Name: Alesandra LaPointe
Class Year: 2009
Title: Head of Campus and Programmatic Hiring
Organization Name: Wayfair
1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
I oversee the campus and programmatic hiring strategy for Wayfair and the recruiting team that works to bring in top talent for engaging post-graduate opportunities.
2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?
I would point to my involvement in the Pre-Business program and Women in Business Conference as primary events that guided me in the direction of my career decision to join Nielsen. Attending the various pre-business dinners and listening to the speakers and learning about their industries greatly opened my eyes to the diverse opportunities that existed across the corporate landscape. Additionally, I had close relationships with my accounting professors and the career planning office who both played a major role in providing advice and coaching on my career decision. I came to my decision by going in eyes wide open to vast opportunities that were available to me and valuing the input of my closest advisors.
3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
Women in Business Conference Chair, Purple Key Society Co-Chair, Washington DC Semester Program, Luxembourg May Term Abroad Program, SPUD, Part Time role at the Career Planning Office
4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
Anthropology major, Accounting minor. I had my sights set on a role in the corporate world, initially in communications. Anthropology and accounting are virtually polar opposites, but both paths of study gave me the right mix of understanding how people operate and foundational business and financial acumen. I obtained my first job in Nielsen’s Financial Leadership Program, which resulted in me leaning on my Accounting minor at the outset of my career. As I have moved into progressive roles in the Human Resources space I have leaned a great deal on my Anthropology learnings.
5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
1) Presentation/interpersonal skills- In every class at HC there was a presentation element and the expectation of participation in front of your peers. This helped give me much practice on engaging an audience and connecting with a group. My advice is to raise your hand for every chance to present whether in the classroom or in extracurriculars, as it will make you that much more prepared for the workplace presentation stage!
2) Adaptability- By participating in a distinct set of programs at HC, such as: study abroad, summer internships and other campus clubs, I was able to flex skills with different groups and put myself in different environments. This translated well in the workplace as it has allowed me to adapt to many different working styles and successfully perform in a variety of environments.
6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?
Make connections among faculty, staff and your classmates! This is a network that never stops giving and I still utilize today! Working across levels is a great skill to take with you into professional life, allowing you to interact up, down, and across the organization.
