Significant Career Lesson From An Industry Relations Manager At UCLA
Stella's career path took an unexpected turn from fashion design to economics, driven by a desire for a different life trajectory; this led to various student positions at UCR, culminating in a move to UCLA's career center, where "working on the admin side of a university" allowed Stella to leverage their skills and advance to their current Industry Relations Manager role.
Career Exploration, Higher Education Administration, Career Development, Networking, Financial Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Stella Petrosyan
Industry Relations Manager
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of California, Riverside 2019
UCLA Anderson
Economics
Education
Strategic Management and Executive
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Stella initially pursued a degree in Studio Arts, but switched to Economics after realizing her career interests.
2. Her diverse work experience, including student jobs at UCR and roles within the career center, provided valuable transferable skills.
3. Stella emphasizes the business side of higher education, highlighting diverse career paths beyond professorships, such as roles in finance, IT, and administration.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path? Please start with your experiences in college, any internships, or jobs you had before your current role.
Yes, definitely. I entered college wanting to go into fashion design. I had filled out my application as a studio arts major. However, after learning about the career opportunities within the fashion industry, I didn't see that aligning with the life I wanted to live long-term.
So I changed my major from studio art to economics, which I know is a big jump. I worked a wide range of student positions during my time at UCR. I started as a student assistant at the library and moved up to student manager within the campus business services department.
This is where I gained a lot of real-world experience on the administrative side. During this time, I learned about the variety of career opportunities available within higher education. I also realized my desire to pursue an MBA as part of my professional development.
I thought working at a UC would be a great fit. I actually had a position lined up at UCR, but I wanted to try other UCs. I didn't want to live in Riverside, as I'm originally from the LA area.
I got a job at the career center, and after graduating in 2019, I was able to move up within the different units. I started as an executive assistant, working with various campus departments and seeing how they functioned. I believe my undergraduate work allowed me to leverage my skills to land a full-time job here at UCLA.
I could read job descriptions and work on the administrative side of a university. Originally, I thought working in higher education meant being a professor, but there's a whole business side to running a university. There are many different career opportunities, from engineering for the IT department to roles aligned with my economics major.
With a concentration in finance, I was really interested in budgets and the logistical side of running an institution. I was able to leverage my skills in that area.