Public Service Careers Resources

Take the steps and leverage the resources below to facilitate your transition into a public service career!

Clarify Your Path

• Get started with our Steps to Finding Public Service Career Opportunities guide
• Complete a self-assessment to better understand and prioritize what makes you thrive using Stanford CareerEd’s Meaningful Work Kit
• Take our Pathways to Purposeful Careers (URBANST 190A) fall quarter course to learn about how to translate your interests and skills into a career in public service and social impact. 
• Sign up for the Cardinal Careers Newsletter to receive a weekly email of career events to help you explore options as well as job, fellowship and internship opportunities.
• Sign up for advising with a Cardinal Careers advisor or Stanford Career Education career coach
• Familiarize yourself with the Public Service Job Application Timeline
• Identify your preferred Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement
  • Explore opportunities in local government through this guide.
  • Prepare for a public interest technology job search with this infographic and video
• Stay on track with our year-by-year checklists: Frosh, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior

Connect with Guides and Mentors

• Get career advice from an alumni mentor via Stanford Alumni Mentoring
• Conduct informational interviews with professionals to learn about different careers paths
• Find alumni in your field of interest on LinkedIn and on the Stanford Alumni Directory

Find Opportunities

• Sign up for the Cardinal Careers Newsletter to receive a weekly email of curated public service jobs, fellowships, and internships with upcoming deadlines.  
• Apply for a Cardinal Careers Fellowship: Stanford-exclusive, mentored, first career opportunities for graduating seniors and coterms. Apply on campus in January and February.
• Leverage our public service career guide to find resources, search tools, and examples of organizations by area of interest
• Find public service jobs listed on Handshake
• Participate in a quarter-long public service fellowship through Cardinal Quarter
• Join our Public Service Jobs for Stanford Alumni Linkedin group
• Continue your search on external job and fellowship websites
  • Search for social impact jobs and internships on Idealist
  • Find summer and post-graduation fellowship opportunities on ProFellow
  • Consider serving as an AmeriCorps member and find programs on Service Year
  • Explore federal opportunities on USAJOBS

Present Yourself Well

• Document your experiences and accomplishments using a resume template
• Schedule an appointment with a tutor at the Hume Center for Writing and Speaking to revise your application materials and prepare for interviews
• Learn how to write a cover letter and how to align your resumes and cover letters to job descriptions
• Shape the narrative of your application by drafting an effective cover letter
• Hone your interviewing skills with these sample interview questions

Stay Informed

Sign up for the Cardinal Careers Newsletter to receive public service jobs, fellowships, and internships right to your inbox!

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