The UC Santa Cruz Career Center is an important resource for students throughout their college career and afterward. The Career Center also has a web page of Resources for Parents that might be of interest.

Through the Career Center, students have access to a career resource library; graduate school information; on-campus corporate recruiting events; workshops and special events; and information about part-time jobs, internships, and career positions after graduation. The Career Center also coordinates the Career Advice Network (CAN), a network of UC Santa Cruz alumni and non-alumni professionals from a variety of fields who are available to provide career insights and information.

In addition, the Center sponsors two special internship programs: the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP) and the Professions Training Program (PTP). Through the CUIP, interns can work on important campus projects with the support of a staff mentor. CUIP interns attend leadership and skill-building seminars and receive an academic stipend that covers registration fee costs. PTP interns work in off-campus internships that provide professional, paid work experience related to their academic majors.

How Parents Can Help: Advice from the Career Center

Parents are extremely helpful resources for students when it comes to thinking about career and professional goals. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to:

• discuss various career opportunities with your student.
• encourage your student to obtain career-related work experience before graduation.
• encourage your student to visit the Career Center early in his/her academic career.
• encourage your employer to offer internships and summer jobs to university students and consider becoming a mentor to students working summer jobs and in internships.
• encourage your student to develop a resume and interviewing techniques.

UC Santa Cruz Alumni: A Diverse, Successful Group

UC Santa Cruz alumni include teachers, writers, doctors, entertainers, public servants, and counselors. For a glance at the wide variety of activities of UC Santa Cruz alumni, see the campus’s magazine.