Last week, I went with a small group of Scrippsies to Pasadena’s Tech Sparks Networking event. Together, we represented the Scripps Entrepreneurship Club and Scripps Women in Technology organizations on campus.

We met at Barney’s Beanery in the most beautiful part of Old Pasadena. We mingled around the second-floor of the bar, meeting entrepreneurs, representatives of incubators, and tech talents interested in finding a job. Many attendees were graduates of the Claremont Colleges and were pleasantly surprised to see so many Scrippsies at the event! Over some catered pizza and drinks, we shared business ideas and discussed many issues plaguing the industry: namely, jobs.

Scrippsies from left to right: Selene Hsu ’15 (me), Mia Schackelford ’17, Alice Mullin ’17, Alicen Lewis ’15 (Founder of Scripps Women in Technology), and Caroline Ebinger ’16 (Founder of the Scripps Entrepreneurship Club).

There are many issues regarding startup jobs in the Los Angeles area. On the employers’ side, they often face the problem where they need interns for their new startup, however, lack the knowledge or structure to adequately manage the new employees. They often, some with malintent, many from ignorance, over/underwork and even mistreat their interns. Employers are very aware of this problem and, from these conversations, seem very open to discussion about the treatment of interns in startups.

On the students’ side, many of us are willing to do any type work for the experience, however lack the network to make those connections. That’s where the Scripps Entrepreneurship Club and Scripps Women in Technology come into play! Definitely reach out to these small, but growing campus organizations because they are your personal ticket into the startup and business industry. Although Scripps is a great college academically, there are glaring gaps in our education and community network that helps promote women leadership in business and entrepreneurship.

Scripps Women in Technology‘s founder, Alicen Lewis ’15, was the one personally invited to the networking event. Tech Spark‘s main goal is to bring the startup community to Pasadena.

What’s the perk of attending networking events? Winning an AppleTV in the raffle!

I was very surprised at the amount of attention we Scrippsies got at the event (not in a bad way)! Many people were very pleased to see women interested in promoting a greater female presence in the industry. This is coming from a predominantly male group! We definitely got a few questionable comments about women’s colleges in general, but I felt they were mostly rooted in ignorance more than malice.

The point is: they want WOMEN! Startups and entrepreneurs want us! Ladies, we are sitting on a wealth of talent on campus and it is a matter of tapping into our resources to give us that edge once we enter the work force!

The reality of our future is that we need more than just a great education; we need great CONNECTIONS. CP&R is already doing their best, but there is a lot more work to be done. You do not need to be a computer science major or the next Sheryl Sandberg to be interested in startups. Employers are looking for those willing to put in the work, have a voracious appetite to learn, and is simply interested to be a part of the company’s future success! Startups in LA are demanding women in the workforce!

The question is: are YOU going to answer the call?

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Helpful Tips:

– Go to Networking events! The more you practice, the better you’ll get!

– Practice public speaking: work for Phonathon, take acting classes, join Scripps Mock Trial. Be comfortable at selling yourself… professionally

– Start printing business cards. Networking is not immediately asking for a job, it is about building relationships. Give your potential mentor a way to reach you (include LinkedIn profile, email, contact number, etc.) and don’t forget to ask for their cards too!   

Helpful Organizations:

– Scripps Entrepreneurship Club (Founder, Caroline Ebinger ’16):The club hosts weekly Monday workshops in HUM 204 (8-9pm) to assist students interested in startups and entrepreneurship. The workshops are open to all students of the 5C’s. The club also holds meetings every other Friday focusing on educating Scripps students about entrepreneurship and are open to all Scripps students who think (or know!) they have an interest in the area.

– Scripps Women in Technology (Founder, Alicen Lewis ’15): The organization is committed to connecting Scripps women to jobs and companies in the technology industry. Alicen is currently an intern at Geek and Sundry and has great experiences in the field.

– CP&R: as always!