Take the next step in your career development
Part of what makes UC Davis a great place to work is the opportunity for continuous learning. The UC Davis Career Development Toolkit is designed around the career development cycle which includes learning about yourself (assessments), career exploration (strategies, job search, informational interviewing, mentoring), planning your next steps (goal setting, career and professional develop planning), taking action (accomplishment statements, resumes, references, cover letters, interviews) and evaluating your progress.
Whether you are on a specific career path or considering new options, we hope that the Career Development Toolkit inspires you to develop and apply your talents as you grow your career at UC Davis and UC Davis Health.
1. Learn About Yourself
Reflect on your talents, interests, skills, and values, and how this self-knowledge can help you shape a meaningful, rewarding career.
2. Career Exploration
Strategies for career exploration to identify roles that interest you, including online research, informational interviewing, and seeking out mentoring.
3. Plan Your Next Steps
Set professional development goals, and connect them to your career aspirations.
4. Take Action
Update your resume and review best practices for cover letters and interviewing. Be prepared to apply when the right opportunity arises at UC Davis or UC Davis Health.
5. Evaluate Your Progress
Reflect on a series of questions to measure and celebrate progress in your career journey.
- Additional Resources - Articles
Appendix of Interview Questions (PDF)
- Additional Resources - Books
The Career Fitness Program: Exercising Your Options, Diane Sukiennik and Lisa Raufman, 2014
Cover Letter Magic, Fourth Edition: Trade Secrets of Professional Resume Writers, Wendy S. Enelow & Louise Kursmark, 2010
Knock 'em Dead Cover Letters: Cover Letters and Strategies to Get the Job You Want, Martin Yate, 2016
A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market, Katharine Hansen, 2013
Guerilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams, Kimm Alayne Walton, 2008
The Heart of Mentoring: Ten Proven Principles for Developing People to Their Fullest Potential, David Stoddard & Robert Tamasy, 2009
Knock 'em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide, Martin Yate, 2017
The Mentor's Guide, Second Edition: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, Lois J. Zachary, 2011
Networlding Guidebook: Building Strategic Relationships through Networking, Melissa Giovagnoli, 2009
What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success, Richard Bolles, 20
- Additional Resources - Websites
California Careers online assessments
Transferable Job Skills for Job-Seekers
LinkedIn's Career Explorer Tool to identify jobs that align with your skills
- Acknowledgements
Learning and Organizational Development would like to acknowledge the following organizations for their contributions to the UC Davis Career Development Toolkit.
California Action Center
California Career Zone
Johns Hopkins University
Lehigh University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford University
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UC Irvine
University of Arizona
University of Kentucky
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Notre Dame
University of the Pacific
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Washington
University of Waterloo
University of Wisconsin
West Virginia University
Yale University