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At Career Services, we educate and empower students to achieve success at UCSB and beyond. We specialize in helping students gain knowledge of their occupational goals, attain relevant career competencies and experiences, develop professional relationships, and leverage their education to address the needs and challenges of the world of work.

Explore this page to learn what makes up our mission, how we impact the campus, and who serves on our team, as we work together to help UCSB students move their lives forward.

Sun icon  Why We Work

Get to Know Career Services

 

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Mission

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Vision

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Values

Our mission is to educate and empower all students and recent graduates to prepare for and pursue success.

Our vision is to inspire students to explore and gain knowledge of their occupational goals, to attain competencies and relevant experiences, to develop professional relationships, and to apply their education and unique attributes to address the needs and challenges of the world through their work.

Our values reflect the world of work we wish to create for ourselves, each other, and our students.

Balance: Research provides evidence that there is value in work-life balance:  that work, family, and community are equal and critical components to a healthy and rewarding life. Therefore, we endeavor to model this value by providing quality service to students while maintaining energy and commitment to other areas of our lives. Doing so brings a sense of light-heartedness to our work.


Growth: We value the professional and personal development of each team member. By leveraging the vast resources of a research university, we continually strive to learn about new approaches and ideas in order to improve services and opportunities for students.


Service: We strive to understand the needs of our constituents while providing customized and thoughtful service. We approach each meaningful interaction with kindness and professionalism to find effective solutions.


Creativity: We believe that stoking curiosity and encouraging individuality stimulates creativity and innovation. Through capitalizing on our professional and personal development, we adapt and refine new approaches for our students, thereby creating an environment that promotes and supports originality and imagination in our work.


Achievement: We are committed and passionate in our pursuit of excellence and strongly believe that each staff member’s accomplishments contribute directly to the overall success of the team. By empowering individuals to take ownership of their roles, each one is encouraged to be ambitious and proactive, to take initiative, and to continually contribute to our services, communications, and team dynamics.

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People and Positions

 

Our Team

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Browse Staff Directory

 

Jobs @ Career Services

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Career Peer Advisor (Undergraduate Student)

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Career Peer Advisor (Graduate Student)

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Career Practicum (Graduate Student)

Career Peer Advisors are an integral part of Career Services, providing a wide range of services to fellow students at UCSB, including assistance with majors and careers, resumes and cover letters, and the job and internship search. If you love helping people and are interested in joining the Peer Advising team, we recruit every winter quarter for the following academic year, with potential to start during summer. All majors and class levels (except graduating seniors) are encouraged to apply, including international and transfer students. Work-study is accepted. No experience necessary!

Qualifications:

  • An interest in helping your fellow Gauchos with majors, employment, and careers
  • Patient and responsible
  • Comfortable working in a team, as well as being a self-starter
  • Organized and able to manage time
  • Available to commit from September to June (no study abroad exceptions), with availability for a 40-hour training week before classes begin (the week before Week 0)

The complete job description is posted in Handshake early winter quarter each year, requiring the submission of an application, resume, and cover letter. In addition to the required documents to apply, all students are required to attend one mandatory information session, for which the dates will be posted in Handshake. It is highly recommended that you visit drop-in at Career Services for a critique of your application materials before applying. For questions, contact the Supervisor for Career Peer Advisors.

The ​Graduate Career Peer Advisor assists the Career Counselor for Graduate Students and graduate students directly on issues related to career development in graduate school. We recruit for this position in spring quarter and the position is year-round (Summer–Spring). The primary location of the position is based in the Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC).

Responsibilities:

  • Assist with developing written content for the GradPost and promotional events
  • Help with graduate student workshops and outreach
  • Support efforts to create targeted programming for graduate students and assist with logistical aspects of program development 
  • Hold office hours for student appointments, respond and advise student requests by email, phone, or in person, edit student resumes, CVs, and cover letters, and provide confidential support and make referrals as needed

Qualifications: 

  • Completed one year of graduate study in residence at UCSB, in good academic standing, within university time-to-degree standards, and meets all other standard student employment eligibility requirements
  • Energetic and knowledgeable about the UCSB campus
  • Positive and self-motivated attitude, and able to work well independently or collaboratively

To apply for this position, the complete job description is posted on GradPost in spring quarter and requires a resume and cover letter. A writing sample is also requested further in the process if your application is selected. For questions, contact the Career Counselor for Graduate Students.

-- The status of this position is on hold for the 2021-22 academic year. Please check back in Spring 2022. --

The Career Practicum is a fieldwork opportunity for graduate students in counseling or similar fields. This opportunity provides graduate students with training and hands-on experience in career counseling through weekly training seminars, individual supervision, and exposure to all aspects of direct service in a university career center.

Prerequisites:
All practicum students must be currently enrolled in a graduate-level counseling, education, or similar program, and have completed a graduate-level career counseling course (or have been a Teaching Assistant for a career development course). 

Overview of the Program:
The practicum is a 10-hour per week, two-quarter commitment for fall quarter and winter quarter (October to March), with an option for practicum students to continue through the Spring Quarter as well (April to June). Hours are spent interacting with students through drop-in, individual counseling appointments, assessment interpretations, training seminars, and supervision. 

  • Fall quarter consists of training, observation, and co-leading of counseling sessions in areas related to major and career exploration, career assessments, job and internship search strategies, and graduate school admissions.
  • Winter quarter focuses on independent practice of counseling sessions and assessment interpretations with the support and guidance from a supervisor.
  • Spring quarter provides an opportunity for mastery of career counseling skills and engaging in further professional development activities such as designing new programming, outreaching to diverse populations, creating innovative career content, and more.
  • Note for distance students: We understand the burden to commute to Santa Barbara for multiple days during the week. Because of this, some aspects of the Career Practicum may be performed in a distance-friendly format. However, all Career Practicum students are expected to be on-site for at least one day per week (number of hours on-site may vary).

Learning Outcomes:
By participating in the Career Practicum, students will be able to:

  • Provide drop-in and individual career counseling sessions in the areas of major and career exploration, career assessments, job and internship search strategies, and graduate school admissions
  • Demonstrate proficiency in web-based career and job search tools, including the Career Services website, Handshake, and other databases
  • Develop a theoretical foundation for career counseling and programming
  • Demonstrate behavior congruent with NCDA ethical guidelines
  • Demonstrate cross-cultural counseling and programming competency
  • Facilitate assessment interpretations and provide guidance for students completing career assessments
  • Present career development workshops

Compensation:
Students that participate for the full academic year (fall through spring quarter) will be awarded a $500 stipend. 

Application:
Applications are currently closed and the status of this position is on hold for the 2021-22 academic year. Please check back in Spring 2022 for additional details.

Additional Note:
The academic year training is typically scheduled during late September (exact week to be determined). All applicants should hold this entire week in anticipation of being accepted to the practicum. Training follows a set format and involves a large number of trainees; therefore, alternative training times cannot be negotiated.

icon of clipboard for department policies  Department Policies

Operational Information for Services

UC Santa Barbara is committed to bringing a full spectrum of employers to campus to meet with our student population. Career fairs, information sessions, and other networking activities provide students a venue to network with employers, submit their resume to recruiters, and learn about employment opportunities. Career Services educates students about various opportunities and ensures equity of access to campus recruiting activities for all employers who abide by our Recruiting Policies. Individual students are encouraged to determine which employers align with their diverse talents, values, and interests.

Career Services’ Handshake application is intended for the listing of legitimate full-time, part-time, internship, seasonal, and short-term positions by businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, on-campus departments, and individuals who adhere to Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines. We expect students to use Handshake in a professional manner and for employers to do the same. Please review the warnings and guidelines below to be aware of students’ responsibilities before interacting with employers on the Handshake website.

Job postings and employer announcements are made without endorsement, direct or implied, by Career Services or UCSB. Career Services educates students about various opportunities and ensures equity of access to campus recruiting activities for all employers who abide by our Recruiting Policies. Individual students are encouraged to determine which employers align with their diverse talents, values, and interests, and to carefully research potential employers prior to applying. We do not and cannot control the behavior of participants in Handshake. For more information, review our Don't Get Scammed tips.

By utilizing Handshake, you release UCSB Career Services and UCSB (and our agents and employees) from claims, demands, and damages (actual or consequential, direct and indirect of every kind and nature, known and unknown), arising out of or in any way connected with any related disputes.

We urge students to use good judgment in all interactions with employers. To report concerns about potential employers or job postings, contact us via the information at the bottom of this page. For more information about Handshake, please see our Handshake Help Center.

Maximum Appointment Limits

In order to ensure that we are able to serve the career development needs of all UCSB students and alumni within their grace period, maximum appointment limits for Career Advising may be applied.

Specifically, appointments are available at a maximum limit of one (1) appointment per day. If multiple appointments are requested, Career Services reserves the right to decline appointments made in excess of one (1) per day. 

Additionally, certain appointment types have a maximum limit per academic quarter or year. Per academic quarter, students are permitted to request a maximum of one (1) Application Essay appointment. Per academic year, additional limitations may apply for appointments as related to the Document Review or Interview Skills services (see below for details).

Advanced Notice

Appointment requests require a minimum of one (1) school day of advanced notice. Additionally, Application Essay appointments require a minimum of three (3) school days of advanced notice. Career Services reserves the right to decline appointments that are requested with insufficient notice.

No Shows

We understand that there are occasions when you might miss your scheduled appointment, however, we request to be notified as soon you need to cancel. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to your scheduled appointment, Career Services reserves the right to cancel your appointment. If you consistently miss your appointments without notice, your ability to schedule appointments with Career Services will be limited, and you will be referred you to drop-in services for future requests.

Access to Career Advising appointments for Resumes/CVs and Cover Letters is provided to students who complete all steps as advertised through the Document Review service. Students who utilize the Document Review service on repeat occasions may be required to complete all steps as advertised, prior to each individual request for a Career Advising appointment on Resumes/CVs and Cover Letters.

Access to Career Advising appointments regarding interview preparation is provided to students who complete all steps as advertised through the Interview Skills service. Students who utilize the Interview Skills service on repeat occasions may be required to complete all steps as advertised, prior to each individual request for a Career Advising appointment on Interview Skills.

Career Services offers recruitment opportunities to employers that abide by the policies for recruitment.

View Recruiting Policies

Personal Information

Career Services at the University of California, Santa Barbara is committed to providing good privacy practices regarding electronic personal information. All data collected for our job listing/resume database and on-campus recruiting services are stored on Handshake secure servers. Information collected is used to provide and tailor services to our customers. It is also used to construct aggregate reports that assist us in program planning.

Collection and use of data by Career Services is governed by the following campus and federal policies:

Security

When users submit personally identifiable information via the Career Services website, information is restricted to University of California, Santa Barbara employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, a Career Counselor). Career Services uses third-party products for some of its website applications. Third-party partners are granted access to user information when it is necessary to ensure the proper function of a third-party application. In addition user data is password protected, so only the users (or anyone to whom they provide their passwords) can access this information. All personally identifiable information collected by Career Services is stored in limited-access servers. Career Services has technical, administrative, and physical security measures and safeguards in place to protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under Career Services’ control.

External Websites

While using the Career Services website, users may encounter hypertext links to the webpages of organizations not directly affiliated with Career Services or the University of California, Santa Barbara. Career Services does not control the content or information practices of these external organizations; we highly recommend that users review the privacy statements of these organizations.

Contact Us

 

Building Access (M-F)

Building Access: 8:30 am- 4:00 pm
CRR Access: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Closed during official university holidays
See advising section for service-specific hours

Appointment Hours (M-F)

Peer Drop-In Hours: 10 am to 4 pm
Peer Appt Hours: 10 am to 4 pm
Counselor Appt Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
See the Advising section for service-specific hours

Phone and Email

(805) 893-4412
Students: careerhelp@sa.ucsb.edu
Recruiters: employer.services@sa.ucsb.edu
Events: careerevents@sa.ucsb.edu

 

Location, Directions & Parking

Career Services is located in Building 599, the pink building next to Storke Tower
See Visit UCSB for campus info and directions. Parking in Lot 22 (permit required)

Mailing Address

Career Services, Bldg. 599
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California 93106-7140

Meet the Team

Get to know Our Team of staff members at Career Services


 

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