Triton Career Guide

TRITON

CAREER

GUIDE

CAREER.UCSD.EDU

UPWARD

ONWARD

&

In the ever-competitive and rapidly

evolving employment market, the top

graduate school and career candidates

must have more than just an exemplary

education—they must also be adaptive

researchers, eective communicators,

and creative spirits.

To help you uncover and strengthen the

traits employers and academic

institutions are looking for in prospective

candidates, work through this guide with

your Career Center coach.

02/ SUCCEED IN YOUR SEARCH

Develop Your Résumé

Develop Your CV

Draft a Cover Letter

Network

Set up Informational Interviews

Prepare for the Interview

04/ ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

01/ GETTING STARTED

Plan for Your Future

Build Your Road Map

Identify Your Key Competencies

03/ SECONDARY DEGREES AND BEYOND

Is Grad School Right for You?

Pre-Health and Pre-Med

Develop Your Statement of Purpose

Welcome!

2

Contents

IF FOUND, PLEASE RETURN TO

NAME:

______________________ EMAIL: ______________________

Getting Started

The Career Center is dedicated to helping students just like you ﬁnd and land the ideal job,

internship, or graduate/professional school opportunity. Use these next few pages to ﬁgure out the

best path to achieving your goals.

Plan for Your Future

Wherever you are in your career journey, there are plenty of things you can do to accelerate your

momentum as you move upward and onward—and meeting with a Career Center coach is a great

ﬁrst step.

From Monday through Friday, the Career Center oers comprehensive advising to meet all of

your career needs:

Visit career.ucsd.edu/advising to see options or use Handshake to schedule an appointment.

 UNDERGRADUATE ADVISING

 PREHEALTH AND PREMED ADVISING HEALTH BEAT

 GRADUATE ADVISING

 WHAT TYPE OF CAREER OR MAJOR IS APPROPRIATE FOR ME?

 WHAT STRATEGIES CAN I USE TO MAKE A CAREER DECISION?

 HOW CAN I FIND AN INTERNSHIP?

ASK YOUR CAREER CENTER COACH

3

4

Build Your Road Map

Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, use this timeline for general career-

planning purposes.

JUST STARTING OUT

SELFAWARENESS AND SELFDISCOVERY

Discover your interests and strengths through coursework, like Career Readiness (HDS 98) or

Medical School Prep 101 (FMPH 198), participating in student activities and organizations, and

on- or o-campus part-time jobs.

Gain experience through the Student Employment Oice, which oers a variety of work-study

and on- and o-campus positions that provide experiential learning opportunities, transferable

skills, and competencies necessary for future employment.

Or try a career assessment tool. The Career Center oers resources like GoinGlobal,

ImaginePhD, or myIDP to help identify career paths that ﬁt your personality, preferences, and

skills. Visit career.ucsd.edu or use Handshake to explore online tools.

PLANNING FOR YOUR FUTURE

EXPLORATION, DECISIONMAKING, AND PREPARATION

As you continue to consider options, attend a career fair, an employer information session, or a

career seminar/career panel to familiarize yourself with companies and graduate schools.

Connect with alumni on LinkedIn to better understand careers and industries and to set up

informational interviews. Begin to gain career-related work experience and develop skills

through part-time jobs, internships, and research. If you’re applying to graduate school, look

into programs and prepare a timeline. Application deadlines are typically about a year prior to

your start date.

Narrow down your choices and make tentative career and/or graduate school decisions. Get

your résumé, cover letter, and/or application essays critiqued by a Career Center coach.

5

APPROACHING THE FINISH LINE

PROFESSIONAL GOAL EXECUTION

Meet with a Career Center coach, mentor, or faculty member to discuss your job search

strategies—typically a few months before your graduation date.

Continue looking on Handshake for full-time job opportunities and start applying between six

to eight months from graduation.

If going to graduate school or starting your professional career right away isn’t part of your

plan, consider taking a gap year. A Career Center coach can help you plan it out and identify

some options that will help you meet your current and future goals, such as traveling abroad

or doing community work.

As you consider what you want to do after graduation, it is equally important to consider the

kind of lifestyle and beneﬁts you want—and need. This may change as you progress in your

professional journey, so revisit these questions regularly:

JUST

STARTING OUT

PLANNING FOR

YOUR FUTURE

TIME UNTIL

GRADUATIONGOALS

APPROACHING THE

FINISH LINE

 WHERE

do you want to live? Are you ﬂexible with location?

 WHAT salary range would you like?

 WHAT beneﬁts are important to you: 401(k), paid leave, health care, etc.?

 WHAT other perks do you want: ﬂexible hours, ability to work remotely, travel, etc.?

Use this chart to map out your plan

6

Identify Your Key Competencies

You go to college or graduate school with the goal of leaving with a degree and the knowledge

that comes with it. But this experience teaches so much more—skills that are critical to success

beyond the classroom, like teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership.

To help articulate your transferrable skills, UC San Diego has deﬁned twelve competencies

obtained through academic, co-curricular, and experiential learning that prepare you for life.

Work with your Career Center coach to identify the competencies you have already developed

and which competencies you should strengthen to better position yourself for prospective

employers or graduate schools.

Learn more about the competencies and get real world examples of how other students have

developed them at career.ucsd.edu/competencies.

7

CRITICAL THINKING &

PROBLEM SOLVING

INNOVATION &

ENTREPRENEURIAL

THINKING

LEADERSHIP RESEARCH ABILITY

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

& SOCIAL

RESPONSIBILITY

CAREER

DEVELOPMENT

TEAMWORK &

CROSSCULTURAL

COLLABORATION

DIGITAL INFORMATION

FLUENCY

SELFREFLECTION

ORAL, WRITTEN &

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

UNDERSTANDING

GLOBAL CONTEXT

PROFESSIONALISM

& INTEGRITY

8

Succeed in Your Search

Finding, applying, and interviewing for what’s next can be intimidating. These next few pages will

help you develop the basics—from the résumé to networking to the interview.

Develop Your Résumé

The résumé is your opportunity to market yourself to a prospective employer—allowing you to

showcase your experiences, strengths, and core competencies.

Use this worksheet to reﬂect on your experiences and identify the skills that will demonstrate

your qualiﬁcations.

9

TIPS FOR GETTING NOTICED

Optimizing your résumé by using key words from a position description will help your

résumé get noticed by Application Tracking Systems—software that sifts through résumé

submissions to surface the most qualiﬁed candidates. Increase your likelihood of getting

selected by including key words from the posting on your résumé.

Find a standard résumé template at career.ucsd.edu/resume.

RÉSUMÉ EXAMPLE

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FIRST (MIDDLE INITIAL) LAST

[email protected] or [email protected] | (Area Code) Phone-Number | linkedin.com/in/yourname

SUMMARY

A short (2–4 lines) overview of your qualiﬁcations as they relate to the role you’re pursuing, demonstrating you are a

good match for the role with your experience, knowledge, and skills—consider adding words from the role as part of your

summary.

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY NAME

Degree, Major/Program Month 20XX [or, “Expected Month 20XX”]

• Include any relevant certiﬁcations

UNIVERSITY NAME

Degree, Major/Program Month 20XX

• Optional: GPA (if relevant to your industry)

• Include noteworthy academic honors and study abroad experience

EXPERIENCE

(Optional: tailor sub-headings to role or student club–e.g., “Leadership Experience,” “Volunteer Research Experience”)

Reverse chronological order, start with the most recent experience.

COMPANY/ORGANIZATION NAME, City, State

Month 20XX–Month 20XX

Position (e.g., Intern, Research Analyst)

• 3-5 bullet points describing your outcomes and accomplishments, tailored to the position.

• Focus on the results rather than just listing your responsibilities; quantify when possible.

• Highlight leadership roles and demonstrate how you’ve found solutions to challenges.

• Begin bullet points with a variety of direct action verbs (e.g., Led, Directed, Researched) and avoid passive verbs

(e.g., Responsible, Assisted).

COMPANY/ORGANIZATION NAME, City, State

Month 20XX–Month 20XX

Position

Keep position summaries short and to the point. Many hiring managers spend only 20–30 seconds scanning a résumé

–being clear and concise is essential.

• Don’t try to include all of your job duties; only highlight the ones most relevant to the job you’re applying for and

your most important accomplishments.

• Make sure to include any internships and unpaid/volunteer work under the experience section.

COMPANY/ORGANIZATION NAME, City, State

Month 20XX–Month 20XX

Position

• List various positions under one employer with dates to show progression if applicable.

• As a general rule, the amount of information beneath each position should decrease as you move toward

older positions.

SKILLS

• This section helps show an employer you’re the

complete person with experiences listed above.

• Include certiﬁcations, awards, and honors.

• Include hard skills (e.g., C++, Spanish) but not soft

skills (e.g., communication).

• List hobbies and interests (Be speciﬁc–e.g., list

volleyball rather than sports, Thai cooking rather

than cooking, write poetry rather than author, etc.).

• Include native, ﬂuent, or conversational for language(s).

CONSTRUCTING AN ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT

One of the most diicult parts of writing a résumé is constructing the accomplishment

statements. Each of the roles you list under Experience on your résumé should have several

bullet points describing your accomplishments, tailored to the position. To write an eective

accomplishment statement, use the APR (Action + Project + Result) formula:

1. PICK A VERB ACTION WORD.

2. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE PROJECT.

3. DESCRIBE THE RESULT OR IMPACT OF YOUR DIRECT CONTRIBUTION.

4. QUANTIFY WHEN POSSIBLE.

EXAMPLE: Raised over $5,000 to fund three-month research project in Brazil by successfully

writing three grant proposals to organizations, including the National Science Foundation.

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ASSESSED

CLARIFIED

COLLABORATED

COORDINATED

DEVELOPED

DEVISED

USE STRONG ACTION WORDS LIKE THESE

FACILITATED

FORMULATED

GENERATED

IMPROVED

INITIATED

OVERSAW

REVITALIZED

SPEARHEADED

SYSTEMATIZED

TRAINED

12

DRAFTING YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS

JOB/ROLE #1

Action I took: _______________________________________________________ __

________________________________________________________________

Project or task this was for: _____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Result or impact my action had:___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Revised version for a résumé bullet point: ____________________________________

________________________________________________________________

JOB/ROLE #2

Action I took: _______________________________________________________ __

________________________________________________________________

Project or task this was for: _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Result or impact my action had: __________________________________________ ___

_________________________________________________________________

Revised version for a résumé bullet point: ____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

JOB/ROLE #3

Action I took: __________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Project or task this was for: ________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Result or impact my action had: _____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Revised version for a résumé bullet point: ____________________________________

________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC, RESEARCH, AND

MEDICAL

OFTEN SEVERAL PAGES LONG

PURPOSELY FORMULAIC

LITTLE VARIATION

BETWEEN ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES

EMPHASIZES EDUCATION

NO BULLET POINTS:

include lists with few decriptions

Develop Your CV

While CV (curriculum vitae) is often used interchangeably with résumé, the two documents

are actually quite dierent. The CV is used widely throughout academia, research, and medical

professions, whereas the résumé is used for applications to nonacademic jobs and internships.

NONACADEMIC

NO LONGER THAN 12 PAGES

TAILORED TO DEMONSTRATE

YOUR FIT FOR THE JOB

VARIATION BETWEEN INDUSTRIES

EMPHASIZES EXPERIENCE

AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

BULLET POINTS:

explain how your

experience prepares you for the job

CV CURRICULUM VITAE RÉSUMÉ

13

REMEMBER: Your CV should be a repository of all your academic

accomplishments, particularly those related to research, teaching,

and service to the profession.

ASK PROFESSORS IF YOU CAN LOOK AT THEIR CV FOR

REFERENCE. But don’t get overwhelmed by the length—your

professors have had many years of experience to gain their

accomplishments.

UPDATE YOUR CV REGULARLY SO YOU DON’T FORGET ACCOM

PLISHMENTS ALONG THE WAY. Be prepared and you’ll never feel

rushed when you need to submit your CV.

KEEP INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN MIND.

Some countries require that the CV include a variety of personal

information that is not typically used in the United States. Do your

research and adapt your CV as appropriate before applying.

For examples of a standard résumé and a standard CV, visit career.ucsd.edu/resume.

You can also schedule an appointment with a Career Center coach to go over your documents.

TIPS FOR DEVELOPING YOUR CV

1

2

3

4

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MAKE IT PERSONAL

Do the research so you can

address your cover letter to a

speciﬁc person or search

committee. This small act

will show that you’re willing to

put in extra eort.

FIND A JOB DESCRIPTION YOU ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR.

Write down EVERY action verb in the description.

____________________________________________________________

NOW, REFLECT ON YOUR TOP QUALIFICATIONS AND MATCH THEM WITH THE

ACTION VERBS IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION.

This will help determine which experiences are most relevant.

____________________________________________________________

Draft a Cover Letter

You never get a second chance to make a ﬁrst impression. Use your cover letter to add clarity,

more details, and context to your résumé or CV. Even if the cover letter is optional, it is a great

chance to persuade an employer of your qualiﬁcations and ﬁt.

Start by identifying what skills or qualiﬁcations a speciﬁc job posting is targeting and match them

with relevant experiences that showcase your qualiﬁcations for the position. Use the following

prompts to try this out:

TIPS FOR WRITING A GOOD COVER LETTER

MAKE IT SPECIFIC

Customize your cover letter by

highlighting relevant experience,

skills, or personal traits that

make you a qualiﬁed candidate.

Demonstrate that you

understand the requirements of

the role.

MAKE IT STAND OUT

Give a sense of your personality.

Always be professional, but use

the cover letter to show how

you’d ﬁt with the organization’s

culture. Hiring managers can get

hundreds of applications and the

cover letter is an opportunity to

introduce yourself.

15

COVER LETTER TEMPLATE

YOUR NAME Address | Phone Number | Email Address | LinkedIn

[Date]

Jane Doe

Senior Associate

Smith & Associates Accounting Group

123 Barbary Lane

San Francisco, CA 94105

Dear Jane Doe,

[State the position you’re applying for] I am submitting my résumé in consideration for the

tax intern position with Smith & Associates Accounting Group. [State why you’re a strong

candidate] Given my background in accounting and extensive leadership experience, I believe

this position is a strong match for my skills and career interests. I am especially interested in

Smith & Associates Accounting Group because [state why you’re interested].

[Outline your relevant experience] I developed a keen interest in public accounting while

working toward an undergraduate minor in accounting at Rady School of Management.

Speciﬁcally, my intermediate Accounting class allowed me to develop a solid foundation in

preparing and interpreting accounting information. In addition to my academic training, I

bring strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills. My experience as president

of the Undergraduate Accounting Society has provided me with the opportunity to successfully

lead an organization of more than one hundred students while managing all operations of the

organization.

[Restate your qualiﬁcations and interest] As a proven leader, team player, and

problem-solver, I feel my skills and experience make me an ideal candidate for the tax

internship position. I would welcome the opportunity to interview for the position and hope to

hear from you soon. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

Your Name

For more tips and cover letter basics, visit career.ucsd.edu/cover-letter.

16

Introduce yourself: ________________________________________________

Share your educational background: _____________________________________

State your purpose (why you want them to listen): ____________________________

Provide relevant skills: ______________________________________________

Let them know how they can help you: ____________________________________

And always remember to thank them for talking with you.

Network

Networking is the most ecient and eective way to ﬁnd a job that’s a good ﬁt for you—and you

can start networking immediately. By meeting classmates or engaging fellow alumni and

professors, your network of friends and acquaintances can help you identify career matches and

prepare you for your job search.

WHEN NETWORKING, THIS IS A HELPFUL TO HAVE A THIRTYSECOND “ELEVATOR

PITCH” PREPARED IN ADVANCE. THIS IS A SUCCINCT SALES PITCH ABOUT YOU.

Where possible, you should tailor your elevator pitch to the person you’re speaking with. Below

are recommended steps to prepare for an interaction with a prospective employer:

RESEARCH THE COMPANY.

Find out if they have internships and/or

full-time positions available.

CHECK HANDSHAKE. See if the company will be participating in an

upcoming career fair or employer information session and register for

that event.

TAILOR YOUR PITCH. Practice saying it out loud.

PUT YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION.

1

2

3

4

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Hi, my name is Jim Triton.

Though we’ve not met, I am a third year undergraduate student

at UC San Diego studying communications. I am exploring career

opportunities in public relations and sports marketing in

Los Angeles and looking to expand my network of people in

these roles. I have had a couple of volunteer opportunities and

internships that have given me excellent practical experience as

I build my early career.



I’d welcome the opportunity to talk for 20–25 minutes about your

role, opportunities for growth, and potential openings at your

company. Would either next Tuesday, March 12 at 11:30 a.m. or

Thursday, March 14 at 4:30 p.m. work with your schedule?



Thank you in advance for your time, and I look forward to

connecting soon.

Best,

Jim Triton

TO:

SEND

SUBJECT: EXAMPLE EMAIL

18

You may initially feel uncomfortable reaching out to people you don’t know, but understand

that informational interviews are very common. And most people enjoy taking some time to talk

about their professional journey and give advice to someone interested in their career. Get more

comfortable by practicing with people you already know.

Set Up Informational Interviews

An informational interview is an informal conversation that you can have with someone who’s

working in a job, career, industry, or company that interests you. It is not a job interview, and the

objective is not to ﬁnd a job—but it’s a great way to better understand dierent career paths and

opportunities.

01 /

Think about any family friends, professors, and/or mentors who could answer career

questions and provide advice.

_____________________________________________________________

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02/

Prepare for the interview by developing a brief introduction of yourself and your goals for

the meeting.

_____________________________________________________________

03/

OUTLINE SOME OPENENDED QUESTIONS THAT YOU’D LIKE TO ASK. SELECT TWO OF

THESE STANDARD QUESTIONS AND CREATE TWO MORE OF YOUR OWN:

How did you begin your career?

How would you describe a typical day or week in your role?

What skills and training are needed to be successful in your position?

What are some rewards and challenges with this career?

What advice would you give someone considering this job/career?

_____________________________________________________________

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04/

Now you’re ready to set up the interview. You can request an informational interview by

phone or email. Either way, draft a script to help prepare you for what to say.

_____________________________________________________________

05/

Conduct the interview (in person, on the phone, or by video call). Make sure to present

yourself as you would for a job interview: be professional, be early, and be prepared.

06/

Follow up and thank the person for their time. While the informational interview isn’t an

actual interview, the interaction could lead to a real interview or networking opportunities

down the line. Make sure to leave a great impression.

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07/

CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF AFTER THE CALL:

What did you learn (positive or negative)?

_____________________________________________________________

How did their career ﬁt with your interests, skills, values, and goals?

_____________________________________________________________

What do you still need to know?

_____________________________________________________________

Outline your next steps:

_____________________________________________________________

For more tips on how to set up an informational interview, sample questions and scripts, and

how to conduct the interview, visit career.ucsd.edu/informational-interviews.

22

Prepare for the Interview

More and more organizations are using behavioral interviewing, which focuses on experiences,

behaviors, and skills speciﬁc to the position. For example, if successful leadership is a necessary

skill, you may be asked to talk about an experience in which you were a leader as well as what you

think makes a good leader. Build your conﬁdence with these types of questions by getting as much

practice as possible. You can ﬁnd helpful resources on Handshake like Big Interview, where you

can practice mock interviews that are tailored to your speciﬁc industry, job, and experience level.

TIPS FOR A GOOD INTERVIEW

BE PREPARED—Anticipate which skills the employer will be looking for

by reviewing employer literature, speaking with contacts who work for

the employer, and listening carefully during the employer’s information

session. Then prepare examples of how you’ve demonstrated those skills.

GET CLARIFICATION—Listen carefully to the question, but don’t be afraid

to ask for clariﬁcation if necessary. It is important that you answer the

question completely.

BE SPECIFIC—Talk about a particular situation that relates to the question.

Brieﬂy explain the situation, what you did, and the positive result or

outcome. Your answer should contain these four steps: situation, task,

action, result (or STAR).

PROVIDE DATA—Quantify your results whenever you can. Numbers

illustrate your level of authority and responsibility.

KNOW HOW TO PIVOT—Make sure to have one or two examples of a time

when the results didn’t turn out as you planned. Share how you handled it

and what you learned.

1

2

3

4

5

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Now practice developing a response to one of these questions using the

STAR method:

01/ SITUATION: What is an example of a situation you were involved in that resulted in a

positive outcome?

______________________________________________________________

02/ TASK: What were the tasks involved in that situation?

______________________________________________________________

03/ ACTION: What were the various actions involved in the situation’s task?

______________________________________________________________

04/ RESULTS: What results directly followed because of your action?

______________________________________________________________

Remember to prepare your own questions for the interviewer. Not only can this show that you did

your research on the company and are invested in the interview, it also gives you the opportunity to

make sure the company is a good ﬁt.

EXAMPLES OF BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS:

DESCRIBE a situation in which you were

able to use persuasion to successfully

convince someone to see things your way.

TELL ME ABOUT a time when you had to

go above and beyond the call of duty in

order to get a job done.

GIVE ME A SPECIFIC example of a time

when you used good judgment and logic in

solving a problem.

CONVINCE ME that you can adapt to a wide

variety of people, situations, and

environments by providing examples.

24

Secondary Degrees and Beyond

Graduate school or professional school is a great opportunity for some students, but before you

commit, work through these questions with a Career Center coach to determine if graduate school

is the right next step for you.

Is Grad School Right for You?

YES 

Does your goal

fullﬁll your true

values?

YES - Write down

those skills:

Do you already

have those skills?

YES - Then why

are you going to

grad school?

NO - Will a grad

program train you

in those skills?

YES - Write down

exactly how:

I DON’T KNOW -

Fair enough: see a

career coach to

ﬁgure that out

NO - Then why are

you going to grad

school?

See a

career coach

See a

career coach

NO - See a

career coach

Do you know what

skills your goal

requires?

Consider four key areas—skills,

strengths, values, and network—

to determine if grad school is the right

next step for you

YES - Write down

your values:

WHAT ARE TRUE

VALUES?

See a career coach

NO - See a

career coach

See a career coach  NO

Do you have a career/life goal?

25

If you have decided to pursue a graduate degree, there are some critical steps and timelines to

consider. For step-by-step instructions on how to apply, work with a Career Center coach or visit

career.ucsd.edu/grad-school.

Can you leverage

your strengths to

achieve this goal?

NO - Grad school

might be unrewarding:

See a career coach

YES - Great,

list which

strengths and

how you think

they’ll help:

WHAT ARE STRENGTHS?

Fair question: see a career coach

for help ﬁguring this out

Do you know people

in the ﬁeld? (a.k.a., do

you have a network?)

NO - Will the

program expand

your network?

NO - Do you have

a plan to expand

your network on

your own?

YES - Great, but

why do you need a

graduate program

then? See a career

coach

NO - See a

career coach

YES - Write down

exactly how:

YES - Can they help you

get started in the ﬁeld

without you getting

another degree?

NO - Have you talked to

them about how careers

in their ﬁeld work?

NO - Ask a career

coach for help

NO - Then why are

you applying to grad

school?

YES - Then why

are you applying

to grad school?

YES - Did they say

grad school was

worth it?

YES - Write down

speciﬁc programs

they recommend

and write down

speciﬁc skills their

ﬁeld needs:

See a career

coach

26

Before you start working toward a health profession, consider if it is the right path for you. Start

by asking these questions and then meet with a Health Beat adviser to talk through your options.

01 /

WHY HEALTH? WHAT KIND OF HEALTH CARE DO YOU WANT TO PROVIDE?

_____________________________________________________________

WHO DO YOU WANT TO PROVIDE THIS HEALTH CARE TO?

_____________________________________________________________

HOW DO YOU WANT TO PROVIDE THIS HEALTH CARE?

_____________________________________________________________

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO PROVIDE THIS HEALTH CARE?

_____________________________________________________________

02/

DO YOU HAVE A STRONG APTITUDE IN SCIENCE?

_____________________________________________________________

Pre-Health and Pre-Med

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03/

HOW COMPETITIVE ARE YOU?

_____________________________________________________________

04/

WHAT KIND OF LIFESTYLE DO YOU ENVISION FOR YOURSELF?

_____________________________________________________________

05/

DO YOU NEED ADDITIONAL TRAINING OR EDUCATION PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR A

HEALTH PROFESSION?

_____________________________________________________________

06/

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOAL?

_____________________________________________________________

07/

WHAT WILL BE YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN TRAINING OR EDUCATION

DEBT ACCRUAL VS. SALARY?

____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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Making the decision to apply for graduate school is an exciting step toward achieving your

professional goals. There is a lot to consider when applying to graduate school, but one of the key

elements is your statement of purpose. This is your opportunity to convince the admissions

committee of your qualiﬁcations. However, don’t confuse a personal statement with a

statement of purpose. A personal statement is about who you are and your personal reasons for

applying, while a statement of purpose is about what you will do at the institution where

you’re applying.

Work through the following guide to start formulating your statement of purpose—and remember

to share it with a Career Center coach for feedback. Below are general tips to help you

develop your statement of purpose. For additional resources and insights, visit

career.ucsd.edu/statement-of-purpose.

MAKE IT SPECIFIC.

Always review the requirements of the

program and follow its guidelines.

USE WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED. Remember writing persuasive and

informative essays in your Arts and Humanities classes? You can put

those skills to use in your statement of purpose. While the form might

be dierent, the basic concepts apply.

WRITE FIRST. EDIT LATER. No one has a perfect ﬁrst draft.

Focus on getting your thoughts down and then go back and edit for

clarity and simplicity. More is not better: if you can cut out a sentence or

even a word and the rest still makes sense, do it.

GIVE YOURSELF TIME. Plan ahead to ensure you have the

necessary time to perfect your statement of purpose.

MAKE IT STAND OUT. Admissions committees can get hundreds,

if not thousands of applications. The statement of purpose is an

opportunity to introduce who you are and show how you are uniquely

qualiﬁed.

1

2

3

4

5

Develop Your Statement of Purpose

29

INTRODUCTION: Explain who you are and why you are writing. What are the life or career

goals that you hope graduate school will help you achieve?

_______________________________________________________________

How will this speciﬁc program aid you?

_______________________________________________________________

What attributes do you have that will allow you to succeed?

_______________________________________________________________

BODY PARAGRAPHS: Provide evidence to back up the claims you made in the introduction.

How do you know the program will advance you toward your goals?

_______________________________________________________________

What past examples of your attributes support your claims? Think quality over quantity—

highlight the relevant research you’ve done to prepare you for this next step.

_______________________________________________________________

CONCLUSION: Summarize your points without adding any new arguments. You want to

reinforce what you presented in the introduction (goals, attributes, etc.).

_______________________________________________________________

Where To Start

30

CONTACT US

The Career Center is located just o of Library Walk.

PHONE: (858) 534-3750

EMAIL: career[email protected]

UNDERGRADUATE ADVISING

Career Peer Educators: 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Trained student interns oer advice on writing résumés and cover letters, searching for intern

-

ships and jobs, and more. These ten-to-ﬁfteen-minute drop-in sessions are best for help with

quick questions. Drop-in advising is also available with professional sta advisers. For schedules,

visit career.ucsd.edu/advising.

Advising by Appointment

Career Center coaches are available for thirty-minute appointments. Schedule through

Handshake.

Pre-Health and Pre-Med Advising (Health Beat)

If you are a junior or senior interested in a health profession, professional sta advisers are

available for thirty-minute appointments. Schedule through Handshake.

Drop-ins are also available with Pre-Health Career Peer Educators (Health Beat CPEP) and

professional sta advisers. For the schedule, visit healtbeat.ucsd.edu/advising.

GRADUATE ADVISING

Advising by Appointment

Schedule an appointment with a graduate career coach through Handshake.

Additional Resources

The Career Center provides a variety of online tools to help you achieve success—from career

assessments to interview practice to career planning. Visit Handshake and career.ucsd.edu.

MAILING ADDRESS

Career Center

9500 Gilman Drive # 0330

La Jolla, CA 92093-0330

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HANDSHAKE

Handshake is a recruiting platform for UC San Diego students and alumni. Use Handshake to search

thousands of jobs and internships, register for events and advising appointments, and access

professional development resources. To get started, visit ucsd.joinhandshake.com.

STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OFFICE

Located in the Career Center, the Student Employement Oice helps you identify and secure

on-campus work experience that can help you reach your professional goals.

For more information, visit career.ucsd.edu/student-employment.

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_______________________________________________________________

NOTES

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