Public Service Careers

Finding work in public service can seem daunting, but it doesn't need to be. Take the steps and leverage the resources below to facilitate your transition into a public service career!

COVID-19 Resources
Handshake Jobs Posted in the Last 7 Days - BEAM is sharing a list of all jobs and internships posted on Handshake in the past seven days which is updated every Friday.

Clarify Your Path

• Get started with the Steps to Finding Public Service Career Opportunities complete guide
• 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 BEAM career coach
• Leverage our Guide to Public Service Careers by Service Themes to explore fellowships and organizations by area of interest (e.g., education, health, environment)
• Identify your preferred Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement
• Familiarize yourself with the typical Public Service Job Application Timeline
• Explore working in local government through this two-pager
• 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 on SAM
• Learn more about different career paths through informational interviewing
• Find alumni in your field of interest on LinkedIn and find their email addresses and Stanford affiliations on the 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 Guide to Public Service Careers by Service Themes to find fellowships and sample organizations by your area of interest
• Find public service jobs listed on Handshake
  • Full-Time: Nonprofit jobs & fellowships for Bachelor's & Masters students
  • Full-time: Government jobs & fellowships for Bachelor's & Masters students
  • Internships: Nonprofit internships for Bachelor's & Masters students
  • Internships: Government internships for Bachelor's & Masters
• Participate in a public service internship through Cardinal Quarter
• Search the Fellowships, Internships and Service Programs (FISP) Database
• 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-graduate fellowship opportunities on ProFellow
  • Consider serving as an AmeriCorps member and find programs on Service Year
  • Impact Community Job Matching Platform - The Beeck Center for Social Impact Innovation at Georgetown University has created a tool where you can add yourself to the talent pool and search job listings in the field. Organizations can also post opportunities to the list. 

Present Yourself Well

• Document your experiences and accomplishments using a resume template
• Learn how to match 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 and this practice platform

Stay Informed

Sign up for the Cardinal Careers Newsletter to receive public service jobs, fellowships, and internships right to your inbox! You can also elect to receive the new Public Interest Technology weekly edition.

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