduated summa cum laude from FIU with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the College of Arts, Sciences & Education. He was a member of INIT FIU, the largest tech organization at FIU, and the president of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), the largest business student organization at the university. He gained experience in creating AI models and, through conferences, career fairs and other events, fostered a robust network of professionals and recruiters in the tech and business industries. 

He studied abroad in Argentina, joined the FIU Marching Band (he played the saxophone), participated in the university's entrepreneurial programming and experienced hackathons in which people collaborate to build software projects. Outside of the university, he completed a 12-week data science and machine learning certificate through MIT. He also completed a Harvard pre-college program in 2019 and the Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program after graduating from FIU this past spring.

But to earn the coveted role at Google, Dawson needed more than standout credentials. He had to prove his technical prowess. He did that by successfully completing seven in-depth interviews with Google. Interviewees are expected to answer technical questions in detail, sometimes taking around 20 minutes to explain responses. Each interview focuses on a different aspect of production, whether it be product design, craft, analytics, estimation or other areas.

During the final round of interviews, applicants must create a product and pitch it to their interviewer. “I went into my last interview, and I poured everything on the table,” Dawson says. “When it was done, I felt peace. Working at Google means so much to me. Just the fact that every time I see somebody open their laptop and pull up Google, I can tell myself, ‘I work at that company’…It’s amazing.”

The dream is born

Dawson started at FIU as an international student from the British Virgin Islands. He realized he wanted to pursue higher education years earlier during a key moment in his life. 

In 2017, when two hurricanes devastated his hometown in the British Virgin Islands, Dawson's school was demolished. His family home didn't have power for six months. It was during this time that Dawson would go out onto his porch at night to find solace gazing up at the stars. He wondered what his future held and what he wanted to do with his life. That was when he decided to pursue a college degree. 

When he began preparing for the SAT exams necessary to apply to U.S. universities, he realized there were gaps in the math education he had received. Dawson took an SAT test and initially scored in the 50th percentile in the subject. The results said he was not ready for college-level math. 

Instead of giving up on his dream, Dawson doubled down. He took two years during the pandemic to find online educational resources about math. He went through them all, re-learning foundational concepts and teaching himself new math concepts. He became a math guru.

When he took the SAT again, he scored in the 99th percentile. He earned 780 out of 800 possible points.  "It just showed me how much untapped potential I had," Dawson says. 

He adds that technology is an important part of his success story — and he wants to be part of technology in order to help others, too. 

“My personal mission is to make technology accessible to everybody in any geographic location,” Dawson says. “This job at Google is perfect for me to help people access resources and education through technology. Technology was my global connector.”

Rising star

Dawson is already shining brightly for his achievements. 

The Premier of the Virgin Islands Natalio D. Wheatley recently invited Dawson to attend his territorial address and publicly recognized Dawson’s accomplishments during his speech. Additionally, Dawson has met with education policy leaders in the British Virgin Islands and has been invited as a guest speaker to a number of events in that country.

Dawson says he’s happy to make his hometown proud. 

He's also proud to represent FIU at the national stage. He says that the opportunities he found at FIU — and the connections he forged with his fellow Panthers — were key factors in his success.

“The community at FIU is really what got me to where I am today,” he says. “I would not have gotten out of my shell and fully integrated myself into the community if not for the absolutely amazing students in the FIU student organizations. There are students at FIU who are getting into all the big accounting firms, tech firms and organizations. These students help you and push you to succeed.”

As part of the Associate Product Manager program, Dawson will work full-time, rotating across various different areas at Google for two years. After the training period ends, Dawson will continue working in product management at Google in a specific area or product line.

Dawsons' words of wisdom for students: "My story is a lesson in never giving up and believing in yourself. Pursue your dreams."