Career Center Resources @ UCLA
Written in collaboration with ACM at UCLA, SWE @ UCLA, and UPE at UCLA.
See more resources at https://linktr.ee/CS_Resources_at_UCLA.
Author: Kendrake T.
The UCLA Career Center offers a plethora of resources for students that include job/internship postings, resume and cover letter drop-ins, and career counseling.
Table of Contents
- Handshake
- Jobs
- Events
- Career Center - Virtual Drop-Ins
- Crafting Resumes
- VMock (Resume Review Software)
- Parker Dewey
Handshake
Handshake is akin to the central processing unit for the Career Center. You’ll RSVP to career events, job fairs, schedule appointments, and apply to job/internship listings here. The first thing you’ll want to do is set up your handshake account, which you will log into with your university email. After that, you’ll see a screen similar to this. The most important sections are outlined with a red border.
1) Jobs
The jobs section is the UCLA version of job search sites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. The special thing about Handshake jobs is that these companies are looking to hire Bruins. Each employer and job listing is validated by the Career Center before it becomes available on Handshake, ensuring high quality opportunities.
You can favorite, and even filter listings by industry, job function, job type, and location. Play around with these in your free time and apply to a few positions if you’re feeling up for it! Most listings allow you to apply directly through Handshake without having to make an extra account, making it easy to apply to a large swath of positions.
2) Events
The events page allows you to see events hosted by the Career Center as well as company events. During the recruitment season (Fall and Winter), several info sessions are hosted by companies like EY, Lenovo, the CIA, and Lockheed Martin, among others. You’ll be able to rsvp to these events through Handshake.
Also be on the lookout for the Career Fairs! You’ll have to rsvp through the events portal. There is one large career fair for engineers in Fall with the addition of a separate career fair for all majors in Fall, Winter, and Spring. Look at our Career Fairs article to learn more about Fall Career Fairs and tips on preparing for them.
3) Career Center
The Career Center page will allow you to schedule a 30 minute one-on-one appointment with a certified Career Engagement Educator. You can access the appointment page from this page by Appointments > Schedule A New Appointment > Undergraduate Career Advising > Career or Graduate School Advising (South Campus Majors).
You’ll be taken to a page that looks like this:
Do not fear if it looks like there are no appointments! The appointments page will almost always look like this because counselors get booked pretty quickly.
Counselors upload their schedules 2 weeks out on Fridays before 5pm.
This means that counselors will submit their availability for the week of September 28th on Friday, September 18th. Their availability can appear anytime before 5pm on Friday, whether it be 10am or 2pm — it’s up to when the counselor uploads their schedule. Appointments are usually all booked by the end of Sunday, which is why it frequently looks empty. As long as you’re proactive on Friday, you should be able to snag an appointment.
Virtual Drop-In Sessions
Virtual Drop-Ins are 15 minute sessions for resume/cover letter review, LinkedIn/Handshake help, and to ask questions about job/internship search strategies. These sessions are facilitated by either a Career Engagement Educator or a Career Peer (undergraduates trained by the Career Center).
Drop-Ins are held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10am — 2pm. Whether it be week 1 or week 10, you can always stop by for a drop-in. Drop-Ins are a great way to get resume/cover letter help and are a great alternative if you are not able to book a 30 minute appointment with a Career Engagement Educator.
Resume/UCLA Career Guide
Download UCLA’s ultimate 60 page career guide that covers everything from how to create a resume and cover letter to interviewing tips. Chapter 6, which begins on page 22, talks about how to craft your resume. Here are some important sections you should check out:
- Resume formatting conventions (page 22).
- A four step formula to craft exceptional bullet points (page 25).
- An amazing two page verb list. Use this if you’re having trouble picking the right action verb for your bullet points!! (page 26–27).
- A plethora of resume templates that can help spur how you section your resume (page 33–45).
- An engineering resume template (page 40).
If you ever come to the Career Center for a resume drop-in, your advisor will almost always reference this guide throughout your appointment. It’s a great resource to bookmark!
Also watch the Career Center’s Resume + Cover Letter 101, a comprehensive one hour video that uses examples to thoroughly explain how to approach and craft your resume and cover letter. The first half talks about the resume and the second half covers the cover letter. This 101 is often presented by the Career Center during recruitment season to help students navigate resumes and cover letters, and this is a popular presentation requested by several organizations on campus.
VMock
VMock is a new program that UCLA acquired this year. It is a smart resume platform that allows you to build your resume and get detailed feedback 24/7. You will only be allowed to get your resume checked up to 10 times, so don’t go crazy on this program.
Another alternative to VMock is to schedule a 30 minute one-on-one appointment with a Career Engagement Counselor, where they can thoroughly examine your resume, or to attend a shorter 15 minute drop-in appointment with a Career Peer. There is not a big difference between getting your resume checked by VMock vs an appointment with the exception that a physical human can help you process and formulate ideas in an appointment. Both are great options to utilize when preparing your resume!
Parker Dewey
Parker Dewey is a new UCLA partnership that allows students to explore career options and gain professional experience remotely. Parker Dewey connects Bruins from any major, year, or degree level with paid, professional “micro-internships” from employers across the country.
Parker Dewey works with companies to develop and offer 4–6 hour project-based opportunities for students to develop skills, explore career fields and companies, and get noticed by recruiters for the quality of their work. Browse around to see if any opportunities interest you.
All of these “micro-internships” count as experience and can be added to your resume!