Thank you for your interest in recruiting from Otis College of Art and Design! Career Services can assist you in connecting with creative talent for internships, freelance work, part-time, or full-time opportunities. You can post your openings on our Handshake career platform, set up an on-campus visit or virtual information session, view student portfolios, and participate in our Annual Exhibition or Internship and Recruitment Day career fair, held every spring. See below for details on all of these ways to connect.

Student Portfolios

Every May Otis opens its doors to the community for our Annual Exhibition senior showcase. The college transforms into a gallery exhibition for you to view the work on of our graduating students. Keep an eye on the Annual Exhibition website and browse the work of our most recent graduates. Peruse portfolios and search for Otis students and alumni through LinkedIn, ArtStation, Behance, and Instagram to find the right talent for your project.

Contract or Sponsor a Project

Do you have a professional project that could benefit from a team of students overseen by a staff or faculty member? Hire our interdisciplinary student Design Lab or sponsor an academic class project! Learn whether this option is right for your company or organization by sharing what your project entails. Please inquire about Design Lab with Emily Carlson, Creative Director or sponsored projects with Kim Garner, Director of Corporate Relations.

On-Campus and Virtual Recruiting

Career Services is happy to host you for a virtual or on-campus recruiting event to suit your hiring needs. Learn more about our art and design majors and minors. We can arrange for interviews/portfolio reviews with targeted programs, or you could present an overview of your opportunities and professional tips for students and alumni. In addition, we hold our signature career fair called Internship & Recruitment Day each spring. Please contact Sylvia Bier, Employer and Internship Specialist, to discuss the best way for us to help you recruit from Otis.

Post a Job or Internship

If you would like to post an internship, freelance, part-time, or full-time opportunity, please register at no charge on Otis' Handshake career platform. All of our current students and alumni have access to the job board and check it frequently for opportunities. View a Handshake support article on How to Post a Job. Please note: Otis College of Art and Design only posts creative, art, and design-based positions for our students and alumni, and does not post general sales and marketing positions. We reserve the right to decline an employer or post for any reason.

Registered employers: log in at https://apps.joinhandshake.com/login.

To register with Otis on Handshake:

  • If your employer is already registered with Handshake, the system will allow you to join your employer as a new contact. To receive an invite link that will connect your new registration with your employer's existing profile, email careerservices@otis.edu before registering. Otherwise you will select your employer's name during the registration process and await approval from your organization's admin.
  • If your organization is new to Handshake, you'll create an Employer account. (If you are posting as an individual, your company name can be your own name.)
  • Once approved, you can log in and post your opportunities. Here are some tips for writing an effective job description.
  • Please allow two business days for approval of your registration or opportunity postings. We appreciate your patience!
  • See below for details on internships and hiring international or diverse students.

Ethical and legal standards in helping Otis Students secure internships and jobs:

  1. Opportunities must be posted on the Otis Handshake job board for all students to access.
  2. Once the opportunity is broadly posted, you may request that we share the link from the Otis Handshake job board to relevant students encouraging them to apply.
  3. As of 2023, California law requires disclosing pay scale salary range for businesses with 15 or more employees, if a position may ever be filled by a CA resident, even if work is remote.

This helps Otis maintain a fair and transparent recruitment process that complies with local, state, and federal laws, act without bias, ensure equitable access, and protect confidentiality of students’ information. If this process is not followed, it could present a liability issue about discriminatory hiring practices.

Internships

Otis College of Art and Design encourages all students to participate in paid internships as a bridge from college to career. Paid internships promote value to the skills our students bring to your organization, provide equity and access by removing barriers that limit who can take part, recognize that interns perform work—and all work should be paid, and support diversifying the workforce by creating an inclusive pool of entry-level candidates who have the experience and competencies employers seek. Otis aligns with these internship guidelines set forth by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Otis requires all employers to properly compensate interns (at least state, county, or city minimum wage where the work will take place, whichever is higher) unless they meet the seven criteria for unpaid internships established by the U.S. Department of Labor. Unpaid internships must further gain the approval of the academic department supporting the internship. Please note: While tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations and government agencies can offer unpaid internships, posting an unpaid opportunity limits your candidate pool to those who can afford to be unpaid or are willing to endure financial hardship while providing unpaid labor. Most Otis students are not enrolled in classes during the summer, which further prohibits them from seeking unpaid internships at that time.

An internship for students at Otis College 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. Please view our Academic Calendar for dates and course add deadlines.
  • 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 institutional guidelines and schedules.
  • A position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications.
  • Clearly defined learning objectives/goals supportive of the student’s academic program goals and institutional requirements.
  • 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 internship: Approval for academic credit by the department chair before the student begins, a check-in with the academic department at the midpoint of the semester, and an employer evaluation upon completion of the student's internship.

To begin the internship approval process, please review and complete our Internship Guidelines and Application Form.

If your opportunity does not fit the internship guidelines above, paid opportunities may be posted as a part-time or full-time position on the Otis Handshake job board.

Hiring International Students

  • All current international students who have completed a full academic year are eligible to work in the United States under their F-1 student visa status with approval from either the host school or USCIS. You do not need to provide sponsorship for them to work, only an offer letter for a position that relates to their degree program. This is a great option for students who wish to participate in an internship or CPT.
  • All recent international student graduates are eligible to work in the United States for at least 12 months post-graduation under their F-1 student visa status as long as they have been approved for Optional Practical Training (OPT) with their host school. You do not need to sponsor a graduate under OPT.
  • Digital Media graduates may be eligible for STEM-OPT, which allows them to work for three years post-graduation under their F-1 visa status. Sponsorship is not required under STEM-OPT.
  • Otis College will provide international students with their visa paperwork after you provide an Employer Offer Letter. Here is a sample letter.
  • Students eligible to work under CPT or OPT can be paid. If they don't yet have a Social Security Number, they will need to apply for one through the Social Security Office with their updated visa and offer letter. A SSN receipt from the SS Office allows them to begin work, and they'll simply need to provide their SSN upon receiving their Social Security Card within 45 days.
  • The only time you would need to provide sponsorship is if you'd like to keep an international graduate employed beyond their OPT period.

Diverse Perspectives

People with Disabilities Fulfilling Your Business Goals - U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy and resources to assist

Disability Resources - U.S. Department of Labor

Workplace Accommodation Toolkit - Job Accommodation Network

Small Employers and Reasonable Accommodation - U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Credits and Incentives - CA Department of Rehabilitation