For Students & Alumni

GSEP Career Services operates from an innovative approach that promotes clarity of purpose, self-confidence, and community connections. We offer customized services for our graduate students and alumni throughout their career, whether they are preparing for a transition, positioning themselves for advancement, clarifying their next goal, navigating workplace dynamics, or launching their own business. Through career design sessions, self-marketing consultations, and our signature programs, we provide lifelong career development support for accessing and thriving in a rapidly changing workforce. By honoring the intersectionality of identities, GSEP Career Services empowers each individual’s unique career journey of purpose, service, and leadership.

Based on your career track, we can help you create a customized plan from our services and signature programs below. Not sure which track best fits your needs? Start with a one-on-one Career Design Session, scheduled via Handshake, Pepperdine’s career portal. Handshake provides access to appointment options, employment listings, career events, and customized resources for education and psychology. All Pepperdine students and alumni access Handshake here.

Identify Your Track:

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Career Transition

Changing job functions, industries, or employers

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Career Advancement

Repositioning professional brand for promotion

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Career Clarification

Determining the next goal in your career journey

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Workplace Navigation

Navigating intra/interpersonal dynamics and organizational culture

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Entrepreneurship

Launching your own business or practice

Services and Signature Programs:

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Career Design Sessions

Clarify your purpose, create a strategy, learn about current online resources, and develop an action plan.

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Document Feedback Sessions

Receive feedback on your resume/CV, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile.

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Signature Programs

Connect with alumni and industry experts through Jamii Communities of Practice. Engage in group vocational discernment experiences. Participate in employer engagement activities. And more!

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Pepperdine GSEP YouTube Playlists

Check out GSEP's YouTube channel, featuring customized Career Services playlists, including Jamii: Communities of Practice signature webinars, the Who's Hiring Now? employer video series, Career Designing Retreats, and AI Toolkit demonstrations.

FAQs

How do I access GSEP Career Services?

Log onto Handshake, Pepperdine’s career portal, to access employment listings, career events, resources, and appointment options.

Who is eligible for GSEP Career Services?

All currently enrolled GSEP students and alumni have full access to GSEP Career Services. Please note: Fully online Psychology@Pepperdine students have access to their own online psychology career services. Contact careerservices@onlinepsych.pepperdine.edu.

At what point should I connect with GSEP Career Services?

Please connect with us early and often! Our team is here to support you at any point during your career journey.

What support does GSEP Career Services offer?

We provide one-on-one Career Design Sessions and Document Feedback Sessions. We also host signature programs, including our Jamii Communities of Practice, vocational discernment experiences, employer engagement activities, and more!

What support can I receive with my employment application materials?

As a GSEP currently enrolled student or alumni, you can upload your first resume/CV to Handshake for general feedback and/or schedule a Document Feedback Session to receive customized support from one of our trained Career Services team members.

How can I build my network in my career field of interest?

Access PeppConnect, Pepperdine's exclusive online networking and mentoring platform. Connect with your Pepperdine community through LinkedIn's Alumni feature or through GSEP's Linkedin Alumni Group. Utilize networking resources on Handshake, including information on requesting a career conversation with alumni and other industry professionals.

How can I learn more about the career pathways associated with my academic degree?

GSEP Career Services has created Labor Market Guides for all of our academic programs, based on data extracted from Lightcast and LiveAlumni. Lightcast is considered a "global pioneer" in real-time data collection and big-data analysis of the labor market, and LiveAlumni extracts real-time employment data from every public Pepperdine alumni profile on LinkedIn. Data is also included from recent alumni via GSEP's post-graduation career outcomes survey. The guides represent a snapshot of current employment trends and career options associated with GSEP's academic programs. All GSEP Labor Market Guides are accessible in our Handshake Resource Library.

What career support is available for international students?

Pepperdine is a proud partner of Interstride, a plug-and-play platform to support international students in their job search, networking, and immigration journey. Discover employment opportunities by work authorization, visa type, and international-friendliness, access employers’ historical records of H-1B sponsorship, and explore 160+ country guides for students interested in global opportunities.