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Prepare for Success

Finding and landing a meaningful position is no easy task. We encourage you to explore our resources and tools in our Start Exploring section as a complement to the information you’ll find here. Once you have an idea of the direction you’d like to explore, we invite you to begin your journey to prepare.

You may want to begin by exploring our Career Readiness Competencies and our recommendations to Develop a Plan for your journey at Cal. We also offer resources to help you start your resume and cover letter development, as well as tools to help you prepare for interviews and master the art of networking.

We invite you to meet with a Career Counselor or Peer Advisor as you go through the preparation process. You can learn about more ways to connect with our staff on our appointment page.

Code of Professional Conduct

Berkeley Career Engagement expects that job seekers follow a high standard of conduct and present themselves professionally and ethically during the job search process. Your conduct is a reflection of your character and professionalism and can impact your reputation in the industry and your chances of securing a job. To protect UC Berkeley’s reputation, BCE’s reputation, and to continue to bring high quality services to you and your peers, if we find that you have not conducted yourself in a professional manner, your Handshake privileges may be revoked.

We expect you to:

  • Follow through with your commitments. Reneging on a job offer can have significant consequences on your professional reputation, UC Berkeley, Berkeley Career Engagement, and your peers. To avoid this, be thoughtful before verbally accepting or signing an offer. Once an offer has been signed, Berkeley Career Engagement recommends notifying other employers you are interviewing with that you have accepted an offer and are removing yourself from consideration.
  • Be honest and do not misrepresent your education, qualifications, and experiences in your resume, cover letter, and during interviews.
  • Present yourself in a professional manner in all interactions, including emails, phone calls, and interviews. Respect the time and schedules of hiring managers and recruiters.
  • Avoid sharing sensitive or proprietary information during interviews or within your workplace; uphold the confidentiality of your current and former employers and colleagues.
  • Inform the employer in a timely and courteous manner if you decide not to pursue a job opportunity.