Alicia Lindgren
CEO
CollegeLab
“Stay true to yourself, and choose a job that showcases - rather than masks - your persona.”
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
I turned being small - I am 5'1" tall - into an advantage by becoming a coxswain for my high school's rowing team. I gained leadership skills and learned how to motivate peers.
I chose banking as my first job because it was the highest paying job offer that I had. I took a chance, as I was not sure what it really entailed.
The bank offered to pay for my graduate degree in business as a reward for my hard work. It was sometimes grueling to work full time and go to business school. but it was worth it.
When one of my banking clients offered me a job, I was nervous about taking it because it involved a big step up in responsibility. I took it, and learned that through challenges we grow the most.
I had to quit my job at the height of my career in finance because my commute was three hours every day, and I did not have the child care that I needed. This was a tough moment.
Raising children and being involved in the public schools and community at large was more fulfilling than I imagined, and ultimately it led me to learning about college counseling.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Bachelor
Government
Dartmouth College
Government
Dartmouth College
Graduate
Master of Business Administration
Columbia University
Master of Business Administration
Columbia University
Certification/License
College Counseling
University of California, Los Angeles
College Counseling
University of California, Los Angeles
Career
CEO
I work with a team to develop and manage an educational technology start up.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Entrepreneurship
Helping People
Day to Day
I start every day with a brief team meeting, and encourage my co-workers to accomplish their goals. Often, I talk with customers to make sure that our product is meeting their needs. I also call on potential clients to find out how we can help them. Together, we also check that our website is working properly, and we plan changes to it to better serve our customers.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
The Certificate in College Counseling is a great credential if you want to get started as an educational counselor.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
Government
Government
Graduate
Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
Certification/License
College Counseling
College Counseling
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"You have too much "ruth". I was told in this way that I needed to be more ruthless."
