Career Center
UC Santa Cruz graduates find success in many different career fields. Their superior education is the foundation for this success. The staff at the Career Center will help you link your educational experience to the world of work. The center provides a variety of employment and career-development services to help students obtain rewarding and successful careers.
Both undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to visit the Career Center often throughout their time on campus. The first step is to meet with a career advisor to begin developing a focused career plan. Simply sign up online for an advising appointment through SlugQuest on the Career Center website. Advisors assist students in selecting majors, finding internships and part-time jobs, applying to graduate school, conducting a job search, and much more. Workshops offered by the Career Center include: Finding and Applying to Internships; Résumé and Cover Letter Writing; Applying to Graduate and Professional School; and special workshops on specific majors or career fields. Check out the Career Planning Guide for additional career development activities suggested for students from first year through senior year.
Your college experience is likely to include a part-time job or internship in your area of interest. An internship is one of the best ways to gain practical work experience in your area of interest. The Career Center has hundreds of opportunities available. Off-campus and on-campus employment opportunities (both work-study and non-work-study) are posted on the Career Center’s website.
The Career Center’s website contains a wealth of material on career exploration, graduate and professional schools, job search, career fields, internships, and employers. One of the most exciting online resources is the Career Advice Network, which helps students connect with alumni in their field of interest who have a desire to assist other Slugs.
UC Santa Cruz students and alumni looking for full-time career opportunities need look no further than SlugQuest—an online site that lists job openings targeted to UCSC graduates. You may connect to SlugQuest on the Career Center website. Another way to obtain a career position is to participate in the On-Campus Interview Program. Recruiters visit campus every fall, winter, and spring to interview and hire students. The Career Center website has a list of participating companies.
The Career Center sponsors several major events every academic year. The Graduate and Professional School Fair brings representatives from the nation’s top universities to campus to share information about their advanced-degree programs. Job and internship fairs, which bring hiring companies to campus, take place multiple times each year. Students looking for a job or internship will want to arrive prepared with a great résumé. Other events include the Multicultural Career Conference, which brings students and alumni together to develop mentor relationships and explore careers.
The Career Center— located at the Bay Tree Building, Room 305, in Quarry Plaza—can be reached at (831) 459-4420. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.