Resources for Incoming Students

Welcome to the UCR community! The Career Center is your headquarters for the professional advice, skills, and strategies that will lead you to your ideal career. Our mission is to Connect, Inspire, and Empower you throughout your time at UCR and beyond.

You Belong at UCR, and we are committed to ensuring our programs and services are inclusive, respectful, and accessible to everyone, regardless of background or identity. Whether you are a first-year student or a transfer student, we have tailored Career Plans and workshops—available as PDFs or pre-recorded videos—to help you navigate your unique path. Graduate students, we have a dedicated page for you.

To get started right away, we encourage you to:

Join Handshake: This is your portal to search for job listings, internships, and volunteer opportunities, and to interview with employers who come to UCR. An UCR affiliated account has already been created for you. To sign in, please use your NetID and password. Please do not create any additional accounts.
Visit the Career Center Website: Our online resources never close! You can find tools to help with interviewing, polish your resume, and relevant workshops 24/7.

If you have questions or need guidance, please reach out to us at careercounseling@ucr.edu. Incoming students can start accessing our appointment services in mid-August. However, you can utilize the Handshake job portal anytime.

Check out the buttons below more specific career plans and resources for you. We look forward to helping you plan your career path step-by-step!

1st Year Students

1. Immediate Steps and Core Tools

Handshake Login: Activate your UCR Handshake profile, the primary portal for internship/job listings, career fair, events, and other resources such as Focus 2 Career Assessment.
Overview of Services: Check out the pre-recorded Overview of Services or the handout to see how we could assist you.
Career Center Website: Find information and tools that are available to you 24/7, i.e., the Online Learning Tools & Platforms.

2. First-Year Planning and Exploration

First Year Career Plan: this PDF guide to is designed to help you stay on track from the start. Additionally, many 1st year students are still deciding on their path. Here are resources that could help you decide:

Watch the the "Making a Major Decision" workshop
"Resources to Assist with Understanding the Possibilities Within Your Major" handout to help you connect academics to careers.
What Can I Do with My Major? Site
Focus2 Assessment on Handshake
Review our Career Decision Making Model
Schedule an appointment with your Career Specialist (appointments will be available for incoming students in mid-August).

3. Other Things to Know:

On-Campus Employment:
Undergraduate Research Opportunities:
Get Involved to gain experiences:
Update your resume to make you a strong candidate. Here are the samples.
International Students, please check out this page about your work authorization information and visa types (Please note that Career Ceneter does not provide work authorization advising, visit the International Students & Scholars to see your International Student Advisor.)

Transfer Students

1. Targeted Transfer Success Tools

Transfer Student Career Plan: Available as a downloadable PDF file.

2. Now you are here at UCR, you might still have questions about your career plans. Here are some resources:

"Resources to Assist with Understanding the Possibilities Within Your Major" handout to help you connect academics to careers.
What Can I Do with My Major?
Review our Career Decision Making Model
Schedule an appointment with your Career Specialist (appointments will be available for incoming students in mid-August).

3. Other Things to Know:

On-Campus Employment:
Undergraduate Research Opportunities:
Get Involved to gain experiences:
Update your resume to make you a strong candidate. Here are the samples.
International Students, please check out this page about your work authorization information and visa types (Please note that Career Ceneter does not provide work authorization advising, visit the International Students & Scholars to see your International Student Advisor.)

Graduate Students

Graduate Students - Click on this link to see the services offered to you.

Check out the Beyond the Professoriate (PhD Students) and the Beyond the Graduate School (master's students) platform to assist with your career and professional development.

Handshake Login: Activate your UCR Handshake profile, the primary portal for internship/job listings, career fair, events, and other resources such as schedule an appointment with your Graduate Student Career Specialist. You can also find resources that you need on our "Graduate Students" page.

*For AGSM master's students - please visit AGSM's Graduate Career Services for information and career support. We are unable to support students enrolled in the PMBA, MPAc, MFin & Master of Business Analytics programs.

**International Students, please check out this page about your work authorization information and visa types (Please note that Career Center does not provide work authorization advising, visit the International Students & Scholars to see your International Student Advisor.)