Volunteer for Student Career Preparation Programs
Equip students with hands-on training and real-life experiences.
UCLA Sharpe Fellows Program
As an alumni volunteer for the UCLA William F. Sharpe Fellows Program, a program that has existed since 2008, was created by the Department of Economics and their Board of Visitors, is currently run by the UCLA Alumni Association, and has close to 700 alumni to date, you will have the opportunity to strengthen career outcomes of students interested in one of four areas of business:
- Investment Banking (includes private equity)
- Finance (all areas of finance besides investment banking and private equity)
- Consulting
- Technology
Alumni volunteers for the Sharpe Fellows Program should have one or more years of experience in one of these four areas of business.
Volunteer opportunities include:
- Application Screener
- Interviewer
- Mentor a Sharpe Fellow or Sharpe Fellows
- Be a Panelist
- Attend Networking Mixers
- Learn More About Supporting a Trek (A Visit To Your Organization)
- Case Competition Judge
Alumni are welcome to volunteer for one or more of the volunteer opportunities by completing the registration form.
2024-25 Alumni Volunteer Opportunities
1. Application Screener
Description:
Evaluate approximately 20 applications with a rubric that is provided to assess résumés and responses to essay prompts. This will take approximately a total of five hours to review.
Commitment:
The review period is on your own time between Tuesday, August 20 and Sunday, August 25, 2024. Review roughly 20 applications that will take approximately a total of five hours to review.
The training session for alumni will be conducted on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 5:00pm – 6:00 p.m. on Zoom.
Format: Virtual
2. Interviewer
Description:
Interview candidates in your vertical background as aforementioned in the description of the volunteer opportunity above. The questions will be provided and include behavioral and technical questions. Immediately following the interviews, there will be a debrief with other interviewers to assess which candidates will be recommended for selection into the program.
Date and Time:
Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. PT Investment Banking Round I of II
Friday, September 6, 2024, 8:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. PT Investment Banking Round II of II*
Friday, September 6, 2024, 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. PT Consulting
Friday, September 13, 2024 8:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. PT Finance
Friday, September 13, 2024 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. PT Tech
*(Note: Investment Banking Round II of II is for those who have volunteered for this before, have seven or more years of experience, or is by invitation only)
Format: Virtual
3. Mentor A Sharpe Fellow or Sharpe Fellows
Description:
Primarily in a one-on-one format, but potentially in groups with other mentors and mentees, mentor fellows either via Zoom or in person based on your preference and availability.
Commitment:
One-hour training meeting with just alumni based on the availability of a majority of the alumni.
Mentor a minimum of one hour at a time and format (in person or Zoom) to be determined based on your availability.
Optional- attend the Sharpe Fellows Program Orientation Networking Mixer on Saturday, September 28, 2024 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. at the James West Alumni Center on the UCLA campus.
4. Be a Panelist
Description:
Serve as a panelist to speak about your career journey and provide insights and tips to Sharpe Fellows during Orientation.
Date and Time:
Saturday, September 28, 2024 11:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m. at the James West Alumni Center on the UCLA campus.
5. Attend a Networking Mixer
Description:
Attend at least one networking mixer below based on your industry. Spend the evening meeting and building relationships with alumni and exceptional UCLA students either in or preparing to enter the field.
Date & Time:
Sharpe Fellows Program Orientation Networking Mixer Saturday, September 28, 2024 5 p.m.-6 p.m. at the James West Alumni Center on the UCLA campus.
Bruins in Silicon Beach: Networking Mixer and Alumni Panel (targeting technology) Thursday, November 21, 2024 in Silicon Beach 6:00 p.m.-8:30 pm.
Bruins in Century City: Networking Mixer and Alumni Panel (targeting investment banking, finance and consulting) Wednesday, January 27, 2025 in Century City 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Format: at the James West Alumni Center
6. Learn More About Supporting a Trek (A Visit to Your Organization)
Description:
Facilitate and information session at your company by either reserving a room and/or identifying presenters that may or may not be alumni to present about the organization and relevant job opportunities.
Date and Location:
Wednesday, October 16- Friday, October 18, 2024 in New York
(targeting investment banking, finance, and consulting)
Wednesday, January 15- Friday, January 17, 2025 in San Francisco and San Jose
(targeting investment banking, finance, and consulting)
Wednesday, January 29- Friday, January 31, 2025 in Century City
(targeting investment banking, finance, and consulting)
7. Case Competition Judge
Description:
Observe presentations by teams of students, provide feedback, and judge the competition to determine winners.
Date & Time:
Friday, April 25, 2025 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Format:
At the James West Alumni Center on the UCLA campus
Interested: Complete the registration form.
Questions: Email Mia Seleshi, Director of Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA Alumni Affairs at mseleshi@support.ucla.edu
Virtual Economics in Action
Description:
Faculty teaching lab classes have the option to request the UCLA Alumni Association’s support in coordinating a Virtual Economics in Action event. Requests are submitted no later than two weeks before the start of the quarter. For this program, students form teams, research a topic related to the course and present to a panel of two to three judges. Alumni are invited to participate as judges only on the date they sign up for and their role is to observe multiple student presentations during that time block and provide the students with feedback. Alumni of all majors are welcome to serve as judges.
Date and Time: Week 8 or Week 9 of each quarter (see UCLA Academic Calendar). Time and date varies depending on faculty preference.
Fall recruitment for judges will begin after Sept. 23 pending faculty requests.
Format: Virtual
Experience:
No prior experience or knowledge on the course content is required to serve as a judge.
Interested:
Email Joseph Blancas, Associate Director of Alumni Career Engagement jblancas@support.ucla.edu
Economics Guest Lectures
Description:
Faculty teaching lab classes have the option to request the UCLA Alumni Association’s support in coordinating alumni guest lectures. Requests are submitted no later than two weeks before the start of the quarter. Opportunities are subject to faculty requests each quarter and prospective alumni guest speakers are reviewed and approved by faculty based on alignment of course content and speakers’ work experience. Guest speakers share their professional background with students, information on their current company or profession, or connect how the content matter of the course ties in to their professional line of work, while others facilitate real Harvard Business School case studies as it relates to the module being taught in the class for that given week.
Date and Time:
Varies depending on course. Monday – Friday, any time throughout the academic year between 9 a.m.– 6 p.m. Typically from 50 minutes to one hour and 15-minute engagements.
Fall recruitment for speakers will begin after Sept. 23 pending faculty requests.
Format: Virtual or in person depending on faculty preference
Experience:
Senior level – pending faculty approval
Interested:
Email Joseph Blancas, Associate Director of Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA Alumni Affairs at jblancas@support.ucla.edu.
Social Enterprise Academy
Description:
Through this program, students work directly with nonprofit organizations to develop earned income opportunities for their organizations. The program combines teamwork, expert training and individualized coaching in a comprehensive approach to help develop successful social enterprises. The culminating event is the Venture Showcase where three final teams pitch their business ventures for up to $30,000 in funding. You have an opportunity to attend or serve as a judge pending program committee approval.
Date and Time:
Week 9 of spring quarter (Tuesday, May 27 - Friday, May 30); late afternoon to early evening
Format: Virtual
Experience:
Senior level in nonprofit and business – pending committee approval
Interested:
Email Joseph Blancas, Associate Director of Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA Alumni Affairs at jblancas@support.ucla.edu.
Economics Research Fellows
Description:
With the support of the Economics Board of Visitors, the UCLA Economics Research Fellows Program supports talented undergraduates to work side-by-side with a faculty member on the professor's research team, and receive professional development training and personalized coaching.
Alumni volunteers will serve on a panel covering the return on investment of their Ph.D. in economics.
Date and Time:
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 4 - 5 p.m.
Format: In person at the James West Alumni Center on the UCLA campus or virtual depending on the format availability of the panelists
Experience:
A Ph.D. in economics with two or more years of experience in academia, industry (technology or government) or consulting litigation.
Interested:
Email Mia Seleshi, Director of Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA Alumni Affairs at mseleshi@support.ucla.edu.
Excellence in Economics
Description:
This program is on hiatus.
Questions: Email Mia Seleshi, Director of Alumni Career Engagement mseleshi@support.ucla.edu
Our Proud Partners
