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March 16, 2007 Vol. 77, no.
9S
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| PHOTO COUTESY OF
RUDY GLORIA |
Career Corner with EECS alum Rudy Gloria
Career Corner features interviews with alumni about their career choices
and asks them for career advice.
After graduating from Cal, Rudy Gloria (B.S ’96 EECS) worked
as an application support engineer helping scientists, engineers and
technicians use test equipment and then moved into marketing roles
within various industries. He took a break from the corporate world,
volunteered at an AIDS organization in New York City and then earned
an MBA from UCLA. Today, he is a marketing programs manager at Hewlett
Packard, where he collaborates with HP and third parties to develop
promotional messaging targeted at various customers.
What do you like about your job?
I love the breadth of responsibilities and pace of the environment.
Every day I’m in a meeting, and we are discussing different
ways technology is being used by our customers and trying to figure
out how to stay a half a step ahead of them and our competition.
What do you recommend students do during school to prepare
for a career?
Don’t be afraid to try something different and listen to your
gut. I worked as a consultant in the computer labs while at Cal, and
one time they were looking for instructors to teach an Excel class — if
I hadn’t volunteered and said I would give it a try, I never
would have realized that I enjoy helping people use technology, and
I doubt I would have taken this path.
What helped you make the transition from student to career
employee?
Understanding that I no longer controlled my success. As an employee,
you are part of a team, and it is often the team’s efforts
that will determine success. That being said, I also understood that
I had an influence on that team and I always put my best effort into
ensuring that we met and exceeded our goals.
What are some things to think about while considering a potential job?
You need to think about the tradeoffs involved with each job. Sometimes
it’s worthwhile taking a “less prestigious” position
if it gives you the opportunity to pursue your personal interests.
Have additional questions? E-mail argloria@alum.calberkeley.org.
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