Posted by Christopher Ma, UCSD student intern at UCOP. UCSD student Karen Aresti has a big smile on her face as she greets people entering The Loft, the campus concert venue. In the background, the odd combination of banjo sounds and electronic beats combine in a seamless fashion. She is in her environment.
Karen loves the entertainment industry. Starting in her freshmen year, she turned to technology at UCSD to help her get experience in the field. She used Port Triton, UCSD’s job portal, where employers can list positions exclusively viewable to UCSD students and alumni and provide application submission details. At first, most of the jobs were too far away. For instance, The House of Blues was hiring marketing interns, but the venue is in downtown San Diego and Karen did not have a car.
Eventually she found out that The Loft @ UCSD was hiring – and she got the job as The Loft marketing coordinator, right on campus. This was her first real step into the entertainment industry. Now about to graduate, she has the same job. “I get to attend free music shows while getting experience in the field I want my career in. IT was definitely a big factor on helping me find this job. The best part about these engines are the filters, they really allow me to zone onto a specific job that perfectly fits my wants.”
She is now graduating from UCSD with a degree in Communications and has an internship lined up at Disney as a channel jr. marketing intern – which she found through LinkedIn and networking.