Graduate Students

Information, opportunities, and support for Master’s students.

Leverage a variety of resources to enhance your career development as you pursue your advanced degree at USC. In conjunction with your degree program, review our resources to prepare for your academic or professional job search.

As a current student, you have access to all of the services and resources, including Handshake, advising appointments, workshops, and career events.

Prepare for Your Job Search

Before you begin submitting applications, you can take several important steps to prepare for your job search and maximize your opportunities. Consider the following steps to help you build a foundation for your job search.

What skills does your graduate degree help you develop?
Conduct industry and organizational research to help you identify related skills.
To help you explore your career goals, we have the following career assessment tools available to you through the “Resources” tab in Handshake.

Cultivate relationships with your professors, classmates, potential employers, and alumni.

• Join the Trojan Network
• Get involved within the USC community through Graduate Student Government and other Student Organizations.
• Join professional associations and attend conferences in your field of interest. Refer to the LibGuide Research Guides Professional Associations

Identify key skills and experiences you need to develop to stay competitive in the job market.

• Find opportunities to develop these skills as a student.
• Seek out top employers that you want to work for and participate in recruiting events.

• Career Fairs (Fall/Spring): Meet employers recruiting for full-time positions and internships across a variety of industries.
• Career workshops: Topics include: resume, CV and cover letter writing, interviewing strategies, job search strategies, and negotiation strategies.
• School-specific career events: Contact your school-based career services office or academic department to inquire about upcoming events.
• Visit USC The Graduate School: The Graduate School supports students regardless of program, from application to degree conferral. It’s mission is to promote an outstanding educational experience, celebrate student achievements, & provide leadership for graduate education. They are situated in the Office of the Provost and Academic Programs.

Highlighted Resources

Jump to these highlighted resources for high impact support:

Start Your Job Search Resume or CV? Discover Campus Resources