group of students

California Career Resource Network

California’s official resource for career exploration and planning

News And Events

CalCRN October Quarterly Meeting

Missed the CalCRN October Meeting? Catch up on key insights, new resources, and tools that support college, career, and financial readiness!

READ MORE

FREE CalCRN Resources

California Career Zone

Introduce your students to more than 900 occupations using the California CareerZone, a web-based career exploration system. Have students use one of the career assessments to help them refine their career interests. Students can also create a budget and determine which careers can support the lifestyle they desire.

Check it out

California Career Center

The California Career Center website is a comprehensive “virtual counselor.” The student account provides tools for students to create a Career Action Plan, develop resumes, job search letters, and a master job application, and then share their work with educators for review.

Check it out

California Career Center Mobile App

The California Career Center mobile app is like having a personal career counselor right in your pocket! With tools to explore career paths and craft standout resumes and job applications, students will have everything they need to confidently navigate their journey toward success! Download for FREE in the Apple App St...

Check it out

Career Surfer Desktop App

Designed for settings with limited or no internet access, the Career Surfer Desktop App is for beginning career exploration and planning. This self-contained app works offline and is ideal for juvenile justice programs or other settings where internet access is limited.

Check it out

Career Surfer Mobile App

Help your students begin exploring careers with the Career Surfer mobile app. It’s easy to use, contains more than 900 occupational profiles, and has an interest assessment that students can use to find occupations matching their interests. Go to your app store and search for “Career Surfer.”

Check it out

California Educators Together

CalCRN’s New Career & College Readiness Lesson Plans are coming soon to California Educators Together. California Educators Together is a community of practice designed to provide educators, administrators, specialists, and state program leads a common space to communicate, share strategies, and access lesson plans and...

Check it out

What is CalCRN?

team collaboration photo

The California Career Resource Network (CalCRN) is a program of the California Department of Education dedicated to empowering Californians to reach their career goals. CalCRN provides free career development resources and information to middle school and high school counselors, educators, and administrators to ensure that middle schools, high schools, and adult education programs have the necessary career development tools to prepare elementary, adolescent, and adult students for success in the ever-changing employment landscape. CalCRN’s resources are free to use by all Californians.

Our Career Development Philosophy

second team collaboration photo

Students go through a journey as they become familiar with their skills, interests, and aptitudes (self-exploration), build awareness of possible career options (career exploration), and then prepare for a career of choice (career planning). Students in elementary school should begin to develop occupational identities through exposure to the world of work and opportunities to explore their own skills, interests, and aptitudes. Students in middle school should identify their interests and aptitudes and continue career exploration. Students entering high school should have a career in mind and begin training and planning for their career of choice. Students should graduate high school with a written Career Action Plan, resume, certifications, and a portfolio. Adult students may benefit from further refining their skills, interests, and aptitudes as they develop a Career Action Plan and seek out relevant training.

CalCRN Foundations

The California Career Resource network (CalCRN) is a program within the California Department of Education as established in Education Code Section 53086.

CalCRN's mission is to provide all persons in California with career development information and resources to empower them to reach their career goals.

CalCRN’s primary duty is to distribute career information, resources, and training materials to middle school and high school counselors, educators, and administrators to ensure that middle and high schools have the necessary information available to guide and instruct students on the education and requirements necessary for career development.

third team collaboration photo

Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions on how we can improve. We'd love to hear from you.