Life After Graduation

 Career Services for CSUDH Alumni

Services for alumni do not end at graduation! Graduating CSUDH students have a twelve-month grace period from the last time attended when services remain free. Following that time period, a nominal fee applies. If we've been a help to you in achieving your goals, we are proud to have done it. While we hope that you have used our services while you were a student to help you successfully find a job, we also want to help those who still need assistance after they've been away.

Free Services

Alumni are provided the following free services:

  • Access to Handshake (Online job board)
  • Access to Career Center website and other career information sites linked to the Career Center webpage
Fee-Based Alumni Career Services

For a fee of $60, CSUDH Alumni are entitled to the following additional benefits and services for six months:

  • A series of four (4) 30-minute individual career coaching sessions
  • Access to Handshake (Online job board)
  • Free entry to all Career Fairs (log on to Handshake for upcoming events)
  • Access to Career Center website and other career information sites linked to the Career Center webpage
  • Participation in Career Workshops (must R.S.V.P. via Handshake)
  • Renewal (no more than three times within a three-year period)
Eligibility and Payment Procedures

Career coaching services are available without charge to CSUDH alumni for twelve (12) months following degree completion. After the initial twelve months, services are available for purchase at a rate of $60 for six months (conditions below):

"Alumni" are defined as those individuals who have completed a degree or credential program at CSUDH, or a master's degree through CSUDH Extended Education.

All Alumni seeking services must first enroll in the Alumni Association. To sign up, visit fenxiong.net/alumni. 

To proceed with payment, please go to the Career Center store via Cashnet.

Learn more about the benefits and services for alumni offered by CSUDH Alumni Relations Office.

Outcomes Survey

Every year, CSUDH Career Center administers a first destination survey, which captures how new college graduates enter their careers within six months of graduation. The annual initiative provides precise, concise, and consistent data on the outcomes associated with a college education on a national scale.

Outcomes include:

1. Types of employment—full or part-time, contract, freelance, etc.
2. Additional education, e.g., accepted to graduate or professional school
3. Still seeking either employment or further education
4. Starting salary for those employed full time.

Also, by providing outcomes for individual classes, the outcomes survey is designed to provide trends data over time to inform CSUDH about education and career readiness.

Take the Survey

Lifelong Learning Points

Below are several areas of key skills and competencies you will need in order to grow and be successful in your career. These are all areas in which you can continue to learn and evolve, and should be considered a part of your lifelong learning:

  • Career & Self Development: Proactively develop oneself and one's career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one's strength and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without ones organization.
  • Communication: Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
  • Critical Thinking: Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
  • Equity & Inclusion: Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism.
  • Leadership: Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.
  • Professionalism: Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
  • Teamwork: Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities. 
  • Technology: Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.

Source: www.naceweb.org

Professionalism in Your New Career After College

As You Begin Your New Career

  • Be enthusiastic and positive!
  • Take the time to meet others and learn about the organization.
  • Don't be afraid to ask questions! Listen and learn.

Make a Good Impression with Your Employer and Coworkers

  • Be polite and professional to everyone.
  • Minimize involvement in office gossip and politics.
  • Express your emotions appropriately. Always keep your cool.
  • Observe proper business etiquette and office protocol at all times including dress codes, dating policy, use of office materials, etc.
  • Have good attendance, and be punctual.

Focus on your Performance

  • If you have completed tasks, look or ask for more things to do.
  • Limit your personal business at the office.
  • Build upon your strengths, develop new skills, and complement your weaknesses.
  • Learn how to work with different people.
  • Develop a work plan with your supervisor. Set up a time to meet for regular evaluations.
  • Be willing to participate and try new projects, but don't overstep your authority.
  • Be receptive to feedback.

Build a Solid Reputation

  • Keep your promises and meet deadlines.
  • Take responsibility for your actions. If you make a mistake admit it, learn from it, and move on.
  • Develop a reputation for courtesy, loyalty, honesty, and fairness.
  • Show initiative - be willing to do more than is asked of you.
  • If you have developed these skills through previous work experience and internships, you will be prepared!

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