Like their counterparts around the nation, UC Berkeley students are balancing their education with their professional aspirations. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Bears are still searching for opportunities and their next steps.

Starting a career is difficult in the best of times, but now the hiring process has become increasingly arduous due to the challenges created by the pandemic. Despite the obstacles students now face, they are rising to the challenge.

The Daily Californian brings you the voices and experiences of a few of those students as they search for their futures and start their careers. We hope to join people around the world in fighting adversity and building a better tomorrow.

How to ace a Zoom interview

The interview is often more about the interpersonal connection you make with your future employer and co-workers than your technical skills themselves.

— Hanna Lykke

How to start tomorrow: Finding your career

There are a few simple resources and strategies for finding your career in the vast wilderness that is UC Berkeley.

— Jasper Kenzo Sundeen

Productivity in the age of COVID-19 is overrated

When everything goes back to “normal,” can we also normalize having nonprofitable hobbies?

— Jenny Lee

Be your UC Berkeley best

This is how UC Berkeley prepares one for the “real” world. The “real” lies in the fact that you’re not always going to be the best.

— Daniel Orona

More than a career path

I didn’t necessarily need to have a crystal clear career path or for my major to give me skills that directly apply to a certain field.

— Sebastian Cahill

Unpaid, paid internships raise concerns about accessibility

Internships can provide students with experience which can help them in the future, but how do students decide between paid and unpaid opportunities?

— Mallika Seshadri

Overcoming others’ expectations about pursuing a career in the arts

Art was something that called to me. I have always been passionate about it. Why should I listen to her and not chase my dreams?

— Gisselle Reyes

UC Berkeley graduates reflect on job searches, creating opportunities, luck

Although COVID-19 has complicated graduates’ ability to obtain jobs, it expanded the creative bounds of graduated seniors.

— Katherine Shok

Figuring it out, 1 step at a time

I’ve been told approximately 1 million times: College is for exploration.

— Kate Finman

Struggling with professionalism

There’s an unappreciated empowerment to utilizing every aspect of who you are in the workplace.

— Lisi Ludwig