Start Your Job Search
Finding and landing a job or internship can be challenging without a proper strategy. This page provides you with resources to help you create a plan and improve your odds of securing job and internship interviews.
Develop a plan to get and stay organized
Make the most of your time by developing a strategy that maximizes the time you have available. This will help you prioritize which organizations to explore and find advocates, as you may not need to reach out to or apply to all these organizations.
Companies/ organizations to target
- Use the Job/Internship Search Company Tracking Template and instructions to identify and track companies to prioritize in your job/internship search.
Search for alumni and other advocates
- Search for UCSC alumni on LinkedIn who can help you navigate your search and give you insight into their organization or industry.
- Track your outreach with contacts so you remember when to check back in with them and send a thank-you note!
- If you have not heard back from someone after your initial outreach, send them a reminder message seven business days later.
Applications
- Track your applications in one place so you never miss a deadline.
- Prioritize applying to more recent posting.
- Check on applications that you haven’t received any feedback on to see where those organizations are in their processes and express your continued interest.
You can visit our drop-in coaching hours or schedule an appointment to meet with our team if you need further guidance on your job search strategy.
Network to tap into the hidden job market
Networking is the single most effective way to optimize your job search. 79% of recent grads found their most recent internship through networking.
By networking, you gain access to people who can give you advice, help you navigate how to be successful, share with you opportunities they hear about, and sometimes get you connected to other professionals so you can keep expanding your connections!
Explore our networking page to learn how to get started.
Search for current openings
While you are actively seek networking opportunity, you can still apply to positions online. Prioritize apply to more recent postings.
Targeting employers directly
- Visit the “Careers” or “Jobs” sections on company websites. Not all employers post their openings on general job boards.
Online job boards
- On–Campus Job Board – Handshake is the sole platform to search for on-campus student jobs, including Work-study positions.
- Job and Internship Boards – Handshake hosts off-campus opportunities, along with Indeed and LinkedIn.
- Government Job Boards – California State Jobs, Federal Government Jobs
Tailor your resume, cover letter, and more
Once the ball starts rolling on your search, you need to tailor your application materials to stand out. In order to have success, you will need to tailor your documents for each application and not just use the same documents for all applications.
Explore our resources to help get your Resumes and Cover Letters ready.
Job search safety
Scammers often prey on students looking for jobs or internships by sending fake job offers designed to steal personal information, money, or exploit free labor. These scams typically appear through your UCSC email or messages claiming to offer a legitimate opportunity.
Learn how to identify job scams and what to do if you responded to a scam.