One of the recurring findings from employee engagement surveys at UC has been a desire on behalf of staff to better understand the opportunities for personal development and growth at UC. My UC Career is one way that employees can explore how they can leverage their skills and experiences to build a career at the University.

Launched in January 2018, My UC Career has helped more than 5,000 employees throughout the system assess their strengths, communicate their career accomplishments, and research opportunities at UC.

“I am pleased that we can offer this valuable resource to all UC employees,” says Executive Director of Systemwide Talent Management Donna Salvo. “The positive response has been exciting. Users tell us that they like the tool, as it has helped them to prepare for interviews and find opportunities within UC.  We’ve also been told the assessments provide new insight into work preferences and strengths.”

Tools to articulate and elevate your professional experience

At first glance, the online career development portal may seem more relevant to job-seekers. But the tools can be used to highlight skills that can be applied to your current role, to prepare for performance reviews, or to help you better communicate about your work and make connections with colleagues.

“My UC Career is a really useful tool,” Director of Systemwide Career and Development Programs Terry Barton said while delivering a recent demonstration of the tool at UCOP. “There’s definitely application for it beyond finding a job.”

My UC Career consists of six self-paced modules:

1. A personal assessment
2. An online job portal for all UC job opportunities systemwide
3. A resume workshop
4. Telling your story
5. Networking
6. Interviewing

“If you don’t use anything else, use the Assessment Center,” Barton said during her demonstration. “It can be helpful to understand the values, skills, personality traits and talents important to your work life.”

Special features for employees ready for a change

If you are seeking a new opportunity, you can use the online job portal to search for UC jobs that are compatible with your personal assessment and you can opt to be alerted when new opportunities are posted. The resume module includes templates and samples; it can help you start from scratch or finesse a tune-up.

My UC Career can also prep you for interviews. There are guides that help you prepare for face-to-face, phone, webinar and panel interviews.  There’s even a video avatar that will interview you and record your responses via webcam, which you can review and adapt until you are comfortable with your answers. These mock interviews, which can be set to specific industries and job levels, can help you polish not only your answers, but also your presence during the interview.

The module on telling your story helps you articulate what you bring to the table via a cover letter or “pitch statement.” According to Barton, “Your resume gets you in the door, but you are going to seal the deal with your experience and how well you can demonstrate that experience through your story.” She pointed out that pitch statements can be helpful during a performance review, discussions with your supervisor, or when networking with colleagues.

“Everyone’s path is unique, and we should all take an active role in managing our professional development,” says Barton. “My UC Career helps employees talk about their skills and contributions so that they’ll be ready to take advantage of new opportunities at UC.”

Learn more and get started

Ready to check out My UC Career?  Create an account at uc.yournextstep.com.  All UC employees and students can sign up with their UC email address.

And, learn more by stopping by the lunch and learn on Feb. 14 at the Oakland Kaiser Building, Room 612. Gary Cheng from OP learning and development will provide a demonstration of the My UC Career, along with helpful tips.

Questions about My UC Career? Contact Terry Barton at Teresa.Barton@ucop.edu or Gary Cheng at Gary.Cheng@ucop.edu.

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