Drive your career.
Ignite your future.
USC Career Launchpad, an online job-readiness program, is designed to enhance the skill sets that today’s employers are seeking. The program provides you with the practical tools needed to apply for your dream job and succeed in the workplace.
Created specifically for USC students who are preparing to transition to the workplace, here you’ll find professional career resources and ways to connect with the vast Trojan Network for alumni mentorship and more.
“The USC Career Launchpad program will provide students graduating in today’s complex world with the skills, tools and connections they need to stand out from the crowd. It will leverage the best of what USC has to offer in both academics and networking to build bridges that lead to fulfilling careers.”- USC President Carol L. Folt
With the USC Career Launchpad, USC students can access hyper-focused modules designed to boost skills in areas from media literacy to data visualization. A guided career companion will point you to the most beneficial tools and resources available from the Career Center as you embark on your job search.
Program Overview
Our interactive, online experience will take you through every facet of a job search and teach you skills you’ll need for success in the workplace. The USC Career Launchpad can level up your résumé, improve job application outcomes and jump-start your career.
Benefits
Ready, Set,
Career!
A guided career companion, located on your personalized dashboard of the Skill Up career tool, will provide you with comprehensive tools and resources available through the Career Center, such as:
- Industry-specific career strategies to make you a more marketable candidate
- Guide to effective résumés, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles
- One-on-one informational interviews to learn about career fields and industry trends
- Internship search tool organized by industry, role and geography
- Tailored resources for international students
The Trojans 2 Trojans Network connects students with alumni professionals in wide-ranging roles and industries around the globe. Our exclusive online platform is designed to help students and graduating seniors connect with USC alumni who are eager to share their career knowledge and industry-related experiences through informational interviews, networking and mentorship opportunities.
Trojan
Network
Skill
Boosters
Skill Boosters highlight the most useful components of each topic and target direct application to the workplace. Each module of six to eight hours of coursework is created by USC faculty members who are experts in their fields.
Skill Boosters, located within our Skill Up career tool for students and alums, highlight the most useful components of specific topics and target direct application to the workplace. Each module of six to eight hours of coursework has been created by USC faculty and industry experts. Select Skill Boosters that best align with your career goals, and have access to the full library of Skill Up topics. Each module you finish will generate a skill badge that can amplify your résumé and LinkedIn profile.
Sampling of Skill Boosters Included in Skill Up
Improve the sophistication of your media consumption and develop news and information routines that support your transition to a professional career. This tutorial examines the role of media in the hiring process and how to curate your social media to better support your work.
To become a leader, it’s important to master two essential abilities: good judgment and defensible decision-making. This module introduces the science behind these abilities and reviews pressing, real-world dilemmas such as sustainability and the common traps that stand in the way of good judgment.
This module highlights why we are so divided as a country and how we can reduce tension, conflict and polarization, especially in the workplace — remotely or in person — while building intercultural fluency and leadership skills. Includes an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion including unconscious bias, listening and advocacy.
Knowing how to ethically and creatively work with and communicate data is critical to success in any number of fields. This module introduces you to visualization methods and practices that translate data across different disciplines in any setting, for any audience.
From navigating the market to defining your personal value, this tutorial helps you understand what it means — and how to be — a social media influencer. You will learn about platforms and audiences, finding your niche and the best ways to attract clients.
Organizational equity is a key factor in building successful and resilient teams — but what does it mean, and how do you achieve it? This module unpacks equity, why it matters and the ways in which you can make your workplace a more equitable environment.
Projects are a key part of our personal and professional lives. This module introduces formal project management methodologies and frameworks that organizations will expect you to understand when tasked with organizing and planning projects. These strategies will help to manage teams and resources and mitigate risks to achieve a desired outcome.
Build essential skills in sustainability science and organizational action to reach a climate-positive future. This tutorial equips you with the tools to tackle complex problems, including articulating a sustainability strategy and crafting a regenerative brand.