PRO: Career Resources

Although it may seem overwhelming at first, by exploring different careers, you may discover where your strengths and passions can be best utilized in the working world. There are many resources available to discover what careers best suit you. Some of PRO’s favorite websites are provided here to get you started!

• The Occupational Outlook Handbook: 
  • The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a website that provides an overview of many types of occupations. This website includes a short summary of what those in that occupation do, how to become one, your expected salary, work environment, the job outlook for the next decade, and much more.
• Career One Stop:
  • Career One Stop allows you to explore different careers, find training, search for different jobs, and look for local help. This website also has resources for active military/veterans, young adults, career changers, those returning to work after a gap, and more.
• My Next Move:
  • My Next Move is a website that allows you to search careers using key words or an industry of interest. This site also has resources to build an interest profiler for you to explore different careers that match your personal interests.

PRO Tip: College is a time to explore your interests and passions, so you can find a career that matches your strengths. Taking advantage of all the resources available to you will allow you to have clarity and a plan moving forward.  It is time well-spent in making an investment in YOU! Remember you can always switch careers and are not obligated to stay in a job that you no longer feel is right for you. There are endless possibilities. Go explore them!

Career and personality tests are a good place to identify your strengths and interests to see how those traits align with job possibilities. These tests are not meant to define you but to provide general insight as to what may be a good fit for you, professionally speaking. Below are some of PRO’s favorite resources to get you started!

• The Princeton Review Career Quiz: 
  • The Princeton Review Career Quiz is a short test that asks you a series of situational/ personal questions. The results will reflect the types of activities you are drawn to and the strengths you can bring to the work environment when you are at your best. Time to Complete: 5-10 minutes
• Career Explorer Career Test:
  • The Career Explorer Career Test is a test that utilizes your personality archetype, career matches, and degree matches to give you results that reflect your final career matches/ insight, personality report, and trait report. Time to Complete: 30 minutes  
• 16 Personalities:   
  • 16 Personalities is a test to find out what your Myers Briggs personality typology is. The results give insight as to what your strengths & weaknesses are, workplace habits, and career paths you can potentially take. (Results also explore romantic relationships, friendships, and parenthood.) Time to Complete: 15- 20 minutes 

PRO Tip: Take a career and personality test prior to exploring careers, so you can better understand yourself and your strengths. When it does come time to explore careers, you will be more aware of your strengths and choose a job that best caters to that. Remember that it is okay to be unsure of what you want when first starting, because you have time to decide what it is that truly aligns with you. You’re learning and growing. Your future self will thank you for taking the time to find what makes you happy!

READ ACTUAL JOB DESCRIPTIONS TO SEE WHAT’S OUT THERE! Engaging in job exploration helps you explore the work factors are important to you.  In your exploration, consider how well your personal skills and abilities would fit your jobs of interest. A great way to get started is investigating job search websites.  Here’s two of PRO’s favorites:

• Indeed.com
  • Indeed.com can jumpstart your job interest exploration. Indeed.com makes it easy to narrow down your options based on your priorities, such as selecting jobs in a specific city. You can also filter job opportunities using factors such as estimated starting salary, job type, degree and licensing requirements, work setting, etc.
• Glassdoor.com
  • With Glassdoor, you have the opportunity to learn about jobs through the company that’s hiring, explore salaries and job benefits, compare different companies of interest, and more! 

PRO Tip: As an undergrad, take classes that will help you grow as a person. For example, if you struggle with public speaking, take a communication class. It can be scary to step out of your comfort zone but it will really benefit you in the long run.

Participating in an internship will allow you to gain direct experience to benefit your academic and career goals. This experience (whether paid or unpaid) can be included on your resume or CV and help you stand out as a job candidate! Research shows companies are more likely to hire people with internship experience.

• CSULB PSY 405 Fieldwork (Internship) in Psychology:
  • The Psychology Department offers a course for students to earn course credit while completing an internship. Students intern in many areas, including youth mentoring, school-based programs, mental health programs, crisis intervention programs, medical or criminal justice programs, and programs within human resources or business settings. Admission to the class is by application only. 
• CSULB CLA Internship Program (from the College of Liberal Arts):
  • The CLA Internship Program offers resources for students looking to gain internship experience and to apply their liberal arts degree to real world challenges. This website helps students explore the internship courses and programs offered at CSULB. 

• Chegg Internships:
  • This website allows you to search for internships in your field of interest. You can look for internships by location, field of interest, compensation, education level, and more. 
• YouTern:
  • YouTern is another well-known site for finding internships. 
• College Recruiter:
  • College Recruiter’s purpose is to help college students and recent graduates in finding part-time, seasonal internships or entry-level jobs. 

PRO Tip: Try to seek internship opportunities relevant to your field of interest!  It doesn’t matter if it’s paid or unpaid, because you will obtain relevant experience that looks great on a resume. An internship is an opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are needed in order to be a potential candidate for the job that you want. Internships are a great way to learn through mentorship, and being involved in the company that you intern for will increase your chances of attaining a job opportunity that might open up, compared to an outside candidate.

Volunteering is a great way to earn experience and to find out what areas of work you enjoy! It helps you improve skills, learn about yourself, and provides an opportunity for others to learn about you.

• Volunteer Match:
  • VolunteerMatch is a non-profit organization that works to find volunteers to help communities in need. This website helps non-profit organizations seek individuals who are passionate about a cause and to recruit them. 

PRO Tip: Look for volunteer opportunities near you and explore the many different ways that you can help your community! You can also try to volunteer in places that are similar to your field of interest. This can help you network and gain experience that can make you a potential candidate for the job or program that you want!

CSULB offers many resources that you as a student can take advantage of to further prepare you for the world of work with your BA degree. 

• CSULB PSY 405 Internship in Psychology:
  • The Psychology Department offers a course for students to earn course credit while completing an internship. Students intern in many areas, including youth mentoring, school-based programs, mental health programs, crisis intervention programs, medical or criminal justice programs, and programs within human resources or business settings. Admission to the class is by application only. 

• CLA Internship Program:
  • The CLA Internship Program offers resources for students looking to gain internship experience and to apply their liberal arts degree to real world challenges. This website helps students explore the internship courses and programs offered at CSULB. 

PRO Tip: Plan to take an internship course or participate in an internship program during your undergraduate years at CSULB, so you can gain real- world experience while still in college. This is a fantastic way to not only earn course credit, but more importantly, explore if a career is right for you before you invest too much time (or graduate tuition) into it.

• ATLAS:
  • ATLAS is the academic advising center for CSULB Psychology majors. At ATLAS, psychology students can work along with a counselor to create an education plan that follows their expected/desired graduation date. 

 PRO Tip: Check in regularly with an ATLAS academic advisor to ensure your desired class choices are meeting major degree and graduation requirements.

• Career Development Center:
  • The Career Development Center (CDC) is available to all CSULB students, and it is a great place to find information on career planning, job search processes, internships, and graduate/ professional school. The kind and knowledgeable CDC staff can assist in many different areas, such as helping you put together a professional resume or practicing your interviewing skills. The CDC offers great tips and advice on how to become a competitive candidate for jobs in many different kinds of industries with your BA degree.

PRO Tip: Take advantage of the CDC’s resources as an undergraduate student and for one full year after you graduate. YES… The CDC offers help to alumni for an entire year after they have finished their academic journey at CSULB!