UCLA degree valuable in job market
By Daily Bruin Staff
June 9, 2002 9:00 p.m.
By Hemesh Patel
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]
 Daily Bruin File Photo
UCLA’s reputation gives graduates, like the School of Law
class of 2000, an edge in the job market, some say.
A degree from UCLA can have considerable weight for those who
plan to enter the work force.
Former students and administrators credit the university’s
reputation and resources in helping new graduates find jobs
easily.
“There’s a uniqueness about UCLA. It’s known
as a place of quality education,” said John Sandbrook,
assistant provost for the College of Letters & Science.
“I am as proud of this institution as I was 30 years ago
““ that’s why I’m still here.”
Sandbrook got his undergraduate degree in political science at
UCLA in 1973.
Some students who have already graduated found it relatively
easy to find a job when they finished school.
“The UCLA degree definitely helped a lot in getting the
job I have now,” said David Rego, who graduated in 2000 and
is now an information technology consultant for Pricewaterhouse
Coopers. His computing specialization added $5,000 to his starting
salary, he said.
Alumni also noted the university’s location in a large
city as giving UCLA students a more competitive edge.
“UCLA has the advantage of being in a big metropolis
““ it’s easier to recruit,” Rego said.
“There are more businesses in town compared to Chico and
Irvine.”
The year he graduated, the company Rego works for recruited at
UCLA, UCI and Chico State. But when the economy started to decline
the year after, PwC did not recruit at UCI and Chico State.
“The company eliminated UCI and Chico State not because
they are bad schools, but because UCLA had a bigger name,”
Rego said.
“The market was hot when I recruited, but things have
changed now,” he added.
Some students who are about to leave the university and will
soon search for a job foresee a difficult road ahead.
After Maile Tanaka, a fourth-year biology student graduates, she
plans to find a job that involves conservation efforts.
“It will be somewhat difficult to find a job, but there
are always job opportunities available,” she said.
Tanaka wants to work to gain experience before she goes to
graduate school.
Administrators say the shift in the labor market has resulted in
fewer recruiters coming from larger and more well-known
organizations.
Meanwhile, more UCLA students have shown an interest in working
for non-traditional organizations who do not usually recruit.
“Our students have a positive attitude and are very open
about their options,” said Kathy Sims, director of the UCLA
Career Center.
Non-profit organizations and those from federal and local
governments are recruiting more at universities.
Administrators call UCLA a target for recruiting organizations
because of the students’ internship and work experience.
“I can’t underscore how UCLA students are considered
very talented and are well received by employers,” Sims
said.
Other students choose to take a year off to work before going on
to a graduate or professional school.
Dawn Philip graduated last year and in the near future wants to
attend law school.
She is currently working as a paralegal clerk at a law firm.
While she found that her UCLA degree held some weight, she said
companies consider other attributes of potential employees.
“Job skills are important, especially for students who
have liberal arts degrees,” she said. “What singled me
out was my previous law experience and the fact that I was a
woman.”
“Being in the real world ““ it’s a trip,”
she added.
