Career Development

Our goal is to empower °®¶¹´«Ã½ students and alumni with the tools and skills to launch and sustain their creative careers.

Introduction

Career development gives you a competitive edge in the ever-evolving job market

Admissions associate helping potential students learn about the program.

°®¶¹´«Ã½ associate assisting in understanding the program during our Fall Preview Day.

Career services for what’s next

Launch your career and achieve employment success with the support of °®¶¹´«Ã½â€™s Professional Engagement & External Partnerships team. By providing access to tools, events, networking opportunities, and more, our team delivers key resources that were created with students, alumni, and employers in mind.

From mock interviews and resume prep to company and nonprofit industry connections in the Bay Area and beyond, our prepares students and alumni to achieve their evolving career goals. Students and alumni will be ready to apply for new jobs, launch their own company, work freelance, or transition careers.

A student sands and refines their prototypes in the Model Shop.

Student working in the rapid prototyping studio.

Careers in arts and design

We provide students with the tools and skills they need to launch creative careers and artistic practices. For best return on investment (ROI), °®¶¹´«Ã½ ranks as the . We’re also one of the and the (Payscale).

Careers made at °®¶¹´«Ã½

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.

Employer who hired °®¶¹´«Ã½ graduates

  • Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
  • Uber
  • NetEase Games
  • Time
  • Facebook/Meta
  • The Crucible
  • Kidder Matthews
  • Dolby
  • FWD.us
  • Foresight
  • EA Games
  • Propeller Health
  • Pivot
  • Gensler
  • Art Practical
  • Toyota
  • Kia Motors
  • Hyundai
  • Ruggable
  • Braze
  • Docusign
  • IDEO
  • W2O Group
  • Meyer Sound
  • Razer Inc.
  • Ntropic
  • Andrew Mann Architecture
  • LinkedIn
  • Microsoft
  • Urban Outfitters
  • Nickelodeon
  • Disney
  • Pixar
  • Tik Tok
  • Banana Republic
  • City & County of San Francisco
  • AKQA
  • Adobe
  • SOM
  • frog
  • Decker Brands
  • CalArts
  • U.S. Bank
  • Nike
  • Chime
  • SFMoMA
  • Google
  • Mulesoft
  • Neiman Marcus Group
  • Patagonia

Student Resources

Support and guidance for your art career

Take control of your creative future

Whether we’re providing access to exclusive events for networking or finding alumni mentorship for personalized career advice, °®¶¹´«Ã½ 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 Professional Engagement & External Partnerships team is dedicated to helping you build the to land that internship. Access a wide range of internship and career opportunities by exploring Handshake, °®¶¹´«Ã½â€™s job board for students, alumni, and employers.

Join events and workshops

Our Career & Employer Engagement hosts events throughout the year. Attend professional workshops, trainings, alumni panels, and networking events. Students and alumni are always welcome.

Get mentorship from °®¶¹´«Ã½ alumni

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.

Professional Engagement and External Partnerships Office

ccapro@cca.edu

Tools to land your first interview




Support for °®¶¹´«Ã½ alumni

We want to see you succeed—during your time at °®¶¹´«Ã½ 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 us 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 °®¶¹´«Ã½â€™s job board .

Career Expo

An exclusive job fair for °®¶¹´«Ã½ students

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 °®¶¹´«Ã½â€™s students and alumni community of designers, artists, writers, and architects to meet local and global industry-leading employers.

Meet with industry leaders

°®¶¹´«Ã½ 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.

Participating employers

  • Decker Brands
  • Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
  • Laika
  • Microsoft
  • 826 Valencia
  • Children's Creativity Museum
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Gap
  • Andrew Mann Architecture
  • Gensler
  • Native Design
  • Allbirds
  • Robert Half
  • SFMoMA
  • Chronicle Books
  • MBH Architects
  • Panafold
  • Stantec
  • KQED
  • Philz Coffee
  • Yelp
  • Woods Baggot
  • Baggu
  • California Shakespeare Theater
  • Bonfire Labs
  • Deloitte
  • Doblin
  • Hot Topic
  • Wix
  • Living Spaces
  • Brilliant Earth
  • Bandcamp
  • Houzz
  • Headlands Center for the Arts
  • Infosys
  • Prophet
  • The Marvegos Fine Art School
  • building lab
  • Fletcher Studio
  • Art in Action
  • Box Clever
  • SF Jazz
  • Crate & Barrell
  • Restoration Hardware
  • Ubisoft
  • Asian Art Musuem
  • Shipt
  • Wish
  • The Black Tux
  • Zendesk

Job Board

Welcome to Handshake

The °®¶¹´«Ã½ job platform

The is a space for °®¶¹´«Ã½ 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 °®¶¹´«Ã½â€™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 °®¶¹´«Ã½ helps employers connect with the Bay Area’s top students in art and design.

Employers

Build your network of potential hires

Students connect with prospective employers at the career expo.

Students and alums connecting during our latest Career Expo event.

Connect with students and alumni

Our Professional Engagement & External Partnerships team partners with industry leaders and Fortune 500 companies to provide °®¶¹´«Ã½ students with a wide breadth of internship and career opportunities. Take advantage of °®¶¹´«Ã½â€™s job board to reach °®¶¹´«Ã½ student and alumni talent. Register and post your openings to connect with your next potential hire.

Students connect with prospective employers at the career expo.

A student talking with associates from BAR Architects during the °®¶¹´«Ã½ Career Expo.

Career Expo

Our largest on-campus recruiting event takes place each spring. Increase your company’s visibility by joining the list of recruiters who have participated in past years. You can join us as an expo sponsor, as a tabling attendee, or both. to meet and interview °®¶¹´«Ã½ students and alumni, or if you have any further questions, you can email us at careers@cca.edu.

Expand your recruitment efforts

On-campus portfolio reviews

Arrange for on-campus reviews to streamline your hiring process with °®¶¹´«Ã½ students.

Industry/organization design and tech talks

Participate in speakerships to showcase your industry expertise for the °®¶¹´«Ã½ community.

Career treks

Host a tour, lunch, workshop, or training at your business location to acquaint yourself and your organization with °®¶¹´«Ã½ students.

Host a paid internship

Identify your hiring timeline, position requirements, and resources, and our Professional Engagement & External Partnerships 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 °®¶¹´«Ã½, support innovation, foster community, and reinvigorate your organization with new energy and ideas.

Contact

Dedicated to your career success

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 ccapro@cca.edu.

Connect with recruiters, discover inspiring success stories, and explore opportunities tailored to your goals