Saranjit Uppal - UC Davis Academic Advisor
Don't hesitate to put yourself in the space of learning from others and growing your community.
Name: Saranjit Uppal
Major: History
Current Position/Status: Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Education & Advising, College of Letters & Science Dean's Office
Year Graduated: 2020
What was your first job after graduating with your degree from UC Davis?
Advising Assistant, Phoenix Cluster, UC Davis
Can you describe your career path from your first job after UC Davis to your current position?
Having held a student employee position as a peer advisor in the History Department for two years, I continued to look for other advising roles available on campus upon graduation since I found the work experience engaging and fulfilling. My first job acquired was an entry-level position as an Advising Assistant in the Phoenix Cluster at UC Davis, where I learnt a lot about the full-time workload a Staff advising position would require. After further trainings and experience, I applied for a position back with the History Department a year later, returning to support students as an Undergraduate Coordinator for over two years. I then applied to work in the College of Letters & Science Dean's Office as an Academic Advisor, having built upon the knowledge, skills, and resources over several years across the positions I held.
How did your program and experience at UC Davis prepare you for where you are today?
Without being a History major and applying for the History peer advisor position as an undergraduate student at UC Davis, I would not have the career I have today! It was thanks for the History Department and their staff for creating such a robust and comprehensive advising center that I found a passion and purpose in the work I was doing, enough to step into the career opportunities that experience provided.
How did your program and experience at UC Davis prepare you for where you are today?
Using campus resources like Handshake and departmental newsletters/emails helped me find opportunities that I otherwise wasn't actively looking for. I would also encourage students to look into research opportunities; UC Davis is an R1 institute - being able to do your own research as an undergraduate student is an incredibly valuable skill and opportunity to tap into!