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UExplore

UExplore is an 8-month professional development program designed to provide exposure and tools to help early career and entry level employees learn about and explore the various career opportunities available within UC San Diego. The mission of this program, since its inception in 2009, is to equip you with self-awareness and information about the university through self-reflection, connection, and networking to foster empowerment in navigating your individual career path here at UC San Diego.

How does UExplore work for you?

  • Explore Yourself: Gain self-awareness and channel that knowledge towards your individual career planning process at UC San Diego. Take ownership, take action to identify, communicate, and plan S.M.A.R.T professional goals.
  • Explore UC San Diego: Gain knowledge about UC San Diego's organizational structure and discover university resources and tools for career exploration.
  • Explore Career Paths: Learn from and network with successful colleagues at various levels of leadership at UC San Diego. Hear about what they do and why they like it, where those positions exist on campus, how much they pay, and gain insights on what they see as key experiences in their career and how they define success in their roles.

Program Schedule

  • 8 workshops taking place over 8 months (October 18, 2022 - May 9, 2023).
  • Attendance is required and monitored for each workshop.
  • Workshops take place on the second Tuesday of every month from 8:30am-10:30am. 
  • Upon admittance into the program, selected applicants will vote whether they want the program to be completely virtual, in-person or a hybrid model with selected sessions in-person. 
  • Schedule/Topic: Please note some of the topics may change, but dates will remain the same.
    • October 18 - Welcome Orientation & UC San Diego Organizational Overview
    • November 8 - Career Tracks
    • December 13 - Career Planning & Networking  
    • January 10 - Navigating the Recruitment Process
    • February 14 - Resume Review & Feedback
    • March 14 - Preparing for the Interview & Salary Negotiation 
    • April 11 - UC San Diego Career Panels
    • May 9 - Wrap Up & Celebrate

Eligibility

  • Eligibility Criteria: Early-career and entry level employees (represented and non-represented position titles up to pay grade 20) in full-time career appointments in BFS, Chancellor's Office, VCAA, VC-EDI, VCR, and VCSA with recent performance appraisal evaluation of "S", "A" or "E" who will have passed their probationary period by the first day of UExplore workshops (e.g. October 20). Each applicant must commit to and follow through on attending each workshop in full. The supervisor must make every reasonable effort to ensure this commitment is fulfilled.

Online Application & Selection Process

  • Encouraged Process from the Role of:
    1. Employee:
      1. Talk it over with your supervisor and come to agreement that this is the right opportunity for you.
      2. Receive supervisor consent, that if selected, you will be given release time to attend and participate in all program activities.
      3. Complete the online application (4 short essay questions) and ask your supervisor for assistance as needed.
    2. Supervisor:
      1. Talk it over with your employee. If this program is appropriate and the time commitment can be accommodated, give employee consent for release time to attend and participate in all program activities.
      2. After employee completes the online application it will route to you. Sign-off on approval for participation and consent for release time if selected.
      3. ​If employee is selected to participate – engage and check-in with the employee through out the duration of the program.
    3. Deadlines & Selection Timeline:
      1. Application portal opens on August 22, 2022
      2. Employee application deadline September 11, 2022 at midnight
      3. Supervisor section deadline September 19, 2022
      4. Selected participants will be notified by October 7, 2022