Career Center

The Chico State Career Center provides a wide variety of career development programs for students of all majors and class levels, and for all alumni. We offer services to help students with the transition from student to working professional.

Services

Career Planning

We help students select majors, career paths, and graduate schools. Our staff administers two assessments highly recognized in the career development field: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the Strong Interest Inventory. These assessments help students recognize how interests and personality traits relate to occupations. Our career exploration center has a computer lab and other resources specifically targeted to occupational research.

One-On-One Advising and Counseling

In many instances, students need individualized help choosing a major, career planning, or applying for post-graduate jobs or graduate school. Our counselors and advisors are available to provide students with one-on-one advising when needed. Call the Career Center to schedule an advising appointment at 530-898-5253.

Reference Material and Job Database

The Career Center website provides occupation information, resume and cover letter examples, sample interview questions, and multiple job postings through job links and our Wildcat Career Connection database which lists hundreds of professional jobs for graduating seniors each semester. Our website is http://www.csuchico.edu/careers/.

Workshops

Each semester we offer various workshops to help students with their career search. Topics include career exploration, interviewing success, how to get a government job, networking strategies, and making the most of career fairs; among others. A workshop schedule can be found on the Career Center website at http://www.csuchico.edu/careers.

On-Campus Interviews

Approximately 200 employers send recruiters to Chico State each fall and spring to conduct interviews in the Career Center. These interviews are a convenient way for students to take part in a professional interview right on campus. To participate, graduating seniors must first attend a brief ten-minute orientation in the Career Center. Intel, IBM, PG&E, Chevron, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Union Pacific, Hewlett Packard, and Bose are among the prestigious employers who take part in Chico State's on-campus interviewing program.

Career Fairs

We sponsor, or co-sponsor, five career fairs on campus each year, providing another convenient way for students to have access to employers. Early each semester, we offer a Business and Technical Career Fair, sponsored in conjunction with two business fraternities on campus. In the spring and fall, we offer the All Majors Career and Internship Fair, attracting approximately 100 corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Also in the spring is the Education Career Fair attended by school districts interested in hiring education credential candidates. All career fairs are open to upcoming graduates seeking career positions, undergrads seeking internships, and alumni.

Staff

In addition to extensive experience advising college students, our advisors and counselors have worked in various employment-related positions in both public and private sectors including human resources and recruiting and management, giving them a rich, real-life understanding of occupations and the world of work. Our staff members are passionate about helping students realize the job of their dreams.

Employment Outlook

While employment trends will always change from year-to-year due to fluctuations in the economy, one thing is certain: Chico State grads are highly coveted by employers. Coupled with a superb curriculum, the Chico State campus affords students the opportunity to participate in leadership and community service opportunities unparalleled to those available at other colleges and universities. Many employers tell us it is this unique Chico Experience that engages students, and fosters the development of the communication and teamwork skills that make Chico grads valuable contributors their first day on the job.

Supportive Employers

Chico State students have earned a powerful reputation in every professional field they have touched. See what employers say about Chico employees:

"Pebble Beach Resorts considers Chico State graduates because of their strong work ethic and commitment to the hospitality industry,"
—Pebble Beach Resorts.

"Chico State Students are really passionate and informed with a lot of leadership experience," 
—Fund for Public Interest Research.

"Students from Chico State are very bright, energetic and outgoing. One of the biggest attributes we look for in a candidate is whether or not they possess people skills and how they interact with others. Every single one of our interviewees displayed these qualities," 
—Maxim Health Care Services.

"We hire more teachers from CSU, Chico than any other university," 
—Pierce Joint Unified School District.