Job Boards are one aspect of your job search, and should be supplemented with networking and employer research. Job boards are typically less up-to-date than career pages on employer’s websites, and are geared toward reaching a larger audience. Contacting employers directly and acquiring contacts through networking can help you stand out from the crowd.
Some say to allow 1 month of job search for every $10,000 you’re expecting to make in salary. It’s also typical to get a 10% response rate to your targeted applications, and to get a job offer for 10% of the positions you interview for. Have the mindset that job searching is a long-term effort, because it will pay off once you get in the right job search groove.
Write down or bookmark your favorite job search sites and jobs so you can easily come back to them. Track your progress by writing down jobs you’ve applied to: date, company, job title, and any notes about them. Keep your application and a copy of the job description to access later. Follow up on applications after a week or more if you haven’t heard anything back. Persistence to let a company know you’re interested in them and learning what their hiring timeline is can help set you apart as well as manage expectations.
Handshake Job Board
Handshake is the career platform for students and alumni to find creative art and design opportunities. Any company that wants to hire Otis talent for internships, freelance, part-time, or full-time positions is directed to Handshake. It should be the first job board you look at because employers are specifically looking for Otis talent when they post to our college, and we approve jobs that align with Otis programs. Handshake includes on-campus and Federal Work Study (FWS) positions as well. (For more information see the On-Campus Student Employment page on the Dashboard.) Below you’ll find additional job boards to consider searching as well.
Current students should log into Handshake with your Otis email and password through SSO. Alumni should click BELOW the blue Otis SSO button to "sign in with your email address" using your personal email, and then select "or log in using your Handshake credentials." If you have trouble logging in, email careerservices@otis.edu.
Internships
Otis strongly encourages all students to participate in one or more paid internships as a bridge from college to career. It’s a great way to put the skills you’re learning in the classroom to use in a professional setting, try out a job you may or may not be sure you want, try out a company you may be interested in working for, or confirm your interest in working in a chosen industry.
An internship must include:
- 135 hours over 7 to 15 weeks during the summer, fall, or spring semester. During the academic year, students may work up to 20 hours per week. During the summer and winter breaks, students may work up to 40 hours per week.
- A learning experience with a real-world opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or replace the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- Learned skills and knowledge that are transferable to other employment settings.
- A defined beginning and end that is mutually agreed upon and consistent with academic schedules.
- A position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications.
- Clearly defined learning objectives/goals supportive of your academic program goals.
- Direct supervision by a professional(s) with relevant expertise and educational and/or professional experience who provides productive feedback, guidance, and the resources and equipment necessary to successfully complete the assignment.
- Unpaid internships: Must be approved for academic credit by the department chair before the internship begins. Approved internship course must be added before the Course Add Deadline (see Academic Calendar).
- If the opportunity does not fit all of these criteria, it may be considered a part-time or full-time job instead. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, you should never “volunteer” for a position with a for-profit company or for a position that would normally be paid. A quick test: if other people are not volunteering for it, you shouldn’t either.
Other Job Boards
Additional job boards to consider searching for off-campus art and design opportunities.
For students/alumni who want to work in Korea:
Are you looking for resources related to your skills or interests? Are you BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or an international student? Are you a neurodivergent job seeker or seeking companies that are more accommodating to disabilities? Find resources by major and topic on our Job Search Resources page!
Artist Opportunities
- Sell Your Art | Culver City’s Ivy Station Night Market Vendor Interest Form
- Artist Opportunities | City of West Hollywood
- Artist Opportunities | Glendale Arts & Culture
- San Pedro Waterfront Arts District
- Open Calls | Angels Gate Cultural Center
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