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Armenian professionals mingled with the Armenian graduate students at a networking forum on April 2, 2009 hosted by UCLA’s Armenian Graduate Students Association. This was the second time that the AGSA hosted, now annual, Graduate-Professional Networking Forum. The mingling took place in the Kerckhoff Hall’s Charles E. Young Grand Salon where the evening began with the attendees enjoying catered food and wine.
The Executive Director of AGSA and J.D. Candidate Elina Mnatsakanian told Chronicles that they worked on the forum starting December because they had to coordinate with many people in order for the event to be successful. The event, in fact, can easily be classified as a success.
Professions from various professional backgrounds were present, including, but not limited to, financial analysts, lawyers, engineers, human resource representatives, and doctors. In addition, professional networking organizations such as the Armenian Professional Society of Los Angeles, the Armenian American Medical Society of California, the Armenian Bar Association, the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America, Armenian General Benevolent Union - Young Professionals, and the Armenian National Committee Professional Network were all present at the event.
The AGBU – YP of Los Angeles usually coordinates events where they invite Armenian professionals to mixers and fundraiser in order to have the Armenians become more familiar with one another.
“I come to this event every year, it’s nice to meet Armenian professionals and get to know all the different careers and opportunities out there,” Arpine Hovasapian, a UCLA graduate who was there representing the AGBU Generation Next program along with AGBU – YP, stated.
After the guests were given the opportunity to get to know one anther, Mnatsakanian took the stage and welcomed everyone in attendance. The AGSA board also introduced all the professionals and thanked them for participating in the forum.
Chronicles spoke with various professions and many of them agreed on the great importance that networking forums play between professionals and graduate students.
Armen Vartanian, UC Berkeley graduate, was present at the event. He represented the Sun Capital Partners, which is a company that provides alternative investment for large institutions.
“I am very happy and excited for events like this that brings young intellectual talent to the work force. We’re here to network and help the Armenian community,” Vartanian stated, adding that being from Cal, they never had networking events that brought the Armenian work force together.
He also noted that networking events, such as AGSA’s annual networking forum, are almost imperative in this job market.
Another Armenian professional present at the event was Gerald Abrahamian who is the Executive Director of New Media Operations at Comcast Entertainment Group. He told the Chronicles that networking was largely lacking in the Armenian community, thus the event is admirable because it does what the community needs at this moment since the way to get a job today is through networking, “connecting is how you meet people and get jobs.”
“I like helping people, the more I can help, the better I’ll be,” Abrahamian added.
Abrahamian was talking to Dork Alahydoian at the event. Alahydoian does Business Development for MyDamnChannel, which is an internet studio that produces original, episodic video content. Another Cal graduate, he stated that the networking event is a great way to get students and the professionals in the same room talking to one another.
Some of the professionals also noted how they appreciate forums like this because when they were in college, there weren’t any Armenian networking events. Hence, they feel very happy to be involved in events such as this one. Hagop Karpanian, Cardiac Anesthesiology Fellow, from the UCLA Medical Center echoed this idea by stating, “It’s a good way for networking, when I was an undergraduate, we didn’t have a lot of people to ask questions to.”
“We’re really excited about the great turnout this year,” Mnatsakanian conclusively stated. “It’s nice to see many Armenians from different generations in one room interacting.”
2 comments:
Just wanted to say hello all. This is my first post.
I expect to learn some good stuff here.
I would just like to take time too thank the posters for doing what you do and making the community what it is im a long time reader and first time poster so i just wanted to say thanks.
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