My Career

Imagine designing a fleet of automated drones or building a naval ship. Advanced manufacturing combines fields like engineering, computer drafting, biotech and more to design and build our future—everything from medical devices to the thermostat in your smart home. 

Do some research 

• Use Career Coach at workforce.org/careercoach to explore which occupations align with your interests, see a behind-the-scenes peek at what a career looks like and discover local companies. 

Expand your network 

• Use social media tools like LinkedIn to network with professionals. Request an informational interview to ask people about their career path, education and job responsibilities. 
• Attend an event hosted by an industry organization like the San Diego Makers Guild. 

Get hands-on experience 

• Find a maker space like Fab Lab San Diego and take a class. 

Get training 

• Explore opportunities at a community college near you at CareerEd.org. You might consider these ones: 
  • Machine Technology, San Diego City College 
  • Advanced Manufacturing Technology programs, MiraCosta College 
• Apply for an apprenticeship in a manufacturing career 
  • For a list of all apprenticeships in the county, search for California Division of Apprenticeship Standards

Do you like working with people? Roles in this sector make use of strong communication skills to help others and improve wellbeing. These include teachers as well as daycare providers, community representatives and more who all help others access their personal freedom to decide who to be, what to do and how to live. 

• Do some research

  • Use Career Coach at workforce.org/careercoach to explore which occupations align with your interests, see a behind-the-scenes peek at what a career looks like and discover local companies.

  Expand your network

  •  Use social media tools like LinkedIn to network with professionals. Request an informational interview to ask them about their career path, education and job responsibilities.

  • Connect with past teachers to ask about their experience and opportunities to volunteer in the classroom. 

  Get hands-on experience

  •  Find an entry-level job as a preschool teacher or teacher aid at a San Diego school. 

  • Get experience at a human development services organization like Kaplan or Firstlight Homecare through an internship or entry-level job. 

  • Enroll in National University’s new Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program and explore their scholarship opportunities. 

  Get training

  • Explore opportunities at a community college near you. You might consider these ones: 

    • Psychology, San Diego Mesa College 

    • Child Development, San Diego Continuing Education 

How often do you take for granted things like a working sink, turning on a light to read at night, or the roof that’s likely over your head at this moment? This sector creates the physical places people live, work and enjoy—from the four walls of a building to the wiring and power that make it possible to offer free wifi. People in this industry work as civil engineers, electrical technicians, solar photovoltaic installers and construction craftspeople. 

Do some research

• Use Career Coach at workforce.org/careercoach to explore which occupations align with your interests, see a behind-the-scenes peek at what a career looks like and discover local companies.

Expand your network

•  Use social media tools like LinkedIn to network with professionals. Request an informational interview to ask them about their career path, education and job responsibilities.

• Attend an event hosted by an industry-related organization like the Building Industry Association of San Diego or Cleantech San Diego. 

Get hands-on experience

•  Volunteer with organizations like Habitat for Humanity to try on the construction field. 

• Volunteer to install solar panels for low-income families with GRID Alternatives San Diego. 

Get training

• There are more paid apprenticeship programs in the building trades than any other type of occupation. Search the website for the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards for a list of opportunities in San Diego. 
• Explore certification programs through Clean Tech Institute 
• Explore free or low-cost classes and certificate programs at your local adult education provider.
• Search “San Diego County Education”

At the intersection of technology, science and empathy lies health care. From one-on-one roles like nursing to operating electromagnetic rays to solve medical mysteries, roles in the health care field work to keep the public healthy and well, quickly solving problems when something goes wrong. This field calls for workers who are both people- and detail-oriented with a desire to help others.

Do some research

• Use Career Coach at workforce.org/careercoach to explore which occupations align with your interests, see a behind-the-scenes peek at what a career looks like and discover local companies.

Expand your network

•  Use social media tools like LinkedIn to network with professionals. Request an informational interview to ask them about their career path, education and job responsibilities.

• Volunteer at a hospital to meet and interact with professionals in the medical field.

Get hands-on experience

• Volunteer to gain experience at places like UCSD Health or Family Health Centers of San Diego.

• Apply to an internship

  • Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego

  • Sharp Healthcare

Get training

•  There are so many jobs in health care that start with a short certification program and allow you to build your career with further training and experience. Find these programs at your local community colleges and adult education providers. Visit CareerEd.org or search “San Diego County Adult Education”

Technology is a part of nearly every part of our lives, making occupations in this sector vary from computer programming to IT support to cybersecurity to video game design. A career in this sector calls people to use their creativity to code the latest cutting-edge computer program, launch the newest top trending app or design the next iconic logo.

Do some research

• Use Career Coach at workforce.org/careercoach to explore which occupations align with your interests, see a behind-the-scenes peek at what a career looks like and discover local companies.

Expand your network

•  Use social media tools like LinkedIn to network with professionals. Request an informational interview to ask them about their career path, education and job responsibilities. 

• Explore the rich variety of local tech-focused groups on Meetup.com and attend their events.

Get hands-on experience

•  This may be the easiest sector for finding free, accessible learning resources to experiment with new skills. And employers in this sector are most likely to consider this valuable experience on a resume.

  • Learn to code through sites like Codeacademy, Udemy, Codewars or Coursera.

  • Create your own website using tools like Wix, Weebly or WordPress.

  • Take advantage of online tutorials to improve your Microsoft Excel skills.

Get training

• It is very possible to build a career in this sector through stacking certifications and work experience. 
  • CompTIA offers training for a wide variety of common industry certificates. 
  • Your local community colleges and adult education providers have many offerings.
• Visit CareerEd.org or search “San Diego County Adult Education”

Have you ever dreamed of being a super hero? People in this sector work daily to save lives and enhance quality of life. By fusing the power of life science and evolving technology, new drugs, medical equipment and cures to disease are created and discovered. Roles in this sector might involve finding the right molecules to bind together or using technology to re-sequence and edit DNA.

Do some research

• Use Career Coach at workforce.org/careercoach to explore which occupations align with your interests, see a behind-the-scenes peek at what a career looks like and discover local companies.

Expand your network

• Use social media tools like LinkedIn to network with professionals. Request an informational interview to ask them about their career path, education and job responsibilities.

• Attend a public talk at the Salk Institute to meet professionals and learn more about career paths withinthe sciences

Get hands-on experience

• Apply for internships at San Diego companies like Illumina, Genentech, or Organovo

Get training

•  For many careers in this sector you may want to consider bachelor’s and advanced degrees in fields related to biological sciences.

• Some careers require a shorter amount of training. Check out biotechnology programs at MiraCosta College and San Diego Miramar College.

What does a city do if there’s a sudden disease outbreak? Who decides between building a new highway or adding a railroad? People in public administration are the ones who hold the answers through their research, analysis, leadership and public service. They listen to concerns, collaborate with others and respond to the community with a goal of improving people’s lives. 

Do some research

• Use Career Coach at workforce.org/careercoach to explore which occupations align with your interests, see a behind-the-scenes peek at what a career looks like and discover local companies.

Expand your network

• Use social media tools like LinkedIn to network with professionals. Request an informational interview to ask them about their career path, education and job responsibilities.

•  Go to local council meetings to network with city professionals. 

Get hands-on experience

•  Visit SanDiego.gov to learn about internships, mentorships and job shadowing opportunities with the City of San Diego. 

• Volunteer to be a poll worker on election days for San Diego County at sdvote.com. 

Get training

• Paralegal: Get certified through UCSD Extension programs.

• Firefighters: Get training through Palomar College. 

• Consider degree programs at the SDSU School of Public Affairs or one of our other 4-year universities.