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.
Self-Guided Assessment System
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 Exploration Guides
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.
Employers by Major lists employers in California who have hired grads within the major.
Video Interviews with Working Professionals
Candid Career provides video interviews with professionals in their careers. Students can explore career videos by industry, major, career titles and more.
Career Advice Videos
CareerSpots videos provide career advice from industry experts. Channels include career-ready skills, job-search skills and student success stories.
Résumé and Letter Builder
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.
Job Interview Practice
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.
Internship and Job Postings
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.
Job Search Tracker
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.
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.
Career Competencies & The Future of Work
Skills and Mindsets
- What is Career Readiness? (defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers)
- Why Adopting an Agile Learning Mindset is Crucial for Your Career (Forbes Careers Contributor Heather E. McGowan)
- Context About the Future of Work and Learning (Forbes Careers Contributor Heather E. McGowan)
Education and Labor Market
- The Future of Jobs Report - Section 2.2 Forecasts for Labor Market Evolution in 2020-2025 (World Economic Forum)
- Projected Openings in Occupations that Require a College Degree (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sept 2021)
- Education and Training Assignments by Detailed Occupation (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020)
- The College Payoff (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2021)
Career Exploration & Planning
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
- Professional Development Plan Timelines (presentation) This presentation introduces what students can do each academic year to gain experience in their major and career to help.
Brainstorming Exploration Activities
These worksheets help students brainstorm how to explore career interests and network while in college.
- Exploring My Major at Cal State LA (worksheet)
- Choose Your Own Career Adventure in College (worksheet)
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.
- Professional Brand Template and Scoring Rubric (worksheets)
Résumé & Cover Letter Writing
Brainstorming Skills and Experiences
- College Résumé Brainstorming Guide (presentation)
- College Résumé Brainstorming Template (worksheet)
Parts of the Résumé, Samples and Accomplishment Statements
- College Résumé Writing Guide (presentation)
- College Résumé Introduction and Samples (handout)
- College Résumé Accomplishment Statement Template (worksheet)
Sample College Résumé with Scoring Rubric
- College Résumé Annotated Sample (handout)
- College Résumé Rubric (handout) —Use this to score résumés.
Sample College Cover Letters with Scoring Rubric
- Cover Letter Template (handout)
- College Cover Letter Samples (handout)
- How to Tailor a Cover Letter (presentation)
- College Cover Letter Rubric (handout) - Use this to evaluate how you can improve your cover letter.
For more support reagrding these documents, please visit our student resources under Résumés & Cover Letters.
Interview Practice
- General Interview M.S.R. Response Template (worksheet)
- Situational Interview A.R.C. Response Template (worksheet)
- Behavioral Interview S.T.A.R. Response Template (worksheet)
For presentations that support these documents, please visit our student resources under Interview Skills.
Employment Search
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.
- Presentations and Guides: Employment Search (webpage)
- Cal State LA Handshake Career Community (presentation)
- Find Jobs from Employers Seeking Cal State LA students: Handshake (webpage)
- From Campus to Career on Handshake (introductory Handshake video by Handshake)
- How to Search for Jobs Using Handshake (video by Handshake)
- LinkedIn Job Search Checklist (handout by LinkedIn)
- LinkedIn Profile Checklist for College Students (handout by LinkedIn)
- The American Opportunity Index: Corporate Scorecard of Worker Advancement (website)
- Freelancing in America (comprehensive study)
- Seven Fast-Growing Industries for Freelancers (Forbes article)
Internships
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.
- About Internships and Guides: Internships (webpage)
- How Internships Can Launch Your Future Career (presentation)
- Assessing Internships and Fellowships (presentation)
- Find Internships from Employers Seeking Cal State LA students: Handshake (webpage)
- Find Micro-Internships with Parker Dewey: Cal State LA Micro-Internships (webpage)
- How to Request Academic Credit (road map)
Student Jobs on Campus
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.
- About Student Jobs on Campus: Find a Job on Campus (webpage)
- Search Student Jobs on Campus: Handshake (webpage)