Career Course Resources

Online Career Tools

We provide self-guided online software to support students with each step of career planning. Faculty and staff can create a student account to view the tools and choose activities for class or advising activities. Some software allows for a faculty account so you can design assignments. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Focus 2 Career is an online, self-guided assessment service that provides valid and reliable assessments including the Holland code (work interest), MBTI types (personality), values and abilities. Each assessment takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Students can combine their assessment results and explore career options and academic majors that align with their qualities. Career options provided are limited to the approximately 867 detailed occupations defined by the Standard Occupational Classification system. For help getting started, watch our instructional videos on How to Use the sections of Focus 2 Career.

Students must create a free student account using the access code: EAGLESLA

Career advisors can help students make meaning of the results; Students must schedule a Career Exploration & Planning appointment.

Log In: Self-Assessments

If you would like to help students explore what jobs relate to their major, the resources below can help them obtain information about the career possibilities. Additional resources are provided in our student resources under Explore Career Paths.

What Can I Do With This Major? helps students see common career areas they can enter with the major, typical employers that hire in this field and strategies to maximize career opportunities. The majors listed are general academic majors named by CIP code designation.

View: What Can I Do With This Major

Vault Guide to Jobs includes industry guides, ranking guides and guides to key careers and industries.

View: Vault Guide to Jobs

Employers by Major lists employers in California who have hired grads within the major. 

View: Employers by Major

Candid Career provides video interviews with professionals in their careers. Students can explore career videos by industry, major, career titles and more. 

CareerSpots videos provide career advice from industry experts. Channels include career-ready skills, job-search skills and student success stories. 

We provide a free online résumé and letter builder called Skills First. This AI-augmented résumé builder helps students create modern, keyword-optimized résumés and employment letters (e.g., cover  letters, interview thank-you letters, reference request letters). For help getting started, watch this video on Getting Started with the SkillsFirst Résumé and Letter Builder.

Log In: Résumé and Letter Builder

We provide a free online job interview practice system called Big Interview. This AI-feedback interview practice tool mimics a real-life interview, evaluates students' answers and provides feedback for improvement. Students can also participate in the training courses provided to increase their confidence.

Log In: Job Interview Practice

Internship & Job Postings

Cal State LA Handshake is the campus job platform that connects students with student jobs on campus, off-campus part-time jobs, internships and entry-level careers. Employers hiring on Handshake are looking to hire Golden Eagles. In addition to employment, students can register for employer information sessions and career fairs. They can share their career profiles and network with peers and employers. For more about Handshake, watch their Campus to Career video and the How to Search for Jobs on Handshake video.

Create your free student account using your Cal State LA email.

Get Started: Cal State LA Handshake

Micro-Internship Postings

Micro-internships are short-term, paid, professional projects that are similar to those given to interns or new employees at companies or emerging start-ups. Students apply for projects that companies post across their departments including technology, marketing and finance to name a few. Projects can include research and strategy, operations and support, IT and cyber, marketing and others. 

Unlike traditional internships, micro-internships can be done year-round. Projects typically take 5 to 40 hours to complete and are due between one week and one month after you are offered the project. 

We connect students with micro-internships using Parker Dewey. Parker Dewey provides short-term, paid, professional projects for college students and recent graduates. You will not have to negotiate pay, send invoices or create a contract as Parker Dewey manages these for you. 

Get Started: Cal State LA Micro-Internships

The Career Center provides an online job search tracking software called Huntr. This tool helps students organize their job search by tracking every detail about your job opportunities regardless of where you found them. Track contacts, notes, dates, tasks, documents, job descriptions, salaries, locations, company data and more. Students can add jobs across the internet using the Chrome browser and the Huntr Chrome Extension. For help getting started watch this video on Introducing Huntr Job Search Tracker and review the Huntr Job Seeker Guide.

Log In: Job Search Tracker

Class Materials

We provide handouts and rubrics for the content shared in our student career workshops. You are welcome to use these instructional materials in your course. If you have questions, please email [email protected] for support. 

Skills and Mindsets

Education and Labor Market

The resources below help students understand how to explore careers while in college in a way that aligns with employer expectations.

Introduction to Exploring and Gaining Experience While in College

Brainstorming Exploration Activities

These worksheets help students brainstorm how to explore career interests and network while in college.

Creating Action Plans

This template helps students plan what to do each semester to explore your major and career.

Exploring Professional Brand/Identity

Our professional brand template helps students start telling their professional story, including introducing themselves to employers (elevator pitch) and creating résumés and cover letters. The scoring rubric can be used to evaluate how students can continue to develop their brand.

Brainstorming Skills and Experiences

Parts of the Résumé, Samples and Accomplishment Statements

Sample College Résumé with Scoring Rubric

Sample College Cover Letters with Scoring Rubric

For more support reagrding these documents, please visit our student resources under Résumés & Cover Letters.

For presentations that support these documents, please visit our student resources under Interview Skills.

Having effective search strategies will bring better results for students seeking internships, jobs or nontraditional career pathways. The resources below can help students advance their employment search.

An internship is an off-campus activity that provides real-world exposure to professional development in a business, non-profit or government setting. This opportunity allows students to use and refine the skillsets developed in the classroom. Students also engage firsthand with employers eager to contribute to your career development.

On-campus student jobs are a great way to gain skills and experience in a professional setting. No experience is required to apply to many student positions on campus.

Cal State LA Career-Engaged Departments Program