Career Services
USC is well known for its strong alumni support network. The School of Policy, Planning, and Development offers many opportunities for students to make the most of those contacts through professional support and guidance. The Career Services Office maintains an up-to-date database of jobs and internships as well as other Web-based career resources. Students may visit the Career Services Office to receive individual advising on such topics as:
- resume building
- cover letter construction
- interview techniques
- job search strategies
- professional organizations
- salary negotiations
A number of career development events are held each year to expose students to professionals in the field, and to help them build networking skills and opportunities. Here is a sampling:
SPPD Networking Nights
MPL Career Roundtable
Alumni Mentor Program
Shadow a Job
SPPD Networking Nights
Once a semester, students and alumni get together on the USC campus for informal conversations about the wide variety of careers available to MPL students. Students are encouraged to exchange business cards and stay in touch with alumni as they plan their job search.
MPL Career Roundtable
Once a year, students meet with members of the advisory board and other industry leaders in a festive roundtable setting. Leaders rotate around a series of tables until they have met face-to-face with every student. In this intimate setting, insights into career success are shared from the vantage point of planning professionals engaged in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
Alumni Mentor Program
Students are paired with professionals in a field they may have interest in working in. Mentors meet with students at least once a month in their offices, at business meetings or on the USC campus while attending professionally-related career events.
Shadow a Job
Graduate students spend a day with an alumna/alumnus on the job. Students may attend meetings, make recommendations, do budgeting and analytical work, or conduct research, depending on the organizational setting visited by the students. This gives students a valuable opportunity for networking and experiencing different organizational settings.
Graduates of the USC MPL program have historically encountered great success in gaining employment after graduation and shaping careers of substance. Our students build a number of professional contacts through internships and career networking programs with our alumni and leaders in the profession.