The Office of Career Design in Portland specializes in connecting students to employers and alumni in the Portland Metro area. In collaboration with our advising team at our campus in Salem, we have specializations across all six of our career communities.
We’ve helped students arrange internships with artists, advertising firms, animation studios, museums, galleries, and other creative institutions.
"My internship helped me level up my web development skills in a real-world environment."
Internships give you an opportunity to supplement your education by working off-campus within a creative field during school. Most internships are a lot like apprenticeships, in the sense that you’ll learn from an expert while doing supervised work. This can help you test a potential career path and gain résumé-building experience at the same time.
The Office of Career Design is here to help you get started with tactics and strategies for locating your internship. Some are listed through handshake, but many students arrange their own opportunities with outside organizations and businesses.
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good academic standing are automatically eligible for internships. You can earn up to 6 internship credits. The most common internship is 3 credits (like a regular class) and 135 hours of work.
Our career advising begins in your Foundation Year when we meet with you one-on-one to talk about your goals and plans.
We offer one-on-one career advising appointments to cover all aspects of professional development from where you are now to where you want to be years in the future. We'll talk about career paths and goals and answer any questions you have. We cover everything from how to do a job search, to interview tips, to connecting you with resources and people, to resume and cover letter reviews, portfolio reviews, strategizing how to get a job, career exploration, and more. And even after you graduate we continue to offer you and all alumni career advising appointments.
Access the tools and information you need to take advantage of career opportunities.
First impressions make all the difference. And clearly communicating your strengths to curators, gallerists, and employers is crucial. The Office of Career Design works with you to develop the tools you need to capitalize on professional opportunities including your resume, portfolio, and website. From artist residency and grant applications to job applications, we'll help you be ready to put your best foot forward.
We schedule workshops on resumes and website building. We invite recruiters in to talk about what they are looking for in portfolios and to do portfolio reviews. And we are invited to recommend PNCA students for special portfolio review sessions by companies like Laika, scouting for talent.