Planning Your Career Path Checklist
This checklist is a list of opportunities students can take advantage of during their time at UCSC. Click to find more information about your year.
If you would like to discuss and plan a path suited specifically to you, meet with a Career Coach and have a discussion about your interests and path. Start by reviewing possible majors.
First Year
- Visit Career Success and discover what services are available.
- Research majors by using the General Catalog and explore the “What Can I Do With This Major” tool.
- Identify your personal and professional values, interests, and skills by taking one of
our assessments. - Get involved with a student organization and search for volunteer opportunities in your fields of interest.
- If you’re looking for part-time employment, search Handshake for on and off-campus employment.
- View our events calendar to attend workshops and career fairs.
Second Year
- Visit Career Success to connect with a Career Engagement Specialist and re-acquaint yourself with the services we offer.
- Create or update your resume with a Peer Adviser during drop-in hours.
- If you’re exploratory or considering changing your major, meet with a career engagement specialist as soon as possible.
- Begin developing relationships with faculty by visiting their office hours and speaking to them after class (you'll need letters of recommendation before you know it!).
- Consider taking on more responsibility in a student organization, your college, or as
a volunteer. - Begin searching for both on- and off-campus internships; meet with our career engagement specialists for guidance.
- If you’re looking for part-time employment, search Handshake for on and off-campus employment.
- Begin to research companies and industries through Informational Interviewing.
- View our events calendar to attend workshops and career fairs.
- Visit Global Engagement to learn more about study abroad programs.
- Meet with a career engagement specialist if you are considering graduate or professional school to ensure you are academically on track with your coursework and grades.
Third Year
- Visit Career Success further explore your career opportunities and prepare for interviews.
- Research current occupational information using Career Success online resources.
- Begin or continue to develop relationships with your professors. They are
a great resource to obtain a research position anda letter of recommendation for graduate/professional school. - Take a leadership role in a student organization,
college, or as a volunteer. - Find part-time employment using Handshake for on and off-campus employment.
- Apply for an internship. Meet with our career engagement specialists to find your on- and off-campus options.
- Look into field study programs, research positions, and internship opportunities in your department.
- Research graduate or professional school and admissions requirements and meet with a career engagement specialist who specializes in your field of interest.
- Take a practice graduate school entrance exam (e.g., GRE, LSAT, MCAT).
- Learn how to network effectively, create a LinkedIn profile, and conduct informational interviews to gain career information and expand your network.
- Obtain a meaningful summer job or internship related to your major or career interests. The sooner you start looking, the better!
- View the Career Success events calendar to attend workshops and career fairs.
Fourth Year
- Use informational interviews to have in-depth insight about your field of interest.
- Start your job search early (ideally during fall quarter). Meet with a Career Engagement Specialist to create a targeted job search.
- Finalize all required job application materials (resume, cover letter, and references) and have them reviewed by a Career Engagement Specialist.
- Decide on your best option after graduation, and create backup plans (just in case!).
- Take the appropriate graduate school entrance exam (e.g., GRE, LSAT, MCAT) early in the year
- Solidify your relationships with faculty and talk to them about letters of recommendation.
- Research market trends and salary expectations for your industry and career of interest.
- Network with employers by attending a Career Fair with your
reveiwed resume. - Make sure to network effectively, create a LinkedIn profile, and conduct Informational Interviews to gain career information and expand your network.
- Prepare for interviews by identifying your relevant skills and interests from past experience. Meet with a Career Engagemennt Specialist.
- Extensively use both the Career Success' job search tools (Handshake, Going Global, and BigInterview) and external job search resources (LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed).
- Receive feedback on your LinkedIn profile from a Career Engagement Specialist and use it to connect with the UCSC Alumni Group on LinkedIn.
- View our events calendar to attend workshops and career fairs.
Transfer Students
- Visit Career Success (located on the 1st floor of Hahn) and find out what services are available.
- Identify your personal and professional values, interests, and skills by taking one of our assessments.
- Get involved with a student organization and search for volunteer opportunities in your fields of interest.
- If you’re looking for part-time employment, search Handshake for on and off-campus employment.
- Develop and solidify your relationships with faculty and talk with them about letters of recommendation.
- Apply for an internship in your field of interest
- Learn how to network effectively, create a LinkedIn profile, and conduct Informational
Interviews to gain career information and expand your network. - Begin to research companies and industries through Informational Interviewing.
- Visit the International Education Office (IEO) to consider study abroad programs.
- Research graduate or professional school and admissions requirements and meet with a Career Adviser who specializes in your field of your interest.
- Take a practice graduate school entrance exam (e.g., GRE, LSAT, MCAT).
- Obtain a meaningful summer job or internship related to your major or career interests.
- Prepare for interviews by identifying your relevant skills and interests from past and current experience and set up a mock interview with a Career Coach.
- Extensively use both the Career Success’s job search tools and external job search resources.
- Receive feedback on your LinkedIn profile from a Career Adviser and connect with the UCSC Alumni Group on LinkedIn.