MURP Career Resources

Soon after he graduated, Mark Newman, MURP ‘17, started this list to share some of the resources he’d found most helpful in learning more about planning career paths and specific opportunities available in the field. Thank you, Mark! 

We've been updating and adding new resources as they become available. Have additions or suggestions for this list? Click to contact us!

  • Indeed is a great resource for all types of jobs and internships. Simply type in a keyword like 'planner' 'urban planner' 'environmental planner' 'transportation planner' etc. into the search bar and start browsing. Many companies, agencies, and cities post on this website. You can also send your resume to them via the website or the posting will link to their company website for more information on the application process. You can also narrow it down by location, experience level, and part-time/full-time.
  • American Planning Association Job Search You can scroll through the current list of open positions as well as filter by AICP level, Experience level, Region, and Specialty. The planning specialty option gives you good insight into the different types of work that planners can do.
  • Use your LinkedIn Profile to view current jobs available to planners. Search jobs by title, keyword, or company as well as city, state, zip code, or country. You can also browse company profiles, peak at current employees' profiles to see their job paths, and find similar companies in the region.
  • The UCI Division of Career Pathways (formerly UCI Career Center) website offers a variety of career resources for current graduate students, from in-person workshops and one-on-one career consulting, to online career exploration and planning tools, personal skill development exercises, tip sheets, checklists, and information.
  • UCI Handshake (formerly Zotlink) - Handshake is the Division of Career Pathways’ comprehensive online career services platform. Use Handshake to: Search for internships on and off-campus targeted to UCI students; Connect with employers and students who previously worked for those companies through the comment function on postings and information sessions; Prepare for a successful search by viewing and enrolling in upcoming workshops and career labs. Current students already have an account. Log in with your UCINetID and password.
  • Going Global - Through Handshake, UCI students can access Going Global, a resource for job/internship search throughout the US and abroad. Obtain expert advice on CV, resume, work permit and visa requirements for work abroad, and identify companies who have sponsored employees for visa applications in the past. 
  • California AEP - Use the California Association of Environmental Professionals' new job search to find positions in the environmental planning and CEQA/NEPA fields. In addition to entering keywords, you can choose from pre-selected tags to narrow down your search.
  • WTS Job Search - WTS International is the Women's Transportation Seminar. With a local Orange County chapter, it aims to help women find careers in the transportation field, but the organization is also open to men, too! You can search by keyword or go straight to the job list.
  • OC-APA - The Orange Section of the American Planning Association, California Chapter has a number of career resources on its site, including a Jobs/RFP Available page, as well as extensive information about AICP certification, and a wide variety of professional development program and networking events.  
  • ASCE Career Connections - The American Society for Civil Engineers also posts planning jobs that overlap with engineering positions. This would be ideal for someone getting a dual MURP/ITS degree or who is interested in pursuing engineering in the future.
  • GovernmentJobs has a large searchable database of jobs and internships posted by public agencies, including cities, counties, and regional government associations. Their portal is often the only way to apply for these jobs. 
  • CalCareers is the State of California's job site, with postings from a variety of state agencies that employ planners, such as the Department of Transportation. 
  • Idealist - For MURPs interested in the nonprofit sector, Idealist can connect you with volunteer, internship, and job opportunities around the world.
  • Planetizen -  As “the independent resource for people passionate about planning and related fields”, Planetizen maintains an extensive listing of planning-related job opportunities. You can also subscribe to their Jobswire email newsletter.
  • METRANS is a transportation research center based out of USC, that provides educational, professional, and enrichment programming to students in transportation related fields as part of its mission. Programs include seminars, field trips, mentor programs, and a weekly student e-newsletter, METRANS On the Move, which includes information about these opportunities, as well as a section of job and internship listings and a link to their spreadsheet of transportation job opportunities.
  • Arizona State University has an Employment Opportunities list of current planning jobs both in the Phoenix Metro and around the country. Many planning schools have similar sites, so if you're looking to relocate to a certain region, it is worth checking out a local planning school's site.
  • RCAC  - “Founded in 1978, RCAC provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals. For more than 35 years, our dedicated staff and active board, coupled with our key values: leadership, collaboration, commitment, quality and integrity, have helped effect positive change in rural communities across the West.”
  • Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Career Center - The ACSP Career Center provides resources for finding academic positions and professional planning jobs.
  • Careers in Government - The website is a clearinghouse of information, resources, and jobs available in the public sector, with posts for government (state, local, and city) careers in many fields.

*The MURP Alumni Council is now UCI Planning Alumni (UPA), a volunteer organization that seeks to create a supportive community among UCI alumni working in the planning field and UCI students exploring careers in planning. As of fall 2018, the organization is an official chapter of the UCI Alumni Association.  Alumni networking is one of the best career resources available, particularly in the planning field.

Ways to get connected with UPA: