Downloadable Career Assignments
The Career Development Center has prepared a suite of career assignments that OSU faculty, staff and instructors can download and incorporate into their own courses. Take advantage of these resources to use and tailor to meet the needs of the courses you teach.
Assignment Organization
We’ve organized these assignments into three categories that align with the learning outcomes of the Beyond OSU career integration requirement. However, these assignments can also be used in any on-campus or Ecampus courses, regardless of whether they are designated as Beyond OSU courses.
Usage notes
These fillable PDF files are fully developed and ready to be used as-is. Word versions you can download and tailor to your specific courses are available in a Box folder that can be accessed via your OSU login. (As faculty, you also have access to Adobe Acrobat and can edit the PDF versions if you are proficient with the software). Note: fields in fillable PDFs can only be filled when downloaded.
Accessibility notes
We are in the process of updating the PDF versions of these career assignments to be in compliance with ADA rules on digital accessibility going into effect in April 2026. In the meantime, you may also use the Word versions of these assignments.
AI and Career Development in the Classroom
Oregon State University's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) encourages faculty to consider their own ethos around AI use in the classroom and develop a transparent AI policy for their syllabi and classrooms. The CTL provides resources and tips to consider when developing a policy, as well as sample language.
The Career Development Center does not encourage students to use AI to write their career materials wholesale. However, we do provide resources for individuals to think through how AI tools can help with efficiency in tailoring documents to specific jobs. Our AI resources balance an approach of curiosity around AI with a desire for students to understand the limitations and risks of AI use (hallucinations, privacy, environmental concerns and more).
Assignment Category 1: Career Development Concepts
Through the Beyond OSU requirement, students will learn life-long career development concepts like building a professional online presence, understanding and applying interview skills, and building connections in a target industry. They’ll learn to articulate the strengths of their own experiences, skills, interests, and values, and relate those skills to future educational and career goals.
In order to fulfill Beyond OSU Learning Outcomes, concepts should be coupled with creating artifacts or engaging in experiences.
CONCEPT Assignments
Assignment Category 2: Career-Relevant Artifacts
Career-relevant artifacts are documents, portfolios, or collections of work that students can use to further their professional goals. Depending on the field of study, artifacts could include resumes or CVs, cover letters, portfolios, professional recommendations, or a capstone paper.
We offer a wide range of assignments that serve as career-related artifacts. Each of them can stand alone to meet the needs of your class, or can be organized into a sequenced progression of career assignments. If your class is comprised primarily of students new to career skills, they may need to start at the beginning of the sequence. Students with more experience may be able to begin with a more advanced assignment. In classes with a wide array of students, you may also choose to provide several options and ask students to choose their own adventure based on their particular career goals and needs.
If you did want to put any of these assignments in a logical series, we suggest these two sequences.
Career Artifact Assignments: Sequence 1
Career Artifact Assignments: Sequence 2
Assignment Category 3: Career-Related Experiences
Career-related experiences are ways that students can engage with the professional world to prepare for their post-graduation goals. Many types of real-world experiences can help students build their career skills: internships, field work, research, job shadows, practicums, workplace visits, and more. Peruse this section to see what works best for your class and audience.