Career Development

Careers made at CCA

Through internships, sponsored studios, and recruiting events with employers, students get front-row access to and gain invaluable experience from some of the biggest brands in the world.

Take control of your creative future

Whether we’re providing access to exclusive events for networking or finding alumni mentorship for personalized career advice, CCA is committed to helping students break into their creative fields.

Internships to opportunities

Studies have shown students who complete an internship while in school have a significantly higher rate of employment success following graduation. That’s why our Career Development team is dedicated to helping you build the skills you need to land that internship. Access a wide range of internship and career opportunities by exploring Handshake, CCA’s job board for students, alumni, and employers.

Get mentorship from CCA alumni

Contact us to get connected with alumni mentors who can provide individualized feedback, professional advice, inspiration, and realistic critiques related to your professional goals. During these one-on-one sessions, our alumni draw on their own experiences and expertise to give you personalized advice in areas where you need help or are looking for insights.

Support for CCA alumni

We want to see you succeed—during your time at CCA and long after. That’s why our team offers unlimited career coaching to alumni for up to five years following graduation. After five years, alumni can still access up to eight sessions per year. Email [email protected] and include your program name and year of graduation to schedule a coaching session today.

Additional support for alumni includes access to events, workshops, and CCA’s job board Handshake.

Connections launch careers

Networking is essential as you search for jobs and opportunities. It’s all about making connections with like-minded companies and professionals. Our Career Expo is a private employment job fair for CCA’s students and alumni community of designers, artists, writers, and architects to meet local and global industry-leading employers.

Meet with industry leaders

CCA students and alumni have many opportunities to get face-to-face with creative industry leaders. Embracing networking events, such as the Career Expo, is a critical step toward establishing your career. Participating employers at previous Career Expos include Perkins + Will, Charlotte Russe, Chronicle Books, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, Facebook, Santec, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Gensler, Emerging Arts Professionals/SFBA, and KQED, just to name a few.

The CCA job platform

The Handshake job platform is a space for CCA students and alumni to seek professional opportunities and learn more about what employers are after. Through Handshake, you can connect with potential employers, look up jobs and internships, find event information, and register for on-campus recruiting opportunities.

Handshake for employers

Over 12,000 employers use Handshake to recruit qualified candidates, manage recruitment events, and more. You can leverage CCA’s Handshake platform to your benefit, thanks to recruitment tools that identify qualified candidates for open positions and easily arrange on-campus networking activities. It’s just one of the many ways CCA helps employers connect with the Bay Area’s top students in art and design.

Expand your recruitment efforts

On-campus portfolio reviews

Arrange for on-campus reviews to streamline your hiring process with CCA students.

Industry/organization design and tech talks

Participate in speakerships to showcase your industry expertise for the CCA community.

Career treks

Host a tour, lunch, workshop, or training at your business location to acquaint yourself and your organization with CCA students.

Host a paid internship

Identify your hiring timeline, position requirements, and resources, and our Career Development team can help you design an internship opportunity.

Other ways to engage

Ask us about sponsored projects or sponsored studios to build strong brand recognition at CCA, support innovation, foster community, and reinvigorate your organization with new energy and ideas.

Our team is standing by

We have staff dedicated to supporting students in specific programs, alumni, and even employers. We’re here to answer your questions to help grow your career. Email us at [email protected].