Bruin Family Insights | Internships & Career Planning
At UCLA, we believe an informed and supportive family plays an integral role in a student’s educational success. To that end, Bruin Family Insights is here to equip families with knowledge to help you get to know UCLA better, and encourage your student to thrive during their time at UCLA and beyond.
You may be familiar with the UCLA Parent & Family Association's Bruin Family Insights podcast, which concluded its fourth season in summer 2024. After a brief hiatus, Bruin Family Insights is back with a new, hybrid format! First, a topic will be introduced in an article-style email with insights from experts within the UCLA community. After, families will have the chance to register for a subsequent live discussion with said experts, which will then be shared out as a podcast episode.
We look forward to exploring this new format with you, and are thrilled to introduce our first topic in the new format: internships and career planning! Hear from topic experts, Kimberly Terrill (Associate Director, Career Education & Development for the UCLA Career Center) and Haley Krakoski (Director, Alumni Career Engagement) below and join us for the live conversation taking place on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Noon PT via Zoom.
What are some signature Career Center programs and services for undergraduate Bruins who are beginning an internship or job search?
Kimberly Terrill (KT): The Career Center offers a number of resources, services, and programs both in person and remotely that Bruins can take advantage of when looking for jobs and internships.
First, I'd like to highlight our one-on-one career advising appointments and drop-in sessions. Undergraduate students can make 30-minute 1:1 appointments with our professional counseling staff to explore in-depth career topics or stop by for a 15-minute drop-in (no appointment required) for general career questions. Additionally, we host an Internship Lab on Mondays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., which gives students hands-on assistance navigating Handshake, our online job board and the best place for students to begin their job and internship search.
There are also a number of online-specific resources that can be accessed at any time, including VMock, an AI resume review and development tool to help students format and structure a resume; Parker-Dewey and Forage, platforms that offer short project-based micro internships or case study simulations in solving real-world problems posted by companies; Goin’ Global, opportunities for students who want to work internationally; and more.
Finally, there are 70 programs and workshops offered on average each quarter, including workshops on topics like networking, LinkedIn, resume and cover letter writing and using AI in the job search, how to afford graduate school and prepping for professional school exams. Additionally, our Industry Relations team regularly brings employers and recruiters to campus to talk specifically to UCLA students about potential jobs and internships and offer on-campus interviews. There are also career fairs and networking events offered on a quarterly basis, featuring jobs and professionals from every sector, to more specialized events for different populations.
What are some Alumni Career Engagement (ACE) resources for students whether they are graduating this spring or still have time left at UCLA?
Haley Krakoski (HK): One of the standout resources for UCLA students is the UCLA Alumni Mentor Program, which pairs current students with alumni in their field of interest. While the main recruitment period happens during the fall, it’s definitely not too late to jump in during the winter quarter. There are still alumni available to connect with – from those holding top positions at major companies to recent grads who can offer fresh advice on interviewing and navigating next steps. This program, now in its 20th year, has been an incredible way for students to build meaningful relationships with alumni who genuinely want to help Bruins succeed.
The program is hosted on UCLA ONE, which is a goldmine for professional growth. Beyond the Alumni Mentor Program, UCLA ONE is a fantastic resource for networking, events and career resources, connecting Bruins across the globe. Students can also find jobs and internships, get their resumes reviewed, practice for interviews, and even set up informational interviews. With over 70,000 Bruins on the platform ready to support them, the opportunities are endless!
For new graduates who are looking for a bit of inspiration, please have them check out the Bruin Success Podcast, which is filled with interviews from UCLA alumni who’ve achieved incredible success after college. Each episode dives into their journeys, career insights, and tips for navigating both personal and professional challenges. It’s a great way to see what’s possible and pick up some valuable advice.
What are your top tips or strategies for students navigating internship and job searches? What should these students be thinking about ahead of and during a search?
KT: Network, network, network! The top method for finding jobs is through the people you know. And statistically, it isn’t the people you know directly, it’s the people they know that leads to greater opportunities. By building your network, you build your options and opportunities. A couple ways to build your network are to find a mentor to actively help you develop professionally and participate in informational interviewing to connect with a professional whose career or role interests you.
Develop transferable skills – Employers seek certain soft skills in the people they hire. This is because although skills of the job can be learned, it is hard to teach someone attributes like how to get along with others, or how to adapt to different situations. There are a number of these soft skills which, once learned, students can take with them from job to job (i.e., transferable skills), like the 8 key competencies that employers are looking for. It is beneficial to the job and internship search if students are able to identify these skills, talk about their level of competency with them, describe where and how they developed these skills, and how they would be able to use them in the job or internship.
Make the Connection – A job and internship search is less a numbers game and more about making the connection between you, your skills and the needs of the company. In other words, the number of jobs or internships that students apply for is less important than being targeted and strategic. Students tend to have better results when concentrating effort into opportunities that they truly care about or that seem the most promising. I always advise students to tailor their resume and cover letter as much as possible to the job description and company mission. Additionally, I suggest they find out what the company cares about so they can talk about how they can contribute to the organizational mission or company’s success.
How does ACE support new graduates as they’re starting their careers? Are there tools or resources graduating seniors should take advantage of to ease their transition into the workforce?
HK: As a new graduate, we’d like to welcome your student to the UCLA alumni family! Even though they are transitioning out of student life, we’re here to still make sure they feel supported every step of the way as they start their career.
If your student is graduating soon, please have them take full advantage of UCLA’s Career Center while they still have access. For the first three months after graduation, they can continue scheduling one-on-one appointments or attend drop-in sessions. They will also have free access to Handshake for an entire year after they graduate.
Once they’ve graduated, our Alumni Career Engagement (ACE) team is ready to support our new alumni. We offer resource and strategy calls to help them discover everything available to them as a Bruin alum. One great starting point is the Alumni Career Engagement website, which features a section specifically for new grads. A highlight here is The Classroom, a career management course designed to guide participants through their job search, from perfecting their applications to confidently negotiating their salary.
We also host webinars on practical topics like “Acing the Virtual Interview” and “Taking Your LinkedIn Profile to All-Star Status.” If they missed these sessions live, they’re all available on UCLA Alumni’s YouTube channel under the Early Career Resources playlist.
If your new graduate is looking for one-on-one support, our vetted Career Coaches are a great option. They specialize in helping recent grads navigate their next steps, and as a UCLA alum, they’ll receive discounts on their services. As a reminder there is also UCLA ONE’s network of alumni that are always ready to lend a hand and are happy to offer career advice or mentorship at no cost.
How can parents and family members of undergraduates support and encourage their student as they pursue a job or internship?
KT: The support of parents and families is a critical to a student’s success. Many students include their families in their career decision making process and a supportive family environment can give a student the confidence and determination to pursue their professional goals. There are several ways that parents and families can support students, beginning with having open dialogues with your student. Ask them questions about their classes, what they like about them, what they don't like, etc. Focus on what they enjoy and what they get excited about. Ultimately, this will help the student when assessing their skills and determining what they want to do once they graduate.
Additionally, I encourage families to be aware that jobs and the job market changes. Yes, there are some jobs which will almost always be in demand, but with the pace of technological advancements, the workforce could look very different in just a few years. Major may be less important than the skills the student brings to the employment space. Parents and families can talk to their student about focusing less on a particular job and more on how the student can envision using their skills in a professional setting.
Finally, students care about what their parents think. In fact, many students include their parents in their career decision-making process. Most want their parents to be proud of them and their choices and they worry what will happen if they choose to pursue a career outside of their family’s expectations. My advice is for families to provide a safe, non-judgmental space for their student to go through the career development process. That means your student may change their mind – sometimes several times – and that’s okay. Cycling through choices is an important part of the process of figuring out who they are and how they want to contribute to the professional world. Your student is smart, capable and determined, and you helped get them this far. Trust that your student will perhaps make mistakes along the way, but that they will also ultimately achieve their professional goals in whatever form those goals take.
HK: Parents and family members play a huge role in supporting undergraduates as they pursue jobs or internships, and it’s not just about giving advice, it’s also about creating the right environment for them to grow and explore. Here’s how families can make a difference:
First, listen to your student. Ask open-ended questions that encourage them to reflect on what they enjoy, what they’re passionate about, and what excites them. Let them come to their own conclusions rather than steering the conversation toward what you think they should do.
Second, think about your network. Are there people you know who work in industries your student is curious about? Offering a chance for them to connect and learn through a conversation can be incredibly helpful. If your network doesn’t align, encourage them to lean into their Bruin community, which is full of resources and connections waiting to be tapped. Sometimes, students also just need to hear advice from someone else. It can be the same message you’ve been giving, but when it comes from a mentor, professor, or alumni, it can land differently. Support them in seeking out those conversations.
It’s also important to create a safe emotional space. Encourage exploration and risk-taking. Let your student know it’s okay to try, fail and try again. The goal isn’t perfection but forward movement, and sometimes failure is a part of that process. So, be their safe harbor—the place they can return to when things don’t go as planned. When they need to process, you can help them think through experiences, build autonomy, and make their own decisions.
Finally, the most valuable thing you can offer isn’t always tactical, it’s emotional support. Be there to cheer them on, encourage them to take risks, and remind them it’s okay to not have all the answers yet. Your belief in them can make all the difference as they navigate this exciting and sometimes challenging chapter.
To learn more about the Career Center, visit https://career.ucla.edu/. For further information about Alumni Career Engagement, visit https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-career-engagement-students/. And join us on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Noon PT via Zoom for a live conversation with Kimberly and Haley to answer any questions you may have and further discuss internships and career planning.
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