Category Archives: Selene

Startup Scene is Calling ALL Women to Pasadena!

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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.

Note: the general LA area is already a growing hub of startup activity and there is no better time to ride the wave then NOW! Pasadena is home to IdeaLab, a very reputable and successful incubator. They are attracting a ton of startups to the area! 

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!

 

A Brief Look Into My Work Schedule

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I haven’t really settled on one field of work that I want to pursue, so I have been basically been snapping up any job I can since arriving at Scripps to gain experience. Making money along the way helps too!

I now work four part-time jobs. Pretty crazy, I know.

Out of the four, three are on-campus jobs as a: design editor for the Scripps Voice, Phonathon caller for the Scripps Fund, and usher for the Scripps Performing Arts Center. My fourth job is with a company based in Gardena called Trinity International Industries. During the summer, I work at their home office. At school, I work remotely on my computer doing data entry.

Landing jobs are not easy. I probably sent dozens of applications in the course of my on-campus job search and I was very lucky some level of networking, since Trinityii hired me with little/no experience. Trinityii’s CEO hired me solely on word-of-mouth from her family friends… I was very lucky indeed.

Balancing the workload and responsibilities of four jobs can be really difficult and time consuming, especially since I consider myself a full-time student. I am very fortunate that my bosses are very considerate of my vigorous academic schedule, so my time is flexible. However, despite the flexibility, I still often find myself sleeping later and later, so I can finish all of the work I have to do.

I do not recommend others to follow in my footsteps, unless they have ridiculous organizational skills or if the work is absolutely necessary. I love having money at my disposal, but I love challenging myself to see what I am capable of. So far, my social and academic life has not dramatically changed with my increased level of work. I hope that remains as I continue to push through the rest of the semester!

Have any questions? Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn! I won’t bite! It would be a good start building your network. You never know when you might need a hand!

Live long and prosper!

Welcome to the “Quarter-Life Crisis” Club!

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I recently got off the phone with a dear friend of mine from UC San Diego. Ever since the day we met in middle school, I knew she was born to be a pediatrician. She is so talented at patching people up. Plus, the kids at her summer camp adore her to shreds to the point it makes their parents jealous!

Her path to becoming a doctor, however, quickly derailed under the enormous competition and pressure of the pre-med track and demands of the bio major. When she finally vented out her fears and frustration to me over the phone about her goals, grades, parents, responsibilities, and expectations, the first thing I said to her was, “Welcome to the club!”

Current members of the “Quarter-Life Crisis” include the characters of “Girls” on HBO.

Everyone at some point in her time at college will have a brief (or long term) membership in the “Quarter-Life Crisis” club. Those who aren’t members are in denial …. or just darn lucky (most likely, the former)! Unfortunately, there is no easy way out. It just takes some time, patience, and perspective. Add a little more drama along the way and you have a perfect screenplay in your hands!

What I do know for a fact about the “Quarter-Life Crisis” club is that there are so many people out there who empathize and want to help, like CP&R and your professors! Sometimes, however, all we need is someone there to just answer the phone and talk.

Past members include Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

So as a proud member over the past few years, I invite anyone who is experiencing self-doubt or has no idea what to do with her life to shoot me an email or meet up over some coffee at the Motley! I will not have all of the answers, but I will sure be there if you need me!

Hang in there and have a fabulous week!

Feel free to email me at: [email protected]

Attending Conferences: What to Expect and What to Do

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I just came back from a weekend conference in Dublin, Ireland and I have a lot to share about conferences in general! 

I went to the Interdependence Conference, hosted by the nonprofit group CivWorld and its founder, Dr. Benjamin Barber, a world-renowned political scientist. This political conference aims to bring people from all over the world to discuss ways in which we are interdependent on each other and how we can best bridge the gap between people and countries. This is a pretty small conference with about 100 participants and 20 youth delegates. Two of the youth delegates were from Scripps, so that’s a big deal!

Youth delegate group photo: I’m in the center wearing the blue dress. Fellow Scrippsie Zoe Jacobs ’15 is in the red jacket to the right. She served as an intern for CivWorld and this conference!

This was my first conference ever so I’ll just share a few nuggets of wisdom. This is what I learned:

1. How do you get invited to a conference?

I got my foot-in-the-door from my friend and fellow Scrippsie, Zoe Jacobs ’15, who is an intern for CivWorld and helped put together the Interdependence Conference. Without her, I do not think I would have been able to go to the conference on my own. I asked other delegates on how they were invited and basically, we all got in because we knew someone in the organization already, whether it was through a professor or their next-door neighbor. Networking is key to learning about conference opportunities! 

2. Receiving Funding from Scripps

I was lucky to have CivWorld cover my housing and meals in Dublin, however, I had to cover the airfare and transportation myself, which was the most expensive part. I looked for funding at Scripps and ended up getting $100 from SAS. Later, I am going to check the Motley for additional funding.

From my understanding, SAS caps all funding to students at $100, so keep that in mind when planning for conferences. Although it is better than nothing, it barely covered the Super Shuttle ride to LAX from Claremont… So when preparing for a conference, make sure you know your budget! Don’t count on receiving a significant amount of money from Scripps!  Although there are limited funds available, Scripps is eager to help they want to see you succeed! Just be persistent!

3. Once you get to the conference… what do you do?

A conference is basically a place where people convene to talk about specific topics. Many are experts in their field, but sometimes you get people who are curious and are added to the general discussion. You are expected to attend as many lectures as you can and participate in conversations through questions.

There are sometimes cocktail receptions and galas with musical guests and entertainment, like the ones I attended in Dublin. Be careful! They’ll serve a lot of wine and food and it is very tempting to get hideously drunk. You are under a lot of scrutiny at these events and it really reflects very poorly if you forget your manners! Believe me, I have witnessed a few adults make fools of themselves there and it’s quite shocking!

Gala dinner on the second night of the conference

Traditional Irish harpists and singers performing at the gala

4. Networking

The Interdependence Conference hosted the mayor of Dublin and Belfast, scholars in art and politics, and business men and women. These speakers are really eager to help anyone who asks, especially if you express interest in their field. NETWORK LIKE CRAZY at conferences! Honestly, this is the sole purpose why people our age attend events like these!

Note: Zoe was personally offered a job by the mayor of Belfast! NETWORK!

5. Never say “No” (within reason, of course)

Bonding with your peers is as important as networking with distinguished speakers! There were about 10 youth delegates from around the world and an additional 10 from Trinity College, Dublin. Every night, we had the opportunity to go out to pubs and events to hang out. No matter how tired you are, DON’T SAY NO.

We celebrated Culture Night in Dublin where the entire city is open until 4AM to celebrate the it’s rich cultural identity!

In the four days I was there, I probably slept a total of 10 solid hours. The point is, you can sleep when you get home. When you are abroad or attending a conference, you need to maximize all the time you have available!

Many of the youth delegates in this conference just finished earning their Master’s degree in their field and are very knowledgeable in giving advice about what to do after finishing undergraduate studies. Just because your peers are young, do not rule them out!

6. Be a good sport

You are not the only one there trying to network. Many might even find you a valuable resource! In any case, be gracious and accommodating to others. Networking is a give-and-take of favors and information, so make sure to reciprocate peoples’ generous gestures the best way you can!

Of course, I cannot speak on behalf of all types of conferences (medical, biology, psychology, etc.), but these are the most basic pieces of advice I can give on the subject. I really encourage everyone to jump on opportunities like these. You really never know unless you put yourself out there!

Good luck and I hope this helps!

The Glorious Benefits of Starting Your Own Blog

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In last week’s post, I mentioned my blogging project I started over the summer.  After comparing notes with a few friends with blogs too, we agreed that there are many glorious benefits of starting your own. Here are just a few little nuggets of our wisdom.

1. It’s fun and creative!

Focusing your entire energy on work and academics can sometimes feel lacking. Adding a little creative control into your day is sometimes all you need. A blog is a very personal project for every individual, yet it’s the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in something you actually love doing. For example, if you love cooking, then share your tips and favorite dishes. When people start reading and responding what you do, you find yourself positively reinforced to continue doing what you love. Who knows? Maybe it will help lead you to your dream job? [Check out Scripps’ most famous blogger, alum Emily Schuman (author of “Cupcakes and Cashmere.”] Whatever you are passionate about, there’s a place out there in the blogs-o-sphere for you.

2. It boosts your personal branding.

I did a lot of research on different job opportunities online. Regardless of what field you are interested to work in, I found that many employers are very interested in your existence on social media platforms, not just on LinkedIn and Facebook. Blogging is like a living portfolio that gives readers a clear insight on your personality, passions, ethics, and lifestyle. For a future career in PR and marketing, blogs are considered a must. A strong online presence can easily be a double-edged sword, but it’s definitely skewed in your favor since you have a lot of control about the way you want to be perceived.

1. It helps you learn important skills.

Believe it or not, blogging is now considered a marketable skill. Not only are you constantly writing and copy editing, you are also developing a lot of self-discipline since you have to hold yourself accountable for original content, deadlines, and supplementary materials (photography, research, etc). Plus, there are always opportunities to generate revenue through attracting blog followers and advertising firms. If you have the entrepreneurial spirit, then you have the potential to be your own BOSS and run your own small business through blogging. If you manage a successful blog in one summer, I guarantee that employers shall be very impressed.

4. It adds perspective.

On a personal note, blogging about what makes you happy or about what happens in your daily life adds a wonderful sense of accomplishment and appreciation in what you do. It took me a month into blogging before I realized that my life is pretty darn packed with incredible tiny adventures. In all truthfulness, blogs are vanity projects. Yet the point is: everyone has an interesting life. Sometimes it takes something like making a blog for people to realize that fact.

I can go on and on with this list, but alas! This is where I shall stop for now. Blogging has a very strong online community, so if you have any questions whatsoever, shoot me a heads up or just figure it out on your own. Be brave and have fun!

Happy blogging! Allons-y!