See our main undergraduate page for some initial information regarding what career opportunities exist within the major. 

Career Planning + Research Resources

Searching for a job, an internship, a whole career path, and everything in between can be stressful, and it will most often take longer than you think it will. If you’re just starting out, and especially if you don’t have a lot of experience in the working world yet, know that it will feel like a very weird time likely marked by self-doubt. If you’re a current student, you can start laying the groundwork for discovering your interests, skill areas, and career preferences now so that you’re in a good place to start searching later.

One big thing to keep in mind:

Your first job search out of college is likely to be one of many job searches you perform in the future, so don’t put extra pressure on yourself this round to land the “perfect” job. Start in a job that works well enough for you (enough $$ to live, a good learning environment, a place to make connections) and if you love it, great! If not, use it as the stepping-stone to your next job (and your next job, etc.).

Photography by Terry Wimmer.

Getting Started

• UCSB Career Services offers 1-on-1 advising, assessments to see what career fields might be a good fit for further exploration, resources to help strengthen your cover letter/resume/interviewing skills, grad school application help, and more!

  • They won't necessarily connect you with a job, but they can point you in the right direction in your searching and give a little more shape to your job or internship search

  • Some resources related to connecting your major to potential career paths (including the idea that your major doesn’t matter nearly as much as you think when it comes to planning for a career.)

  • For the class of 2020+ folks, they have a new section of their website devoted to COVID-19 career search resources.

• Here’s a sheet that a previous Global Studies advisor used to have available for students - lots of books and articles to get in the right mindset for discovering what to do with the major, etc.

What Color is Your Parachute is the classic book for just helping you discover types of jobs and job environments that might be a good fit for who you are as a person - again, it won't magically bring a job or internship to you, but it will help you narrow your search down to positions that are good fits for you so that your searches will narrow down and, if you’re applying, your resume and cover letter have a better chance of landing you an interview.

Career Advice from Ask a Manager

• Choosing a career path:

  • how do I choose a career path? + how should students pick a college major?

  • ask the readers: how to figure out what career you want

  • I get bored with all my jobs and don’t know what to do with myself

  • I’m terrified of graduating and am panicking about finding a job

  • think you’re applying for your “dream job”? think again!

  • my parents won’t stop nagging me about my career choices

  • why you shouldn’t follow your passion + “do what you love” is not great advice

  • do hiring managers really care about your GPA?

• Thoughts on graduate school:

  • should you go to graduate school?

  • thinking about grad school? think again.

• Searching for and applying for jobs:

  • if you’re a new grad, here are some things for you

  • 10 pieces of outdated career advice (from 2011, so possibly even more outdated by now!) + ignore your parents! they are forbidden from giving you advice (80% joking, 20% serious :) )

  • how did you get your first job?

  • if you’re graduating soon, here’s how to kick off your job search + if you’re a recent grad, you’re probably making these mistakes in your job search

• You found a job/internship! Now what?:

  • how new grads can impress at work

Copyright © 2007 - 2020 Ask A Manager (www.askamanager.com). All rights reserved.

Interested in more information about career resources?

See highlights from the Global Studies Career Panel in May 2021.