Land Hands-on Experience

3 (student smiles with LA in background)

Think you’re not ready? That’s exactly why internships exist—to help you build skills, not prove them.

For Third-Year Juniors • First-Year Transfer • First-Year Graduate Students

This step helps you apply your learning in real-world settings. From internships to jobs to research, now’s the time to gain experience, build your network, and show future employers what you’re ready for.

What To Do

Open each item to find links, tools, and support to help you take action.

  • Choose résumé-building experiences that match your interests and use our Career Action Plan Template to plan ahead. Résumé-building experiences include:
    • Internships and part-time or on-campus jobs related to your major - Use Handshake to apply for résumé-building experiences offered by employers seeking Cal State LA students.
    • Micro-internships or paid projects - Use Parker-Dewey to find projects you can do remotely for employers.
    • Job simulations - Try out Career Experiences with Forage to build skills and explore career paths through virtual job simulations provided by top companies; completions can be added to your résumé.
    • Fellowships - Get connected with academic, applied research, professional development, or global and civic learning paid experiences at Cal State LA National & International Scholarships and Fellowships Program (NISFeP).
  • On Handshake, go to the Jobs tab and filter for internship, fellowship, on-campus student employment, or part-time job to start your search
    • Use keywords that match your interests, such as community outreach, public policy, research assistant, program coordinator, or media production.
  • Apply early — most internships and student jobs open 3 to 6 months before they begin.

  • Use our College Résumé Sample in our Résumé & Letter Builder to customize your résumé for each opportunity.
    • Inside the builder, get feedback using the "AI review" feature or "submit for human review" feature to get feedback from approved Career Center staff.
    • For more information about résumé sections and formatting, read our College Résumé Guide.
  • Start with our
    Cover Letter Guide and use our samples in our Résumé and Letter Builder.
    • Inside the builder, get feedback using the AI cover letter rubric and alignment assessment to make sure your cover letter matches the job, or "submit for human review" feature to get feedback from approved Career Center staff.
  • Get ready to interview - Use our Interview Practice System → choose a mock interview → select a general one and choose an industry or admissions interview to practice.
    • Inside the practice system, get feedback using the AI review feature, which provides you with insightful, step-by-step tips on how to improve your interview performance.
    • Practice responding to questions specific to your industry, seniority level, and career situation with the database of over 10,000 typical job interview questions from over 1000 professions across more than 100 industries.

  • Attend events labeled as employer info, hiring, or career fair on the Handshake Events tab.
  • Dress professionally to make a strong impression; visit the Career Clothing Closet for support.
  • After attending an event, take the next step—connect with employers on Handshake.
    • Go to the Employers tab in Handshake and use the industry filter to search by your interest, such as movies/TV/music/gaming, social assistance, biotech & life sciences, or healthcare.
    • Follow employers you are interested in to get updates when they post jobs or career tips.

We’re Here to Help

Career Guides

Get Support

Schedule a Career Center appointment through Navigate LA (Student Life & Wellness) for:

  • Job/Internship Search
  • Résumé & Cover Letter Writing
  • Interview Practice
  • Career Clothing Closet
Cal State LA Career Center

 

Call: 323.343.3237

Email: [email protected]

Visit: Between the Student Health Center and the University Gym

Hours: M-Th, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.