Serving Diverse Students

Career and Job Search Resources for GLBTQ Students and Alumni

The PSU Career Center and its staff celebrate and support all PSU students. We are a queer-affirming office, so if you have questions about career planning, concerns about your job search, or are wondering how your sexual orientation might influence your career decisions, we welcome you to discuss these concerns with a career counselor. To schedule an appointment, please call (503) 725-4613.

Internship and Volunteer Experiences:

It is never too early (or too late) to start building your resume with meaningful work experiences. If you would like to work in the GLBTQ community in the areas of policy, social services, advocacy, or education, here are a few of the many agencies you can contact:

Local Organizations:

Basic Rights Oregon — volunteer opportunities
Love Makes a Family — volunteer and internship opportunities
ACLU Oregon — volunteer opportunities

Queer Youth Services — volunteer opportunities:

SMYRC — serves queer youth in Multnomah County
PrideProject — serves queer youth in Washington County

National Organizations:

Human Rights Campaign — internship opportunities
National Gay and Lesbian TaskForce (NGLTF) — internship opportunities
Lambda Legal Defense Fund

Queer Job Search Resources:

These are links to articles which discuss the different facets of the job search, addressing the unique needs and concerns of GLBTQ individuals:

Resumes:

"How Much To Include?" — an article written by Career Services at University of Pennsylvania addressing including GLBTQ related activities in a resume
"Sexual Orientation and Career Decision Making--Resumes and Interviews" — an article published by Lawrence University discussing effective resume writing and interviewing for GLBTQ students

Interviewing Strategies:

"Art of the Job Interview" — Russell Kaltschmidt article originally published on gay.com
"Interviewing Strategies" — an article written by Career Services at University of Pennsylvania addressing interviewing stategies

Researching Employers:

Lists of queer-supportive employers from the Advocate and Human Rights Campaign.
HRC Worknet — the nation's most comprehensive and regularly updated database of corporate policies and workplace laws. Search by company for GLBTQ policies, health benefits, etc.
"Sexual Orientation and Career Decision Making--Researching Employers" — Lawrence University Career Center's step-by-step guidelines for researching employers.

Being "Out" in the workplace:

"Working Out: Career Issues of Gays and Lesbians" — Joseph P. Goodwin article published in the Ball State University Career Center addresses GLBTQ job searches
"Coming Out at Work" — Russell Kaltschmidt article published on Gay.com

"Out on a Job Interview?" — John J. Kinyon article originally published in Gay Chicago Magazine

GLBTQ Career Books in the PSU Career Center:

Straight Jobs, Gay Lives — an in-depth study of gay and lesbian managers, executives, and employees--examines issues such as being out or closeted in the workplace, discrimination, health & insurance, and personal stories.
The 100 Best Companies for Gay Men and Lesbians — the 100 most gay-friendly companies in the U.S., including large, small, nonprofit, private, and publicly owned companies.
Out in the Workplace — first-hand, personal experiences on the pleasures and perils of being out in the workplace.
Cracking the Corporate Closet — the 200 best (and worst) companies to work for, buy from, and invest in if you are Gay or Lesbian.
Lavender Road to Success — career planning advice on topics such as: why you will make more money being "out" in the workplace, how defining your personal identity as a member of the gay community will help you achieve success, and how to find an employer that is a perfect match.

General Queer Job Websites:

Transgender-Specific Resources: