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Career Services
Discover your strengths and find the career path that fits you. Explore majors, build your resume, and get career guidance to help you find a path that fits your strengths and goals.
Who do we help?
- •Current WCC Students and Alumni
- •Community Members
- •Employers
Career Services
Most of your career planning can take place with one of our Counselors. You also can take advantage of the career resources and assessments below to help inform your goals.
Explore your Interests
Exploring your interests is easier with someone to think it through with. If you aren’t sure where to start, meet with a WCC Counselor — a short conversation can help narrow things down before spending hours on assessments and research alone.
From there, the options below are four different ways to explore, and most students use more than one. Attend a workshop for a guided introduction, browse online resources to research specific careers and industries, take an assessment to clarify your interests and strengths, or consider volunteering to test a field firsthand before committing to it.
Attend a Career Exploration Workshop
Free, 50-minute sessions online and in person
If you’re still figuring out what direction to take, a workshop is a low-pressure way to make progress in under an hour. Three sessions focus specifically on self-discovery and choosing a path:
- Introduction to Career Planning — How the whole process works and what WCC offers.
- Career Assessments — Which assessments are available and what they can tell you.
- Connecting Interests to Major and Career Options — How your interests shape major selection.
All workshops are free, run about 50 minutes, and are facilitated by our Career Counselor. Register through the workshop title on the schedule.
Explore Online Resources
Before you dig into the list below, always remember that you can email Lorell Gustafson, our Career Counselor for specific help. Any WCC counselor can also help you narrow this list down to the resources that actually fit your goals — you don’t have to figure it out alone!
Personality Assessments
Find out how your personality relates to educational and career options.
- 16Personalities — Consider your psychological type and preferences. Similar to the MBTI.
Interest Assessments
Consider your interests and how they relate to educational and career options.
- Career Coach — California Community Colleges — Career suggestions based on your interests, matched to CCC programs.
- O*NET Interest Profiler — A short federal assessment that returns your Holland code and matching careers.
Other Career Exploration Websites
- California CareerZone — Free assessments, 900 occupation profiles, and California wage data.
- CareerOneStop — The U.S. Department of Labor’s central hub for career, training, and job search resources.
- CareerOneStop Career Videos — Short videos showing what hundreds of occupations actually look like day to day.
- O*NET OnLine — Skills, daily tasks, and pay for more than 900 occupations.
- My Next Move — A simpler, student-friendly version of O*NET. Good starting point.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook — Federal projections for job growth, pay, and required education.
- Salary Surfer — What California community college graduates actually earn two and five years after a certificate or degree.
- Roadtrip Nation — Interviews with people about how they built careers around what they care about.
- MyPlan — Career assessments plus college and major research tools.
- CareerGPS — Guided college and career planning. Requires a free account.
Assess your interests, skills, values
including Eureka and other tools
Not sure what direction you are headed? Eureka Career Assessments can help! Try online career assessments to clarify your skills, interests, values, and personality. Use this information and career research tools to explore educational and career options.
Email Lorell Gustafson, our Career Counselor, for login access and to create your account.
Volunteer Opportunities
explore your interests through service
Volunteering is a low-stakes way to test out a field before you commit to it as a career. Some time spent helping at a clinic, animal center, or newsroom can be a great way to learn if a career path is right for you.
Find opportunities quickly:
- VolunteerMatch — Filter local opportunities by cause and time commitment.
- Idealist — Volunteer listings alongside nonprofit jobs.
Food & Basic Needs
- Yolo Food Bank — Warehouse sorting, distribution sites, and farm harvests. Good fit for groups.
- STEAC (Short Term Emergency Aid Committee) — Food pantry, warehouse, and holiday program support for Davis-area families.
- Empower Yolo — Resource centers and weekly food distributions in Davis, Knights Landing, and Yolo.
Health & Human Services
- CommuniCare+OLE — Clinic support, vaccine clinics, and community outreach. Volunteers must be 18 or older and pass a background check.
- YoloCares — Hospice support and senior companionship through the Citizens Who Care program.
- Suicide Prevention of Yolo County — Trained volunteer crisis line counselors. Substantial training is provided.
Youth, Animals & Community
- Yolo County CASA — Advocate in court for a child in foster care. A real commitment: two to four hours weekly for 18 months or more.
- United Way Kindergarten Reading Volunteer — Read with kindergarteners to build early literacy skills.
- California Raptor Center (UC Davis) — Hands-on care for injured hawks and owls under veterinary school supervision.
- The Bike Campaign — Bike Garage mechanics, bike skills trainers for kids, and event support. No experience necessary.
- KDRT 95.7 FM — Community radio. Production, DJing, and station support through Davis Media Access.
- City of Davis — Adopt a park, help with community events, or serve on a commission.
- Woodland Volunteers in Policing — Support roles for anyone considering a criminal justice career.
- Yolo County Search and Rescue — Trained volunteer team operating with the Sheriff’s Office. On-call for urban and wilderness searches.
Find Jobs & Internships
Whether you’re looking for a part-time job now or an internship in your field, start with Handshake—employers post there specifically to reach WCC students. The options below cover where to search, how to build the experience employers want, and who can help you along the way.
Create your Handshake account
Our official jobs portal for students and alums — Find jobs and internships
Handshake is a career platform for college students and recent graduates, connecting them with employers for internships, part-time, and full-time jobs. It features personalized recommendations, career events like workshops and career fairs, and networking tools. It offers a central hub to find opportunities, apply for roles, schedule advising, and build career skills, with most features available via mobile app too, streamlining the student job search process directly through their university.
Key Features for Students:
- Personalized Job Matching: Get suggested jobs and internships based on your profile, skills, major, and interests, with recruiters often reaching out directly.
- Exclusive Opportunities: Access jobs and internships posted specifically for your school, often with less competition from experienced professionals.
- Career Events: Find and RSVP for virtual/in-person career fairs, info sessions, and networking events hosted by employers.
- Profile Building: Create a robust profile (education, experience, skills, coursework, clubs) to showcase your qualifications to employers.
- Career Resources: Access articles, videos, and Q&A with career advice and company insights.
- Mobile App: Search, apply, and manage opportunities on the go with the Handshake app.
Attend a Job Search Workshop
Free, 50-minute sessions online and in person
Job hunting goes faster when you know what employers are actually looking for. These sessions cover the practical mechanics of finding and landing an opportunity:
- Get to Know Handshake! — How to use the platform where employers post for WCC students.
- Internships & Experience — What internships offer and how to find one in your field.
- Networking & LinkedIn — Building a profile and connecting with people who hire.
- Prepare for the Career Fair — What to expect and how to make a strong first impression.
All workshops are free, run about 50 minutes, and are facilitated by our Career Counselor. Register through the workshop title on the schedule.
Additional Job Search Links
Before you dig into the list below, always remember that you can email Lorell Gustafson, our Career Counselor, or explore jobs in Handshake. Any WCC counselor can help you narrow this list down to the resources that actually fit your goals — you don’t have to figure it out alone!
California & Government
- CalJOBS — California’s official job bank. Free account, resume builder, statewide listings.
- EDD Jobs and Training — Free workshops, job fairs, and America’s Job Center locations.
- CalCareers — All State of California jobs and civil service exams.
- USAJOBS — Every federal job and paid federal internship.
- County of Yolo — County openings in health, public works, IT, and law.
- City of Davis — City jobs plus seasonal parks and recreation work.
- City of Woodland — City jobs and public safety positions.
- Yolo County Sheriff’s Office — Sworn, dispatch, and civilian positions.
- CA Dept. of Corrections & Rehabilitation — Correctional, healthcare, and administrative careers.
- California State Parks — Seasonal and permanent park and interpretive positions.
General Job Boards
- Indeed — The largest aggregator. A good single starting point for local work.
- LinkedIn Jobs — Strong for professional roles and networking your way into them.
- Snagajob — Hourly, part-time, and shift work.
- Sacramento Bee Jobs — Regional listings across the Sacramento area.
Field-Specific
- UC Davis Employment — The region’s largest employer. Student and career positions.
- Kaiser Permanente Careers — Clinical, business, and IT roles across Northern California.
- AgCareers — Agriculture, food, and agribusiness roles throughout the valley.
- Idealist — Nonprofit jobs, internships, and volunteer roles in one place.
- Work for Good — Mission-driven nonprofit jobs.
- HACU ProTalento — Higher education and professional roles nationwide.
Research Your Options
- O*NET OnLine — Skills, daily tasks, and pay for more than 900 occupations.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook — Federal projections for job growth and required education.
- EDD LaborMarketInfo — California wage and demand data down to the county level.
- Job-Hunt.org — Resume, interview, and job search strategy guides.
Additional Internships & Volunteer Opportunities
Paid and unpaid positions to build experience
Internship Websites
- Internsource – The Community College Foundation
- HACU National Internship Program (HNIP) – Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
- Pathways Internship Programs – Careers (state.gov)
- Jobs, Volunteering, Grad Schools, and More – Idealist
- Employment Opportunities & Internships | Yolo County
Volunteering Opportunities
- CommuniCare Health Centers
- City of Davis, CA
- Empower Yolo
- California Raptor Center / School of Veterinary Medicine
- Yolo County
- Yolo County Sheriff’s Office
- STEAC, Short Term Emergency Aid Committee
- Support KDRT | KDRT 95.7FM Davis
- YoloCares
- Yolo County CASA
- Suicide Prevention of Yolo County
- Yolo Food Bank
- How to Help | The Bike Campaign
- Volunteers in Policing | Woodland, CA (cityofwoodland.org)
- United Way California Capital Region – Reading Tutor
Workshop Schedule
Check back for our Fall 2026 workshop schedules.
Introduction to Career Planning
Career planning isn’t a single decision you make once — it’s an ongoing process of
exploring your personality, interests, and skills, building educational and career
plans around what you find, and taking action toward your goals. This session walks
through how it works and what career planning services are available to you at WCC.
Career Assessments
Not sure how what you’re good at connects to an actual job title? Career assessments
help you understand how your interests, skills, and personality point toward specific
career and educational options. Find out which assessments are available through the
Career Center and how to take your exploration to the next level.
Connecting Interests to Major and Career Options
Choosing a major feels high-stakes when you’re not sure where it leads. This workshop
helps you think through your interests and how they shape both major selection and
long-term career goals. Come prepared to think out loud about your educational plans.
Get to Know Handshake!
Handshake is where employers post jobs and internships specifically for WCC students —
but only if you know how to use it. Learn how to set up your profile, search effectively,
and get noticed by the employers already looking for candidates like you.
Resume Development
Employers can tell the difference between a great resume and a weak one in fifteen
seconds or less. Learn how to build a first-rate resume that gets you past that first
scan and into an interview.
Internships & Experience
An internship gives you meaningful, practical work in your field of study — real
career exploration and skill development before you commit to a path. Join us to learn
what internships involve and how to find an opportunity that fits your goals.
Networking & LinkedIn
Many employers recruit new talent directly on LinkedIn, which means a thin profile
can cost you opportunities you never hear about. Learn how LinkedIn works, why it
matters for your job search, and get practical tips for building your profile.
Prepare for the Career Fair
Your resume is updated and you’re headed to the Career Fair — now what? Find out what
to expect, how to introduce yourself, and how to hand over your resume in a way that
makes an impression worth following up on.
Interviewing Skills
You landed the interview. This workshop covers what comes next: how to prepare,
professional etiquette, answering behavioral questions, and following up afterward.
You’ll leave with the skills to navigate the process and improve your odds.
Information for Employers and Industry Partners
Partner with the WCC Career Center to:
- Participate in career fairs and events
- Volunteer as a guest speaker
- Host our students on an industry tour
- Hire an intern
- Serve on an advisory board
- Recruit and hire students for job opportunities
We look forward to working with you!
Post a job on Handshake
Recruit and hire WCC students and graduates
Handshake is an online career platform connecting college students and recent graduates with employers for jobs, internships, and career events. It serves as a centralized hub for career services where students can find opportunities, apply for positions, and network, while employers can post openings, manage applications, and recruit talent.
Appointments
We offer one-on-one career counseling by appointment. The career counseling process is unique to each individual and is driven by your career development needs.
- Learn more about yourself
- Explore and research educational and career options
- Develop job search and interviewing skills
- Gain experience in the world of work.
Book a time with our Career Counselor, Lorell Gustafson, or call (530) 661-5703 to book a time with any of our WCC counselors for career guidance. We look forward to working with you!
Locations & Hours
Woodland Campus
Career & Transfer Center
Visit us in 700 Building
Lorell Gustafsonlcooke@yccd.edu
Currently our center is available for events and by appointment. Reach out to our staff for questions.
Our Staff
Program Lead
Links & Resources
FAQs
The ability to change a major completely depends on the rules governing major changes at the college or university that a student will be attending. It is best to prepare for and apply to the major you intend to pursue at the university.
Yes, but there are important things to know:
- You must report all previous colleges attended—even if you had poor grades. Failing to report them can result in revoked admission or even loss of a degree.
- If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need to check with each university about their policy on earning a second bachelor’s. Some allow it; others do not.
To apply to a CSU or UC campus, submit your application online:
- UC Application:
Fall transfer only
– Open: August 1
– Submit: November 1–30 - CSU Application:
Spring: Apply August 1–30
Fall: Apply October 1–November 30
Be sure to apply to the major you plan to pursue. Changing your major after transfer depends entirely on the university’s policies.
Representatives from many colleges have virtual and face to face appointments available. Check the webpages to get appointment information or contact information the Counseling Department at (530) 634-7766.
It is recommended that you meet with a counselor to find out about transfer requirements and to check in with a counselor each semester to make sure you are on track for meeting those requirements. Information as to which classes at a community college are required for a specific major at CSU or UC can be obtained from articulation agreements which are available online at www.assist.org.
If you complete all of the GE and lower division major requirements, and a total of 60 transferable semester units, and continue at the transfer institution full-time (15 units per semester), you should be able to graduate two years after transfer. Students who double major or add on a minor may take longer.
Yes. You are required to report all previous institutions that you have attended, and you don’t want to provide false information since that could potentially revoke your admission or degree.
For most students who intend to transfer as juniors, it is important to take general education courses and courses in your major. You should consult with a counselor to determine which lower division (freshman-sophomore level) major courses might be advisable to take.
If you have taken more than 70 transferable units, the content of the courses may be used to satisfy subject area requirements.
GE or General Education is a program of courses that provides a broad educational experience. Courses are usually introductory in nature and provide students with fundamental skills and knowledge in English, arts, humanities, mathematics, social and behavioral sciences, and physical and biological sciences.
Articulation helps determine how your Woodland Community College courses meet GE, major, or transfer credit at other colleges. You can still transfer to a college even if WCC doesn’t have a formal articulation agreement with that school. These agreements simply make it easier to match courses for credit. Use ASSIST.org to check how your courses transfer to CSU and UC campuses. For non-CSU/UC schools, work closely with your counselor and the university to confirm which classes will be accepted.
The California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) is a single, streamlined general education pattern designed to make transferring from a California Community College to either a California State University (CSU) or a University of California (UC) campus much easier and more efficient.
Starting with students who began classes in the 2025–2026 academic year or later, Cal-GETC establishes a unified 34-unit lower-division general education pathway. Successfully completing the full Cal-GETC pattern satisfies your lower-division general education requirements at your target university, ensuring you won’t need to take additional freshman or sophomore-level general education courses after you transfer.
Note: To receive credit toward Cal-GETC, all courses within the pattern must be completed with a grade of “C” or better (or a “Pass/Credit” designation if institutional policy defines it as equivalent to a “C” or higher).
Certification of CSU GE-B or IGETC is important in the transfer process. All California State Universities accept a common pattern of general education. The certification is the official notice verifying that a transfer student has completed courses satisfying lower division general education requirements. The universities can only require upper division GE and graduation requirements for students who are fully GE certified by the community college.
The request for certification of CSU GE or IGETC is done at the time you request transcripts be sent to the university. All areas of CSU GE-B or IGETC must be completed for full certification. Partial certification by area is possible for the CSU GE-B. Partial certification of IGETC is restricted to having all but a maximum of two classes completed. (Pass grades [P] are acceptable as long as they are equivalent to “C” or better grades where taken.)
Woodland Community College (beginning Fall 2021) offers a Certificate of Achievement (CA) in CSU GE-B and a Certificate of Achievement (CA) in IGETC. These certificates do not take the place of the GE Certification as the GE Certification is a separate document sent directly to the CSU or UC.
California has two public university systems. The University of California (UC) is the research system of public higher education in California. The UC system emphasizes a theory-based approach to learning and offers doctorate programs in most disciplines along with graduate opportunities in medicine, dentistry, business, law, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. The California State University (CSU) is the system of higher education in California that grants the highest number of Bachelor’s degrees. The CSU offers traditional and career specific majors with graduate opportunities at the Master’s level. The CSU has a more practical, career-oriented approach to education in contrast to the more theoretical approach offered by the UC.