The OP Staff Assembly (OPSA) recently hosted two popular events for UCOP staff. In case you missed them, here are some of the highlights.

OPSA Career Panel: Leveraging Diverse Skills and Experiences in IT Careers

On Jan. 16, OPSA hosted a panel discussion highlighting various aspects of careers in IT, including career journeys, advice for entering the field and the importance of business skills.

Panelists

• Shawn Aguilar, Executive Technology Support Analyst, IT Client Services, UCOP
• Shirley Bittlingmeier, Executive Director, IT Client Services, UCOP
• Richard Santos, Executive Technology Support Analyst, IT Client Services, UCOP
• Connie Tremblay, Senior IT Recruiter, UCOP Human Resources
• Van Williams, Vice President of Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer, UC

Key takeaways

• Diverse career paths: Panelists shared their unique journeys into IT, emphasizing that there is no single route into the field. Many started in non-technical roles before transitioning into IT.
• Breaking into IT: Panelists shared advice for how people without traditional IT backgrounds can transition to technology careers, including leveraging transferable skills, gaining certifications, networking, and starting with contract or entry-level positions.
• Valuable business skills: Panelists highlighted communication, negotiation, problem-solving, and storytelling skills as critical for success in IT.
• Industry trends: Panelists discussed the growing importance of artificial intelligence, user experience design, and systems thinking in the IT landscape, emphasizing the need for continuous learning.
• Workplace Collaboration: IT does not function in isolation; panelists highlighted teamwork, adaptability, and openness to learning as key to professional growth.

Watch the recording from the IT panel.

Demystifying the Promotion Process: Events held in partnership with PACSW

OPSA and the Presidents Advisory Council on the Status of Women (PACSW) partnered on two events to help colleagues better understand how the promotions process works at UCOP.

Demystifying the Promotion Process: Webinar with HR Compensation

Compensation Director JJ Lerma of UCOP Human Resources led a virtual conversation about how the UCOP promotion process works and answered attendee questions. Watch a recording of the promotion process webinar.

Demystifying the Promotion Process: Panel Discussion

UCOP staff shared their firsthand experiences of the promotion process, including insights, challenges and success stories to help demystify the path to advancement. Panelists included:

• Jonas (JJ) Lerma, Director, UCOP Compensation

• Marjo Keller, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Local HR

• Jayme Mogen, Director of Talent Systems & Analytics, Systemwide HR

• Matt Reed, Analyst, IRAP

Also, as part of this initiative, OPSA and PACSW produced a one-page fact sheet (Box link) on the promotion process.

About

View all post by