IEOR Alum Auren Hoffman

After graduating from Cal, Hoffman (B.S.’96 IEOR) founded and sold three Internet companies by the time he was 30. From 2003 to 2006, he served as chairman of Stonebrick Group and chairman of the Connector Group (Silicon Valley 100). He’s an active angel investor or adviser to several other companies. Today, he’s CEO of Rapleaf, which helps business-to-consumer companies give their consumers a better experience by providing automated search services for each consumer.

What do you like about your job?  
I have the best job. I get to work with the smartest engineers in the world (many of them Cal grads) and see all the cool things they build.

How did you go about finding your interest or passion?  
I once did a summer internship for Pacific Telesis (the holding company for Pac Bell … which was the inspiration for Dilbert). Everyone got to the office exactly at 9 a.m. Everyone left exactly at 5 p.m. Most people spent all day playing Minesweeper. This was a great experience because I realized I never wanted to work for a big company and, since then, I never have.
 
What do you recommend students do during school to prepare for a career?  
Don’t concentrate on getting good grades. That’s not going to get you any job. Only grad schools look at grades. Concentrate on building the skills to solve hard problems and apply knowledge. And spend time building cool things that you can be proud of and show off to others.

What’s the secret to landing a job? 
Never check a job board. Spend time determining which company is right for you and apply directly to the company. Don’t send your resume to the recruiter. Apply directly to the hiring manager and tell them, in less than three sentences, why you are special.
 
What are some things to think about while considering a potential job?  
You should have three and only three criteria: One, work with people you can learn from. Two, work on really hard problems. Three, work with people you like who will make you happy.