Elijah Alvarado

 

Elijah Alvarado ‘21

Title: Pricing Analyst

Employer: United Airlines 

Major: Economics, BA

LinkedIn

What do you enjoy the most about your position?

I enjoy the travel benefits! I also enjoy analyzing data and presenting the information. Working at an airline is very exciting with all that's going on currently. There is never a dull moment. There are constantly new initiatives to get passengers back on planes comfortably and pricing in this environment requires a lot of attention and creativity and I love it. Additionally, I find myself not only learning more about the travel industry but also improving my hard skills such as Microsoft Excel and SQL everyday. 

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day in my position generally entails monitoring pricing activity of other airlines such as sales and promotions and ensuring we remain competitive. Also, I spend a lot of time anticipating changes in the markets.

For example, say there are loosening restrictions in a city we fly to. In my position, I would look into how that might affect demand to fly there and work on translating that to a particular price. I also work on larger and longer projects that could be about a new product rollout or another company-wide initiative. 

How did you find this position?

I found this position on the Careers4Terps job board.

Which undergraduate experiences have been the most useful?

Being a Residential Assistant (RA) at Courtyards and a Representative in the Student Government Association allowed me to build my leadership and interpersonal skills greatly. My internships throughout my years at UMD also provided me an opportunity to sharpen my analytical and administrative skills as well as learning how to work efficiently remotely. Also, I would encourage students to build connections with my professors and utilize all of the many resources available at UMD.

How has your coursework prepared you for this position? 

I use what I learned in my ECON courses everyday. Understanding concepts like the breakpoint, supply and demand, and game theory help me constantly. Seeing the real world connection to the material I studied has been incredibly rewarding and encouraging.

When searching for jobs, what should students consider?

Do not be afraid to apply. Also, meeting people and networking opened many doors along the way and will likely continue to in the future. Talking to people who were in the field that I wanted to be in (and others) helped me find the type of work that I wanted to do.

What piece of advice do you have for students thinking about their post-graduate job?

Try new things and leverage all of your experiences! I would have never imagined that I would be living in Chicago working at such a great company after graduation, but here I am. I had a very interesting background, working my way through college in various positions that didn't seem like much along the way but allowed me to garner many desired skills. I would definitely say aim high and lastly, never stop asking questions. Go Terps!