Lupe Colangelo knows how to make a connection. As Director of Alumni Engagement and Employer Partnerships at General Assembly, she leverages data to match employers with diverse talent while exploring new ways to benefit General Assembly alumni through community-building, skill-up, and tech employer networking opportunities.
“I think of myself as a client-facing business intelligence analyst that helps our employers and alumni succeed in the tech world,” said Colangelo.
Colangelo started at General Assembly’s New York campus as a Career Coach in 2019, supporting thousands across our bootcamps to help jumpstart their job searches. Prior to joining General Assembly, she accrued valuable experience as an education and lifestyle coach.
In her new role, Lupe is all about exploring the intersection of talent and analytics. We recently sat down with her to learn more about her work and what she’s most excited about moving forward.
ON STAYING SHARP
I’m always trying to learn what others in this field do — particularly our employer partners.
Colangelo met her favorite teacher in college, a psychology professor who offered her an internship.
While Colangelo eventually realized psychology wasn’t her calling, the internship experience showed her how much she enjoyed working with people. It also gave her the desire and confidence to push the boundaries of the tech education landscape by consistently learning new skills and applying that knowledge to her work.
“Lately, I’ve been learning more about data visualization in Tableau to keep my skills sharp,” she explained. “I’m always trying to learn what others in this field do — particularly our employer partners. Keeping up with what they’re looking for helps me stay competitive.”
ON CAREER GROWTH
Knowing where jobs are is the first step. Then, you need the skills for those jobs — so you need to know where those skills are.
When it comes to the tech job market, Colangelo dives deep on the data. As Director of Alumni Engagement and Employer Partnerships, she identifies tech industry hiring trends by poring over the latest employer and alumni feedback as well as job and skills reports.
One prevailing trend: employees are eager to keep learning throughout their careers. Colangelo recommends tech employers upskill and gather feedback from existing employees on desired learning topics and growth opportunities to better attract and retain tech talent.
“Make sure you’re proactively sourcing people from diverse communities so your organization can access the best talent,” said Colangelo. “That means staying up to date on where to find talented junior candidates, then actively supporting their transition into technical roles.”
For job seekers, Colangelo’s advice is similar. “Knowing where jobs are is the first step,” she explained. “Then, you need the skills for those jobs — so you need to know where those skills are.”
ON SUPPORTING ALUMNI
My favorite part about working at General Assembly is the students and internal teams I get to be around.
As part of the Employer Partnerships team, Colangelo works directly with General Assembly’s employer partners looking to hire our alumni.
“I get to tell employers how great it is to hire General Assembly talent,” said Colangelo. “That gives us the opportunity to connect graduates from our network to their full-time job opportunities. I’m thrilled when I learn that an alumni got a job, especially if it’s through a direct connection we made.”
Colangelo continues, “My favorite part about working at General Assembly is the students and internal teams I get to be around. I love getting to hear everyone’s stories.”
ON THE FUTURE OF GA
It’s an incredible time for General Assembly, our alumni, and our employer partners.
As a director, Colangelo is constantly looking to what the future holds for General Assembly. “This year is really exciting,” she explained. “We’re offering employers great enterprise solutions, including training, reskilling, and contract-to-hire opportunities, ensuring they can better attract, engage, and develop talent.”
She continues, “Very soon, we’re also launching a newsletter for our alumni community, and we’re working with a really exciting community partner to offer alumni great in-person and virtual events.”
It’s all part of Colangelo’s commitment to offering General Assembly alumni the best experiences possible.
“One of the coolest things going on at General Assembly is how our alumni community is actually such a big part of our employer community. Our alumni go into the field, find new jobs, then return as employers themselves to hire more of our alumni. It’s an incredible time for General Assembly, our alumni, and our employer partners.”
If you’re a GA alum looking for new opportunities or an employer seeking top tech talent, visit our alumni page for more information on how we can work together.