When Macarena Muniz moved to the United States from her native Chile, she thought that her previous job experience might not be weighed accurately when competing for positions with local
Andrew Guest
I have worked for UC Berkeley Extension for almost 10 years. For most of that time, I was responsible for production of the print catalog. With the transition to digital modes of marketing and communication, my duties have similarly morphed into content marketing, social media marketing and photography.
My areas of responsibilities—or beats—are Art and Design, Construction and Sustainability, and Technology and Information Management. Design in its most expansive definition pulls together these areas, and integrates my particular interests in painting, photography, architecture, irrigation systems and user experience.
I interview students, talk with instructors and industry experts, and research employment opportunities of interest to students who are looking to enter new career categories or improve their understanding. If there is a topic you'd like to see covered in this blog, email me at aguest@berkeley.edu.
There is a crisis in America’s workforce today as more and more jobs are lost to automation and potential workers are opting out of the labor force. Add in the global climate crisis, and the
Walking into the art room as a sixth grader, Rucha Chattur was enraptured by the colorful scene that met her eyes: the brilliant paint bottles, the scatter of brushes and the bright paintings
A 2018 survey from labor-market data firm Burning Glass revealed more than 150,000 nationwide listings included data analysis in the job title; more than 27,000 of those jobs were located in
Career change is never easy. It takes education and training, work, a belief in self and—sometimes—just a spark of confidence.
When Sera Balenagasau enters a room, you know it. She has a kindly demeanor and her voice rolls with a gentle cadence, but Sera has a way of grabbing and keeping your attention.
Ivan Trujillo, the director of the Graphic Design and UX Design programs at UC Berkeley Extension, recommended that we talk with Ricky Pascual, one of his recent graduates. Ivan was impressed by
Volunteering your time is the epitome of altruism, but a related benefit to your selfless service is that it can also give you a career boost.
While still enrolled in UC Berkeley Extension’s Certificate Program in Data Science, Swathi Annamalai started as a data scientist at edtech startup CreativeLive. She had already completed four
The phrase “high-throughput screening” doesn’t initially grab your interest, but when you delve into it—the complexity and applications of its processes—you start to see why Joseph Walker is
Like many starting college, Ankita chose a major where the expectations were known: Her father was a businessman, so she studied business. But Ankita always had a penchant for design.
For a lot of people, a career in STEM is the end goal. But for Oscar Ko, a career as a software engineer at Boeing was just a launching pad.
Ehler Orngard’s career history is less of an arc and more of a squiggly line. For his undergraduate studies, he majored in economics, Spanish and music.
Learning how to code in just 12 weeks takes stamina and fortitude to get through the amount of work that the students have to master.
We are proud to announce that we’ve been named “Best Continuing Education for 2018” in an Oakland Magazine reader's poll. An East Bay institution since 1891, UC Berkeley Extension now helps tens
You hear “big data” everywhere. But it’s not just some new company jargon; it’s a growing field that businesses are red-hot to employ because they know that data will drive their company forward
Software developers are in demand.
You’ve almost certainly heard of bitcoin. But, this newsworthy virtual currency is really only a supporting element in the much more intriguing new blockchain technology.
What is an allegory, a symbol, or an emblem? How do we distinguish Rococo from the Baroque? Why the rise in Neoclassicism in the mid-18th century?
We recently had the pleasure to join together to celebrate the must-deserved recipients of the 2018 Honored Instructor Awards.
Employee engagement has stagnated over the past decade or so.
Our Voices blog features many students who have completed certificates and programs and are fully committed to continuing education and career change.
For the past 17 years, Leonil Carreon has been enjoying a project management construction career with a local real estate company in his native Philippines.
We recently had the opportunity to visit Extension student and product specialist Lisa Jacquiot.
20% of job growth for web developers through 2020 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a mean annual wage of $82,000 in California.
Even junior web developers can pull down $70
Marcela Corona was already leaning toward a design career when she first came to the United States with her partner, a graduate student at UC Berkeley.
You can be forgiven a feeling of optimism when you talk with Construction and Sustainability department director David Brotherton about the future. Despite dire headlines about climate change and
Carl Limsico, one of our 2018 Honored Instructors, showed an early interest in computing sparked by the gift of an Atari 800 from his parents.
Stephen Wong, one of our esteemed Extension Honored Instructors for 2017, exemplifies the best that we have to offer: professionally talented, devoted to his students and intellectually curious.
As part of San Francisco Design Week, legendary Berkeley printer and artist David Lance Goines gave a wide-ranging talk at our San Francisco Campus that used examples from his printing career to
Named after artist Paul Cézanne, Bay Area native Cezanne Rothberg turned to graphic design after a year and a half as a travel photographer and writer in Bali.
This is the third year that the Department of Art and Design will host events at Extension’s SF campus as part of SF Design Week. This year’s low-fee events
Yoko Tahara was inspired to start an artistic career when she viewed a series of woodblock prints by noted artist Shiko Munakata
“I've been at PG&E for about 10 years now,” says Fred Brew at the beginning of our interview.
Even when things are going well, it sometimes helps to take a moment, take stock and decide how you can take better advantage of your talents. For Gordon Ludwick, his job as a stationary engineer
You can be forgiven a dropped-jaw reaction when you learn about Sharon Hunter’s many accomplishments. A nurse for 30 years at St. Joseph Health in Eureka, Calif., Hunter gets a deep satisfaction
Aiqin Zhou has been fully immersed in creating art since the age of five. As a child growing up in China, Zhou fell in love with calligraphy, and through the years expanded her talents into brush
User experience design requires you to employ both right and left-brain thinking. You have to have the technical chops while keeping the user front and center (think: “I’m a people person!”). For
Mark Hydeman, one of this year's Honored Instructors, has a long and distinguished career as an HVAC engineer and educator.
Instructor Kelly Gearhart didn't follow a typical career path to become a green-building company owner, expert and educator.
As technology becomes more sophisticated, user experience has incorporated touch and sound, with virtual reality lurking on the horizon.
As a leading cybersecurity consultant, Jenelle Davis has helped protect more than 60 Fortune 500 organizations from a host of online threats.
Šárka Volejníková is helping to turn run-down Hilltop Park in San Francisco's Bayview District into a vibrant center for the neighborhood and nature. This UC Berkeley Extension instructor works at
For the past five years, David Druml has shared his expertise with UC Berkeley Extension students in the Construction Enterprise Risk Management course.
Molly Mueller patiently built her knowledge and skills in a variety of positions that necessitated an eye and talent for design.
Carlos Javier Ortiz forges strong bonds with the subjects in his photographs, which document the tragic loss of young life in urban communities such as those on the south side of Chicago.
Duane Kubischta received an advanced engineering degree from UC Berkeley and quickly entered the biotech field as an instrumentation engineer.
Shannon D. Schmidt teaches several of our cutting-edge art courses, including The Found Object: An Exploration of Appropriation and Contemporary Art and Soft Sculpture.
If you're not familiar with the resources available, however, you may not realize the range of plants that require little water.
Kaushal Diwan is heavily invested in implementing new technology into his everyday practice.
While working in China at an environmental nonprofit, Simon Feng Ou wanted a career that would sustain his interest.
While being a pharmacist is challenging work, Juyun Yim wants a career where she can express her creativity.
For many people, retirement provides the opportunity for leisure, travel, taking classes for personal enjoyment. But for Ben Lee, retirement means studying for a new career.
For the past 30 years, Henry Tooryani has seen the construction business’ steady ebb and flow—here in the Bay Area and across the nation.
Jennifer Lugris is at her best when she has a paintbrush in her hand. Lugris began taking art courses in Los Angeles, eventually moving to the Bay Area.
Making a career transition is no easy feat for any working professional. Between working full time and other responsibilities, making education a priority in order to learn skills can be
Melissa Mizell is a principal at Gensler, where she has worked on high-profile projects such as the Terminal 2 redesign at San Francisco International Airport.
Created to inspire the imagination and ignite critical dialog through art and film, the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is now open to the public.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Visual Arts graduate Catherine Kiwala recently exhibited her artwork at our San Francisco campus.
Instructor Doug Wittnebel describes his exhibit, which previously hung on the walls of the San Francisco campus, as follows: "Outside and inside of my work life at Gensler and my
Elena Ortiz began her professional career at Texas-based Houston Chronicle newspaper, setting type and designing layouts back when rulers and exacto knives were a printer's primary tools.
Communications isn't just about words, social media posts or newsletters.
Sometimes a degree isn't enough. For Samantha Edwards, the Certificate Program in Landscape Architecture is the perfect complement to her B.S. in landscape design.
Despite demanding 12-hour days as a construction project engineer, Ana Lazo is determined to complete the Certificate Program in Construction Management with distinction.