Alumni Career Network

Our panel of UC alumni as they share their insights on working in government, policy, and public service roles. This conversation tackles strategies for securing roles in the public sector, career advancement, and tips for building networks to foster career growth.

Moderated by: Cynthia Chase, LCSW (‘01, UC Santa Cruz), Principal and Founder, Cynthesis Consulting

Featuring:

Edgar Castelan (‘15, MPP’18, UC Riverside)
District Representative, State Senator Connie M. Leyva, 20th SD District Office

Erik Infelise (‘99, UC Davis)
Special Agent, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General

Shannon Shellenberg (‘94, UC Davis)
Deputy Director, Office of International Relations, California State Senate

This webinar offers insights and strategies to help experienced professionals who may be dealing with age bias in the workplace or recruitment process.  Our panel of three UC alumni shared personal experiences and insights along with tangible tips and advice to help you effectively position your skills and background for your next career move.

Moderated by: John Arboleda (UCLA), Board Member, UCLA Alumni Association

Featuring:

Marge Ang (UC Berkeley), Tech Marketing Consultant, Career and Leadership Development Coach
Kevin Baker (UC San Diego), Director, Educational Talent Search, Mt. San Jacinto College
Emily Baxt (UCLA), Principal, Baxt Consulting

Not only does volunteering present a great opportunity to help others but it can also be a great way to expand your network and develop additional skills.  From short-term volunteer opportunities to serving on a board, this panel of UC alumni shared their insights on how volunteering can help you accelerate and advance your career.  This session highlighted how to identify volunteer and board leadership opportunities, common skills organizations look for in volunteer leaders, and strategies for positioning your volunteer experiences for professional growth.  The webinar recording is relevant for alumni of all career levels, from new professionals to senior-level executives.

Moderated by: 

Charles Melton (’08, UC Davis) | Senior Public Policy Manager, Turo 

Featuring:

Allison Olson (’09, UC Davis) | Executive Director, Down Syndrome Information Alliance

Cathy Rodriguez-Aguirre (’99, UC Davis) | President & CEO, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Paul Simpson (BA, UC Santa Cruz; MBA, UC Berkeley) | Chief Financial Officer, LifeMoves

Debby Stegura (’79, UC Davis) | Alumni Regent, University of California and President, Alumni Associations of the University of California (AAUC)

This webinar was originally recorded on May 26, 2021

Completing your undergraduate or graduate studies may mean that you have acquired student loan debt along the way. Whether you are dealing with your own educational debt or helping a family member manage their student loans, this tactical webinar covers strategies and options to manage student loan debt. This session offers details on types of student loans, repayment options, deferment, loan refinancing and approaches to managing and paying off student loans. You'll also gain advice and insights from fellow UC alumni on how they've approached their student loans and strategies that have helped them to minimize debt.

This webinar was moderated by: 

Anna Lo (’00, UC Riverside), Chief Executive Officer, North Jersey Federal Credit Union

and featured:

Amber Berry, (‘14, UC Davis), Creator & Coach, Feel Good Finances 

Cerita Grotts, MPA (‘09, UC Santa Barbara), Associate Director of Financial Aid, Loyola Marymount University

LeVar Harris, MBA (‘11, UC Riverside), Machine Learning Recruiter, Twitter

Sara Potter-Gittelson (’10, UC Santa Barbara; M.Ed. ’14, UCLA), Financial Wellness Program Director, UCLA and Founder, Coach and Consultant, First at Finances 

Reanne Swafford-Harris, Esq (‘12, UC Riverside; JD ‘15, UCLA), Attorney, Fenwick & West

For many people in leadership roles, it can be especially challenging to lead your team and organization through difficult situations. Guiding others through uncertainty can feel isolating, exhausting and, at times, hopeless. Through a conversation moderated by Cathy Rodriguez-Aguirre ('99, UCD), gain insights on leading through disruption and change from alumna and author Diana Hendel (’85, UCI; PharmD ‘89, UCSF). During this one-hour webinar, Dr. Hendel shares her journey as an experienced healthcare executive and former hospital CEO and offers valuable advice to help you lead through difficult times.

Check out this workshop-style session focused on leveraging social media to launch or grow your business delivered by UCLA alumna Bonique Edwards, Owner of Kaleidoscope Consulting Group, a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in website development, graphic design and social media. Bonique covers the fundamentals of using social media to grow your business and offer tangible tips to help you reach more customers. 

Have a great idea for a business or thinking about becoming your own boss?  Watch this episode of the UC Alumni Career Network to gain insights from experienced UC alumni business owners on actionable steps you can take to start your own business.  From how to get started to strategies for sustaining your business, panelists share what they’ve learned as business owners and offer advice on what you need to do to start your own business.

Moderated by: Ping Yeh (UC San Diego) | CEO, StemoniX 

Featuring:

Hilary Bryant (UC Santa Cruz) | Donor Services Officer, Santa Cruz County Community Foundation
Jaime Nack (‘98, MPP ’02, UCLA) | President, Three Squares Inc.
Nathan Westwick (‘97, UC San Diego) | Owner, Wild Goose Coffee Roasters

This webinar provides guidance on addressing difficult conversations so that all voices are valued. Panelists offer advice on how to handle challenging topics, acknowledge cultural differences in communication styles, and identify helpful techniques to maximize your workplace communications.  This webinar was moderated by: Jaime Carias (‘08, UCSB) | Author, Civic Engagement & Fellow, USC Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism and featured: Nicole Cox (‘13, UCLA) | Manager, EY; Annalyn Cruz (‘00, UCSB) | Senior Manager of Leadership & Management Development, Electronic Arts (EA) and Sunny Lee (‘96, UCI) | Assistant Vice Chancellor & Dean of Students, UC Berkeley

What does the future of travel look like?  Tune in for this informative session as travel enthusiast Christy Dobbs (’92, UC Berkeley) interviews Melinda Yee Franklin (’85, UC San Diego), managing director of corporate and government affairs for United Airlines.  This interview offers insights on the future of travel and what we might expect as travelers.  

First-generation professionals are pioneers in their career path. Learn from fellow UC graduates who were first in their families to graduate from college as they share their stories, tips and advice for navigating the professional workplace. From building your professional network to preparing for career advancement, the panelists offer actionable tips to help you successfully navigate the world of work.

Featuring: Bernice Maldonado (‘02, UC Riverside | ’11, UC Irvine) CEO & Founder, BerniceMaldonado.com Janella Leano (UC San Diego | DPT ‘20, UC San Francisco) Physical Therapist Ish Verduzco (’14, UC Merced) Director of Growth & Marketing, Crave It Moderated by Katie Russo, Director of Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA

Considering a career change?  Unsure where to start?  You’re not alone!  View this dynamic panel discussion on preparing for a career change, identifying opportunities and leveraging your strengths to successfully pivot to a new industry or field.  Our experienced panel of UC alumni offers tangible tips for changing careers and aligning your brand for new opportunities.  Featuring:

Stephanie Usry (‘10, UC San Diego) | MODERATOR
Head of Human Resources, Vida Health | Founder on Purpose, Not by accident | Founding Coach, Radical Candor

Natasha Chan (‘12, UC San Diego) 
Customer Success Enablement Manager, Salesforce

Cynthia Huang (‘16, UC Berkeley) 
Marketing Professional

Markell Morris (‘93, UC Santa Barbara) 
Owner, Futures in Motion

Forrest Wright (UCLA | MBA ‘07, UC San Diego) 
Creative Director, Page 90 

This webinar is part of the UC Alumni Career Network series.  

Job Burnout: What to look for and how to improve your relationship with work

Think you might be dealing with job burnout?  Wondering what the signs might be and if it’s possible to improve your relationship with work?  View this dynamic conversation between Ann Wang (’13, UCLA), co-founder and CEO of Enrou, and Dr. Christina Maslach, Professor of Psychology (Emerita) and a core researcher at the Healthy Workplaces Center at the UC Berkeley.  Professor Maslach is the pioneer of research on the definition, predictors and measurement of job burnout and will offer her insights on how to recognize job burnout and strategies to help you improve your relationship with work.  

This high-impact webinar covers a basic introduction to employment law, strategies for effective negotiations and potential elements and perks you can negotiate in a job offer or promotion.  UCLA alumna and Founder & Managing Partner of The Reddock Law Group, Angela Reddock-Wright, offers actionable tips and insights on negotiating job offers, salary, and other tangible benefits to boost your confidence and arm you with the right resources and tools.  Danny Guerrero (’02, UC Riverside), Vice President of North America Strategy & Co-Chair DEI Council at MMGY Global moderates the conversation. 

Whether you’re an experienced professional or a recent graduate, an effective interview is critical to landing your next opportunity. From pre-recorded video interviews to panel-style committee interviews, learn what you need to do to put your best foot forward and walk out with a job offer in hand. This panel of recruiters and hiring managers offers a solution-focused session on effective interview techniques, strategies for preparing for the interview and common mistakes to avoid. Featuring: Samantha Luu (’13, UC Irvine), Recruiter at ServiceTitan; Shane Hillers (’12, UC Santa Cruz) Senior Program Manager at Google Cloud and Irene I. Quevedo (’03, UC Santa Barbara) Executive Director, Operation Jump Start and Founder & Partner, Level Up Latina LLC.

Looking to deepen connections in the workplace or a sounding board to help support your professional aspirations? Listen to this amazing panel of UC alumnae sharing insights on building professional alliances at work, leveraging employee resource groups (ERGs) and strategies for supporting inclusion in the workplace. This discussion addresses how to leverage and tap into resource groups at your current company, strategies for building a network if one does not already exist and how deepening relationships at work can help propel your professional development. This webinar focuses on women’s leadership networks but includes strategies that apply for all. Featuring: Dianna Henderson, UC Office of the President; Mylene Barizo (’91, UC Los Angeles), The Boeing Company; SHAVONE. Charles (’12 UC Merced), Director, Consumer Communications, VSCO; Christina Mangurian, MD, MAS (’03, UC San Francisco),Professor and Vice Chair for Diversity and Health Equity, Department of Psychiatry, UCSF; Roz Samimi (’17, UC Berkeley), North America and Latin American Lean In Circles and Company Engagement Senior Associate, Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation; and Stina Trainor (’04, UC Irvine), Head of Policy Visits, Facebook 

This 30-minute conversation with UCLA's Chief Investment Officer, Justin Barton, covers how current events are impacting financial markets along with insights for navigating financial challenges and trustworthy sources of information.  This conversation was moderated by UC San Diego Alumni Association President Kimberley Phillips Boehm.  

This webinar features UC alumni working in healthcare and medicine discussing strategies for long-term professional success. From finding your professional fit and navigating career change to advancing into leadership positions or managing work/life balance, this panel of healthcare leaders offers insights and advice to help you prepare for the future.

Featuring

• Moderator: Mallika Marshall, MD (UC San Francisco), physician, Harvard Medical School and health reporter, WBZ-TV Boston
• Yama Akbari, PhD, MD (’96 UC Los Angeles, ’05,’06 UC Irvine), critical care neurologist and assistant professor of Neurology & Neurological Surgery, UC Irvine
• Sheree Criner, M.S., RN-BC (’18, UC Davis) nurse manager, Kaiser Permanente
• Leah Loh (’00, UC Berkeley, ’05, ‘19 UC Los Angeles) project manager, Kaiser Permanente

Gain high-impact tips on managing and inspiring others from UCLA alumna Chris MacLaughlin (CMO of IBM's Global Partner Ecosystem) and UCSC alumna Rose Nakamoto (Director of the SCU Career Center).

Has the global health crisis impacted your job search or employment status? UC Vice Provost, Yvette Gullatt, interviews career expert and UC Santa Barbara alumna, Dana Manciagli. Dana offers concrete tips to help you maximize your job search, identify job leads and remain positive during times of change.

Working remotely has become a new reality for many of us. UC Vice Provost, Yvette Gullatt chats with UC San Diego alumna Jessica Chen, Founder & CEO of Soulcast Media who is sharing her tips for professional presence via webcam and leading effective remote meetings.

Thinking about going back to school? Deciding whether or not to continue your education is a difficult decision. From determining what to study and the programs that will help you reach your goals to preparing for standardized exams and financing your education, the process is filled with complex questions and important decisions. This webinar provides an in-depth discussion on continuing education opportunities, questions you need to answer to determine what programs are right for you and advice on preparing for your next steps.

Featuring

• Moderator: Fernando Peña (UC Santa Barbara), director of recruitment, Claremont Graduate University
• Gabriela Monsalve, Ph.D., (UCLA '13), assistant dean for Postdoctoral Scholars, UC San Francisco
• Gina Galli Reed  (UC Davis '02), strategic marketing manager, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education

Originally recorded on February 19, 2020

Looking to advance in your career? Gain insights on what it takes to make the move from independent contributor to leading a team or advance from mid-level management to senior leadership roles. Our diverse panel addressed career management strategies to help you prepare for the next step and insights into the distinct challenges senior leaders face. Please note that during the original recording of this webinar we faced audio issues with panelist Melinda Yee Franklin which have been edited from this recording. We will host Melinda for a future UC Alumni Career Network webinar.

Featuring

Moderator: Erin Tanenbaum (UC San Diego '90), senior managing director, Southern California Leadership Network

Jim Houpis, Ph.D. (UC Berkeley '78, '89), president of Modesto Junior College

Christine Simmons (UCLA '98), chief operating officer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Originally recorded on January 30, 2020

Are you looking for a career change? Re-entering the workforce after taking time off? Hoping to find a job that aligns your passion and skills? Navigating career transition can be a daunting task filled with complex questions and uncertainty. This UC Alumni Career Network webinar features Marcia Wall, who offers actionable tips and insights to help you prepare for a career pivot or job change, and is moderated by Randell Rueda. This webinar also focuses on identifying passion, assessing skills, identifying market opportunities and positioning one’s background to land the next opportunity.

Featuring

Moderator: Randell Rueda (UC Merced '11, UC Davis '17)

Marcia Wall (UC Santa Cruz '92), career and academic counselor

Originally recorded on November 20, 2019

Are you combining your passion with a purpose you care about? Looking to transition careers or apply your skills and expertise towards a more meaningful avenue?  Merideth Mehlberg chats with UC Vice Provost, Yvette Gullatt about discovering a meaningful 2nd act career.

Featuring

Merideth Mehlberg, UC Berkeley alumna and Executive Coach and Career Strategist

Yvette Gullatt, UC Berkeley alumna, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity and Engagement for the University of California system

Originally recorded on October 24, 2019

Are you jumping back into the workforce? Looking to advance in your current company? Thinking of the right ways to increase your professional brand and connections? This edition of the UC Alumni Career Network featured UC alumni working as career coaches and executive recruiters to share tangible tips to help you advance, expand, and stay relevant in today’s workforce. This session covered topics including revisiting your professional pursuits, identifying challenges and solutions to common career barriers, hiring trends, and steps you can work on to better your skills and brand.

Featuring

Moderator: Kris Hergert, Executive Director of the UC San Diego Career Center

Mike Hirshman (UCSD ’09, UCLA ’15), Executive Search and Engagement Manager at Heidrick & Struggles

Marcy Morrison, Career Coach and Author, (UCSD ’97), Founder of Careers with Wings

Originally recorded: October 18, 2019

LinkedIn is a powerful networking and career building tool, but with so many features and options, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Robin Reshwan shares tangible tips to help you unlock the full potential of LinkedIn. Whether you’re looking to grow your network, identify your next job, or share your expertise on a topic you’re passionate about, this session will help you maximize your use of LinkedIn and its many tools.

Featuring

Robin Reshwan (Davis ’92), Founder and President, CS Advising

Originally recorded on September 10, 2019

This video presents an action-packed hour focused on networking strategies and tips to tap into your University of California network. Oscar Garcia shares actionable tips to help you build and nurture relationships, identify opportunities to connect with others, and authentic ways you can leave new connections with a lasting positive impression.

Featuring

Oscar Garcia, UC Berkeley alumnus and Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer of Aspira

Originally recorded on August 21, 2019.

This online panel discussion dives deep into the various ways your academic training can be applied to industry roles in a wide variety of fields. Panelists will share their stories and advice on how they transitioned from academia to private and public sector. Learn how to market and position your Ph.D. for professional success. This panel was moderated by Michael Matrone, Ph.D., Program Director for PhD Career and Professional Development at the UCSF Office of Career and Professional Development and included insights from:

Featuring

Joseph Bernardo, Ph.D. (UC Santa Barbara), Intercultural Affairs Associate, Loyola Marymount University
Shruti Kapoor, Ph.D. (UC Riverside), Founder, Sayfty
Neil Rath, Ph.D. (UCLA), Associate Consultant, ZS Associates

Originally recorded July 9, 2019

This edition of the UC Virtual Career Series focused on LGBTQ at Work.  This video offers a transparent, e-conversation around LGBTQ and identity in the workplace. During this hour-long, online panelists talk about everything from finding a support network (even when a formal one does not exist) and ways to determine if a company is inclusive to being a great ally and mentoring others as they navigate the intersections of identity and work. This panel is moderated by UC Merced Alumni Association President, Keith Ellis (UC Merced '12), who serves as the Student Personnel Assistant for Disability Support Programs & Services at Cosumnes River College and includes insights from UC alumni panelists:

Featuring

• Chloe Corcoran, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement, UC Davis
• Mark Dresser, Ph.D. (UCSF ’00), Denali Fellow, Denali Therapeutics
• Anders Truong (UC Berkeley ‘16), Software Engineer, Pandora
• Erin Jackson-Ward, MPH (UCLA ‘12), Senior Program Officer, Cedars-Sinai
• Olivia Hernández (UC Davis ’13), Associate Director, UC Davis Cross Cultural Center

Originally recorded June 12, 2019

This high-impact, panel driven session discussed the intersection of culture and career. Panelists discussed how one’s culture comes into play in the workplace and how workplace culture impacts productivity, mobility, and success. This video will help you learn how to examine company culture beyond the mission statement, identifying whether a company is a ‘fit’, and being your authentic self in the workplace.

Featuring

• Moderator: Aaron E. de Santiago-Jones (UC Santa Barbara ’94, ’03, ’14, ’19), Director of the Educational Opportunity Program at UC Santa Barbara
• Jane Castillón (UC Irvine), Disability Specialist, Disabled Students Program, UC Santa Barbara
• Jessica Chen (UC San Diego ’10), Founder & CEO, Soulcast Media
• Kelly Fong Rivas (UC Santa Cruz ‘07), Chief of Staff, Office of Mayor Darrell Steinberg, City of Sacramento

Originally recorded May 8, 2019

This session will help you learn how to effectively work a room and develop a compelling ‘elevator pitch’ to wow employers. Viewers will gain an understanding of the strategies, tactics, tools and techniques necessary to optimize their time and investment in preparing for and attending the Hire UC Alumni Career Fair. Tim provides insights into how you can develop a brief yet compelling “elevator pitch” in response to the ever popular, “Tell Me About Yourself” (TMAY) question. This webinar discusses crafting a strategy for engaging with and establishing a strong connection with other participants and company representatives.  

Featuring

Tim Johnston, UC Berkeley alumnus, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of WayFinders Careers LLC.

Originally recorded April 18, 2019

This webinar will help you gain clarity on what you want from the next phase of your career by distilling your core strengths and competencies.  Viewers will gain further insight into what target employers expect to see in your resume and how best to showcase your experience in your resume to put your best foot forward.  This webinar was brought to you by the UC Office of the President in collaboration with all ten UC alumni associations.  

Featuring

Merideth Mehlberg, UC alumna and Executive Coach & Career Strategist

Originally recorded April 16, 2019

Did you know that the University of California is the top employer of UC graduates? Whether in the classroom, out in the field, in the lab, or behind a desk, UC offers a wide variety of career opportunities. This recording offers advice on the hiring process, what it’s like to work at UC, and how you can put your best foot forward as a candidate. Panelists shared their expertise on the hiring processes for a variety of roles. 

Featuring

• Moderator: Yvette Gullatt, UC Berkeley alumna, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity and Engagement for the University of California system
• David Odato, Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at UCSF and the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for UCSF Health
• Gwynn Benner, a UCLA alumna who currently serves as the Assistant Vice Provost of Student Success and the Co-Director of the First-Generation Initiative at UC Santa Cruz
• Donna Salvo, the Executive Director of Systemwide Talent Management for the University of California

Originally recorded Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Learn how to market and position your undergraduate or graduate degree by gaining insights and advice from UC alumni who’ve found career success as a result of their liberal arts education.  This session provides tangible insights and advice relevant for current students and alumni of all career levels and backgrounds!

Featuring

• Moderator: Erin Gruwell (English, UC Irvine ‘91), Founder and Executive Director, Freedom Writers Foundation
• Carly Chittim (American Studies and English, UC Santa Barbara ‘11), University Recruiter for Business and Marketing Internships, Facebook
• Carol Kim (English, UC Los Angeles ‘98), Director of Community Engagement, San Diego County Building Trades Council
• Arya Zarrinkelk (Communication Studies and English, UC Davis ‘05), Employment & Training Specialist III (Arts, Media + Entertainment), City College of San Francisco

Originally recorded March 5, 2019

What is the gig economy? Is it really possible to work from home and have a fruitful career? Learn more about flex jobs, working remotely and career opportunities tied to the gig economy along with how to secure your spot during this in-depth, interview-style session. 

Featuring

Sara Sutton (UC Berkeley ‘01), CEO & Founder of FlexJobs, Remote.co, and 1 Million for Work Flexibility

Originally recorded February 13, 2019 

This e-conversation with UC alumni provides an in-depth look at the hiring process and what happens after you click “submit.”  UC alumni working as professional recruiters and hiring managers provide an insider’s look at the hiring process and provide tangible advice to help you maximize your job search and land your next great opportunity! This interactive session reviews how companies source talent, the platforms and keywords used to identify candidates and things you should consider before connecting with a recruiter.  

Featuring

• Moderator: Jorge Ancona (UCLA ‘93), Assistant Vice Chancellor of Alumni & Constituent Relations at UC Riverside
• Brett Fisher, MBA (UCLA ‘00), the Founder and Managing Director, Brett Fisher Group - Search Consultants
• Brigitte Kearney (UC Riverside ‘02), Recruiting Manager, Tesla
• Dorian Mastrogany (UC Davis '10), Manager of Recruitment, Summit Public Schools

Originally recorded January 15, 2019