Nov. 2012 - Spotlight

Alan Dulgeroff, P.E., Class of '92

SDSU Grad & Leader at San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E)

SDSU's Career Services department provides students with job opportunities and career planning. 

SDSU partnerships benefit students

But just as important, Career Services establishes strong ties with national and local industries that directly benefit students when establishing their careers.

One such very strong and long partnership is with San Diego’s own SDG&E, a Sempra Energy utility. This partnership has spanned many decades, resulting in practical internships for students and rewarding career opportunities upon graduation.

Alan Dulgeroff is one  former SDSU student who embodies the potential for a very rewarding career due to the university’s partnership with the organization.

Dulgeroff graduated from SDSU in 1992 with a degree in electrical engineering. He has spent the last 20 years at SDG&E in a variety of technical and leadership positions, something that started as a summer internship during his student days.

Summer internship was a life-changer

"When I was a student, we had many professors at SDSU who worked in industry, including at SDG&E, bringing real world engineering problems and challenges to the classroom," he said. "We had the chance to apply the theory we were learning in our courses to practical applications. This close alignment SDSU promotes between academia and industry was very beneficial to me in starting my career at SDG&E. The summer internship I did was definitely a huge benefit in helping me land my first job at SDG&E."

Currently, Dulgeroff is the director of Human Resources and Labor Relations at SDG&E, but as he pointed out, he’s had various opportunities to move around and expand his contributions in the company.

"I’ve actually held 12 different positions in the past 20 years because SDG&E is the kind of company that gives employees the opportunity to grow," he said. "My positions have ranged from technical to leadership. It’s been a real diversity of roles that fostered my growth and kept my job so interesting and fulfilling."

Giving back to the community

As someone who strongly believes in giving back to the community, Dulgeroff is a man who embraces the partnership between SDSU and SDG&E. He currently serves on three different advisory boards at SDSU:

• The SDSU Electrical Engineering Curriculum Advisory Board, in which he works with professors and representatives from other local companies to enhance the Electrical Engineering coursework, offerings, and national standing.
• The SDSU Career Services Advisory Board, in which he helps in the practical preparation of students for industry and providing different support mechanisms to students such as interviewing techniques, resume writing, and mentoring activities.
• The SDSU Alumni Board, in which he looks at different ways to engage the alumni to give back to the university and help current students as they move forward into the work world.

As a seasoned professional, Dulgeroff had some advice for current students who wonder what they should be doing now to help them prepare for their future careers.

Preparing for your future

"One of the most important things is, of course, to attend to their educational foundation and be sure to stay on top of their curriculum," he said. "But before they can do that, the most important thing for all students is their health and wellbeing, and that of their families. Without that, students cannot focus on their academics."

Dulgeroff also cites the necessity of broadening each student’s experience with the appropriate co-curricular activities.

"Students should strike a balance with academics by joining organizations and taking on leadership roles that support and advance our diverse community, while growing their communication and organizational skills. These experiences will benefit students in their careers and lives," he said.

Internships are key

"Finally, internships are key to helping students connect to industry, make contacts, and get some real world experience that will help them pinpoint what they want to do in the future. At SDG&E, we often hire a significant percentage of students from the internship programs."

"Most importantly, use the resources you have on campus to help you, particularly Career Services," said Dulgeroff. "Sign up early and use the preparatory tools they have, and always keep an eye open for when employers come to campus. These things can make all the difference in students getting a worthwhile career upon graduation."

Read about this month's featured positions in SDSU Career Services