Your job search can seem overwhelming, however, having a strategy can make the process seem less daunting and much more manageable. Career Services is here to help! Attend our workshops or meet with your Career Counselor for additional help.
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Job & Internship Search Strategies
Clarify Your Career Goals
- Identify your VIPS (values, interests, personality, and strengths/skills), meet with a Career Counselor for support.
- Reflect on your education, experiences, and what you know about yourself
- Determine how you add value, and what you can offer a company
- Consider personal preference (geographic location, employer size, work environment).
Identify Your Job Targets
- Research career fields and industries
- Utilize the Graduate Status Report
- Explore occupations and the work involved
- Review job descriptions
Plan and Organize Your Search
- Identify the steps you need to take (application instructions, materials, deadlines)
- Identify helpful resources (like specific job boards and networking opportunities)
- Use a Job and Internship Organizer/Guide (.xls)
- Track your interactions and progress along the way
Start An Effective Search
- Complete application materials
- Tailor your documents, resume, cover letter, and portfolio
- Update your LinkedIn profile and strategically build your network
Use Multiple Search Strategies & Resources
- Keep in mind that the most successful searches involve a comprehensive approach using more than one strategy. Be sure to use a combination of resources below to help with that search. If you have questions, meet with your Career Counselor to see which strategies work best for your field.
- Use MustangJOBS
- Find a Micro-Internship with Parker Dewey
- Engage with related clubs, organizations, and professional associations
- Network at Career Fairs and Networking Sessions
- Do informational interviews and job shadow professionals in your targeted jobs
- Access field specific websites and job boards
- Consider Diversity/Inclusivity Career Resources
- Utilize LinkedIn
Prepare for Interviews
- Use our Successful Interviewing guide to help you prepare and perform in interviews
- Practice interviewing with our online resource Big Interview (access through MustangJOBS)
Evaluate Offers
- When receiving written employment offers, read the offer and make sure that you understand all of the details. Various aspects of the offer may be negotiated depending on industry. Meet with your Career Counselor to determine how to approach salary negotiation. Check out our Evaluating Job Offers handout. You can also view our Job & Internship Exploding Offer Tip Sheet.
Where to Find a Job or Internship
MustangJOBS
MustangJOBS, powered by Handshake, is Cal Poly's online job listing service where you can find over 35,000 on-campus, local part-time jobs, internships & career positions.
Current students can login directly through their my.calpoly.edu portal. To find out how to create saved searches and apply for on-campus interviews, check out our MustangJobs/Handshake Cheat Sheet.
Alumni can login directly here. Or if you do not have an account, please complete a request to create an alumni account.
For information about MustangJOBS privacy settings and policies, please click here.
Job and Internship Listing Links
Agriculture and Forestry (see also Environment)
- AgCareers
- American Food Industry Association - feed and pet food industry jobs
- American Horse Publications - equine industry jobs
- American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers web links
- American Society of Animal Science Career Center
- ATTRA National Sustainable Agriculture - internships and apprenticeships
- Blue Sky Search, Inc. - jobs in the produce, agriculture and food industries
- Cal Poly BioResource and Ag Engineering Dept.Employment Listings
- Cal Poly Food Science and Nutrition Employment Listings
- Cal Poly Horticulture and Crop Science Employment Listings
- Cal Poly Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Employment Listings
- CalAGJobs
- California Agriculture Teaching Opportunities
- California Certified Organic Farmers - employment classifieds
- Careers in Food -food and beverage manufacturing industry jobs
- Conservation Job Board
- Cool Works: Employers in National Parks and Ski Resorts
- Crazy About Wine
- Forestry Jobs USA - employment opportunities in forestry and forest products
- GIS Jobs Clearinghouse
- HortJobs.com
- Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Career Center
- Joe Produce - jobs in fresh produce, agriculture and food industries
- National Animal Control Association Job Listings
- Paso Robles Wine Alliance
- Society of American Foresters
- UC Davis Viticulture & Enology Employment Bulletin Board -includes primarily Northern California listings
- Veterinary Technician Job Postings
- WineJobs.com
- World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
Architecture and Environmental Design
- AIA Online: American Institute of Architects
- American Society of Landscape Architects: LandNet-JobLink
- Archinect.com
- CALAPA
- Cal Poly Department of Architectural Engineering Job Board
- Cal Poly Department of Architecture Job Board
- Cal Poly Department of Construction Management Job Board
- Cal Poly Department of Landscape Architecture Job Board
- Dezeen
- Planetizen
- Structural Engineering Jobs
- World-Architects
Art and Entertainment
- AIGA Design Jobs
- Art Internships Mother Jones Magazine
- Art Jobs from NMU
- ArtJob (WESTAF)
- Arts Employment Index
- ArtsTie
- EntertainmentCareers.Net
- J. Paul Getty Trust Internships
- Kennedy Center Internships
- Mashable - Jobs in social media, marketing, technology and business
- National Association of Television Program Executives
- Playbill online jobs
- Puppetry Internships
- Showbiz Jobs
- StyleCareers
- Wolf Trap Internship Program
Business
- Accounting Jobs Today
- AccountingNet
- Bank Jobs
- Broker Hunter
- Computer Work
- Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
- Dice Tech Jobs
- Discover Accounting
- eFinancial Careers
- Federal Reserve Board Internships
- Financial, Accounting & Insurance Jobs from NationJob
- Great Insurance Jobs
- Hospitality Careers.com
- Hospitality Net
- Hospitality Online
- Inside Consulting
- Institute of Real Estate Management
- Insurance Jobs
- Job Postings for Benefits & HR Professionals
- Jobs in Logistics
- Jobs in Manufacturing
- MarketingJobs.com
- Marketing & Sales Jobs NationJob
- Mashable Jobs
- Professional Convention Management Association
- Sales Careers Online
- Sales Gravy
- Select Leaders Real Estate Jobs
- SHRM HR Jobs
- Talent Zoo Marketing Jobs
- Volunteer Management
- Western Fairs Association
Communication and Media
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Careers
- Broadcast Career Link
- Broadcast Industry Jobs (BEDA)
- Cal Poly GRC Department Job Postings
- Communications Jobs
- High Country News (Colorado) Internships
- Internship Directory: Southern Newspaper Publishers Association
- JournalismJobs.com
- Media Bistro
- National Public Radio internships
- PBS Internships
- Public Relations and Communications JobCenter (PRSA)
- Random House Publishing Internships
- San Francisco Chronicle Internship Program
- Technical Communicators Job Listings
Education (see also Nonprofit)
- Ed-Join.org
- Academic Employment Network
- California Community College Registry
- California School Directory
- CalState TEACH
- Certification Requirements in All 50 States
- Edu Career (Education and Science Community Jobs - including Higher Education)
- GreatTeacher
- Job Openings in Academe (Chronicle of Higher Education)
- k12jobs - U.S. public and private school jobs
- Northern California Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
- Southern California Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
- Teach.org
- Teach California
- Teach For America
- TeacherJobsHelp (Teaching jobs in all 50 states)
- UNI Overseas Placement Service for Educators
Engineering/Computer/Technology
- ACM – Association for Computing Machinery Career & Job Center
- Aero Industry Jobs
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Job Board
- Automotive News
- Aviation / Aerospace / Defense
- Cal Poly Computer Engineering - After College Career Network
- Cal Poly Department of Electrical Engineering Employment Listings
- Computer and Communication Companies
- Computer & IT Jobs - NationJob
- Dice.com High Tech Jobs Online
- EDUCAUSE - IT jobs in higher education
- EngineerJOBS.com
- GIS Jobs Clearinghouse
- National Science Foundation: Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program
- Optics
- Society of Women Engineers
- Washington Internships for Students of Engineering - Internships connecting Engineers & Scientists with Public Policy
Environment and Outdoors
- American Rivers Internships
- Back Door Jobs -short-term job adventures
- CoolWorks -jobs in great places
- Environmental Career Center
- Environmental Career Opportunities
- Environmental Careers Organization
- Malama Hawaii -opportunities in Hawaii, primarily related to conservation
- Outdoor Industry Association
- Environment Jobs StopDodo.com -includes many international opportunities
- Student Conservation Association, Inc.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -click on "Jobs and Internships" under the "About EPA" tab
- Society for Ecological Restoration
- Zoo and Aquarium Jobs from the American Zoo & Aquarium Assn.
Freelance
Government
- American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research Internships
- California Civil Service Employment Information
- California State Assembly and Senate Fellowship & Intern Programs
- CalJOBS
- Cato Institute Internships
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - Internship program
- City of San Luis Obispo
- Department of the Interior Automated Vacancy Announcements
- Federal Government Pathways - information for students seeking internships and careers in federal government
- Federal Pathways Programs - Internship and recent graduate programs
- Fire and Public Service Career Resources
- Global Policy Forum Internships
- Making the Difference - your source for federal job and internship opportunities
- National Security Agency Intern Programs
- Smithsonian Institution Internship Programs
- The Hill
- The Urban Institute Internships
- The Washington Center Internships
- U.S. State Department Internships
- USA Jobs - the Federal Government's official one-stop source for federal jobs and employment information
- USA.gov - directory of all federal agencies and departments, including links
- Washington Internships for Students of Engineering
- Where the Jobs Are: Mission-Critical Opportunities for America
Health and Medicine
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- American Academy of Physician Assistants
- American Public Health Association: Career Opportunities
- Cal Poly Food Science and Nutrition Jobs and Internships
- Careers in Food
- Health Care Career Search
- Health Promotion Careers
- International Pharmajobs
- Managed Care Online
- Medical/Health Care Job Openings
- Medzilla
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- Nutritionjobs.com
- Public Health Career Exploration
- Public Health Employment Connection
- Public Health Program Opportunities
History and Social Science
- American Anthropological Association
- American Association of Museums Employment Resources
- Amerind Foundation Internships
- Association of Science-Technology Centers Jobs
- GIS Jobs Clearinghouse
- GIS Jobs.com
- Museum Employment Resource Center
- NASA History Office Internships
- Organization of American Historians Jobs Online
- Smithsonian Institution Career Center
- Smithsonian Institution Internship Opportunities
- Truman Library & Museum Intern Opportunities
- United States Capitol Historical Society Internships and Fellowships
International
- AIESEC - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
- BUNAC (Work in Britain)
- CCUSA Work Abroad Programs Including Camp Counselor Opportunities
- CIEE (Council on International Education & Exchange)
- Council on Foreign Relations
- Cultural Vistas Internship Programs Abroad
- Department of State (embassies in other countries)
- Eurojobs
- Going Global (Cal Poly access is through MustangJOBS)
- Indeed.com - International Jobs
- International Business Resources on the WWW
- International Cooperative Education Internship Placement Program
- International Research & Exchanges Board
- Jobted
- JobsAbroad.com
- Organization of American States Internship Program
- Overseas Jobs
- Peace Corps
- The Embassy Page (directory of Washington DC Embassies)
- Transitions Abroad
- UN Careers
- World Learning
- World Teach
- World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
Nonprofit and Social Service
- A World Fit for Kids
- American Anthropological Association
- American Civil Liberties Union Internship Program
- APA (Psychology) Monitor Classified Advertising
- Association for Research on Nonprofit and Voluntary Action - Arnova
- Care2 Job Finder
- Center for Association Leadership (Career Headquarters)
- Chronicle of Philanthropy Career Network
- Community Career Center Nonprofit Jobs
- Foundation Center
- Green America Internships
- Idealist.org
- Internships in Youth Development Agencies
- Job/Internship Bank for Volunteer Managers
- Koya Partners Careers
- National Council of Nonprofits
- NGO (Non-governmental organizations associated with the United Nations)
- Non-Profit Career Network
- Non-Profit Oyster
- NOW Internship Program
- Work for GOOD
- Orion Grassroots Network
- Public Interest Jobs (PIRGs)
- Public Service Careers
- Social Service.com
- Social Work Job Bank
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Job Net
- United Nations Jobs
Science & Mathematics
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences Job Postings
- American Astronomical Society Job Register
- American Mathematical Society
- CSULB Biotech Job Listing Links
- BioSpace / Biotechnology
- Botanical Society of America
- CSUPERB (CSU Chico)
- Genetic Engineering News
- Hawk Mountain Internships
- HireBio.com
- Nature Jobs
- Marine Conservation Institute
- Mathematical Association of America: Funding Opportunities
- Medzilla
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Summer Internship Program
- Natural Resources Job Search
- Orangutan Project
- Physics Today Jobs
- Bright Recruits: Jobs in Physics and Engineering
- New Scientist Jobs
- Student Conservation Association
- Top Research Jobs
Sports and Recreation/Hospitality and Events
- Action Sport Industry Jobs
- Adventure Travel Trade Association - includes an extensive list of tour operators and accomodations
- American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
- American Camping Association
- American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA)
- American Society of Association Executives and the Center (ASAE & The Center)
- Association for Convention Operations Management (ACOM)
- Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International (ACCED-I)
- Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME)
- Back Door Jobs - short-term adventure jobs
- Bluefishjobs.com - from the National Intramural Recreation Sports Assoc. (NIRSA)
- California Park and Recreation Society
- CoolWorks - jobs in great places
- Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI)
- Ecotourism Society
- Volunteer Management Jobs
- Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA)
- Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA)
- Financial and Insurance Conference Planners (FICP)
- FitnessJobs
- Hospitality Net
- Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
- International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) - exhibition industry jobs
- International Association of Conference Centers (IACC)
- International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM)
- International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)
- International Live Events Association (ILEA)
- Internships with Cal Ripken Baseball
- Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
- National Association of Catering Executives (NACE)
- National Parks
- National Recreation and Park Association Career Center
- Professional Baseball Employment Opportunities
- Professional Convention Management Assoc. (events, sales, marketing, mtg. planning)
- U.S. Olympic Committee - internship program for students and career opportunities
- Western Fairs Association
- Wilderness Education Association
- Wilderness Inquiry - non-profit, outdoor adventure internships
- YMCA of the USA
Sustainability
- JustMeans.org - Jobs - opportunities with companies that follow a corporate social responsibility model
- Sustainabilityjobs.org
- SustainableBusiness.com
Fellowships
- AAA Science and Technology Policy and Fellowship Program
- AICPA Minority Scholarship Program for BUS students pursuing CPA
- Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program
- American Association of University Women Educational Foundation
- American Jewish Committee Fellows Program
- Capital Fellows Program ( Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship Program) The Assembly Fellowship Program is co-sponsored by the California State Assembly and California State University, Sacramento, through the Center for California Studies.
- Center for Democracy and Technology Minority Fellowship
- Charles G. Koch Summer Fellows Program
- City Hall Fellows
- Civil Society Nonprofit Scholars Program
- Columbia College Fellowship Search
- Congressional Fellows Program
- Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs
- EPA
- Echoing Green Public Service Fellowship
- Energy Technology Innovation Fellowships
- Fleishman Fellows in Civil Society Program
- Fulbright Scholar Program
- Fund for the Public Interest Research
- Harry S. Truman Scholarship Program
- Harvard Medical School Fellowship in Medical Ethics
- Henry Crown Fellowship Program
- Hillel International’s Social Startup Program
- James Madison Memorial Fellowship
- Jewish Organizing Initiative
- Judicial Administration Fellowship Program The Judicial Administration Fellowship Program is administered by the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) and in partnership with the Judicial Council of California. All persons with a four-year college degree, including recent graduates and mid-career applicants are eligible to apply. Successful applicants demonstrate a commitment to public service and an interest in the administration of justice in the California court system. Ten fellows are accepted into the ten-month program, which begins in September of each year.
- Metropolitan Museum of Internship and Fellowship Programs
- Michigan Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP)
- Mickey Leland-Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program
- National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships
- National Fellowships in Educational Reporting
- National Gallery of Art Fellowship Programs
- New Voices Fellowship Program
- New York City Teaching Fellows
- Orchestra Management Fellowship Program
- Presidential Management Fellows Program
- Public Health Prevention Service
- Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program
- Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism
- Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program
- Samuel Huntington Public Service Award
- Schweitzer Fellows Program
- Senate Fellowship Program Established in 1973, the California Senate Fellows (CSF) program is one of the oldest and most distinguished service learning programs in the country. The CSF program grew out of a desire to provide people with insight into the legislative process through experiential learning. It offers college graduates a paid, full-time legislative staff position in the State Capitol for 11 months. The fellowship program's primary goals include exposing people with diverse life experiences and backgrounds to the legislative process by providing research and other professional staff assistance to the Senate. The CSF program is jointly sponsored by the California State Senate and the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento.
- Smithsonian Institution Fellowships
- Social Science Research Council
- Switzer Environmental Fellowship Program
- Taxpayers for Common Sense Fellowship Program
- The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Public Policy Fellowship
- Villers Fellowship for Health Care Justice
- Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
- William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students
- Women’s Law and Policy Fellowship Program
SLO County Household Jobs
This listing is for SLO County household jobs such as child care, tutoring, and yard work. Find them in MustangJOBS, powered by Handshake.
Cal Poly Academic Department Job and Internship Listings
- Agricultural Education
- Architectural Engineering
- Architecture
- Bioresource and Agricultural Education
- Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Experience Industry Management
- Graphic Communication
- Horticulture and Crop Science
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
- Journalism
- Kinesiology
- Landscape Architecture
- Materials Engineering
- Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychology and Child Development
- Psychology and Child Development Link 2
- Social Sciences
- Women and Gender Studies
Job Scams
Grammatical and Spelling Errors
- Most online fraud is perpetrated by scammers located outside the U.S.
- It is often evident in their poor grasp of the language which can include poor grammar and the misspelling of common words.
Claims a Problem with Account
- After creating a user account on sites like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, a job hunter might receive an e-mail saying there has been a problem with their account or they need to follow a hyperlink to install new software.
- Phishing e-mails like this are designed to convince readers to click a link within the message to fix the issue, but actually take them to a web site that will install malware or viruses on their computer.
Asks for Personal Information
- An employer may ask for extensive personal information such as social security or bank account numbers.
- Regardless of the reason or excuse given by the employer, a job applicant should never give out his or her Social Security or bank account numbers over the phone or e-mail.
Offers Opportunity to Become Rich Without Leaving Home
- While there are legitimate businesses that allow employees to work from home, there are also a lot of scammers trying to take advantage of senior citizens, stay-at-home moms, students and injured or disabled people looking to make money at home.
- Job hunters should use extreme caution when considering a work-at-home offer and always research the company with their BBB first at www.bbb.org.
Asks for Money Upfront
- Aside from paying for a uniform, it is rarely advisable for an applicant to pay upfront fees or make a required purchase to get a job.
- Most recently, the BBB of Metropolitan Dallas uncovered a scam where job hunters were told they had to pay $64.50 for a background check before they could be considered for a cleaning job. Predictably, after paying for the background check, the job seeker never heard from the company again.
Offers Salary or Benefits that Seem Too-Good-To-Be-True
- The adage holds true for job offers: if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Phony employers might brag about exceptionally high salary potential and excellent benefits for little experience in order to lure unsuspecting job hunters into their scam.
Requires Employee to Wire Money Through Western Union or MoneyGram
- Many phony jobs require the prospective employee to cash a check sent by the company through the mail and then wire a portion of the money on to another entity.
- Whatever the reason they ask, the check might clear the employee’s bank account but will eventually turn out to be a fake and the employee is out the money he or she wired back to the scammers.
Additional Red Flags To Be Aware Of
- There is no specific location listed. Be suspicious if it is advertised as a local part-time position, but lists the location as “nationwide.”
- The employer tells you that the company does not have an office set up in your area, and they will need your help to get one up and running.
- There is no contact information or web address listed in the job posting. If it is a legitimate job it should give valid contact information.
- The contact email address contains a generic email domain that is not specific to the company, such as "@gmail.com" or "@yahoo.com" for example.
- The employer asks for your banking information, supposedly to help the employer make financial transactions.
- For further information about ways to protect yourself, visit the Cal Poly Information Secruity Office's Top 10 Security Practices.
What do I do if I am already involved in a scam?
- If you are a current student, you may file a report with the University Police Department by calling them at (805) 756-2281. The police are responsible for conducting an investigation (regardless of whether the scam artist is local or in another state).
- If it is a situation where you have sent money to a fraudulent employer, you should contact your bank or credit card company immediately to close the account and dispute the charges. If the incident occurred completely over the Internet, you should file an incident report with the FTC or call the FTC at: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
Video Resources
Internship Videos
Starting Your Job Search
Networking & Social Media Videos
Networking
Networking is essential for exploring career possibilities, as well as for finding internships and jobs. Career Services offers numerous ways for you to engage in networking.