Name: Warren Leggett

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Schneider Electric

Position Title: Pre-Construction Engineer Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Mechanical Engineering

Current Class Level: Senior

Work Term: Summer 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

My day-to-day tasks can be anything between rendering cost estimates on a control system, to being in the field at a job site working on the systems hardware. Most of my work has focused on the design of control systems such as HVAC and other building automation systems. I have also had the opportunity to work on advanced projects that have required data and design analysis.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I discovered this position through UMBCworks. I had previously received a lot of interview and resume training through workshops and professional development sessions hosted by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), so I was well prepared for the interview process.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

I have enjoyed being able to learn more about the industry and develop new skills throughout my day-to-day work. I have also enjoyed meeting people who have helped me foster these skills and be successful throughout the internship. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

I would advise students seeking employment to network! Make those connections and gain knowledge through communicating with other people. Sometimes the best way to get a foot in the door is to sneak in with someone else. Also, the Career Center is a great tool to help jump start your career, so take advantage of those resources!

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!

College is a time for self-discovery and personal growth. Part of that self-discovery comes from deciding what you see yourself doing in the future, which isn’t always easy. You may think “But that’s so far away," “I’m too young to be thinking about that”- although that may be true, having an idea of what you see yourself doing in the future will help you be as academically successful as you can be here at UMBC. 

Consider these “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for choosing a major:

“DO’s” for Choosing a Major:

Get to know all the majors available at UMBC.

Some major fields may be completely unfamiliar because they were not taught in high school. Interdisciplinary Studies (the “build your own major” major), Health Administration and Policy, Geography and Environmental Systems, and Business Technology Administration are interesting major’s students may not have been aware of prior to arriving at UMBC. There’s no harm looking through the list- you never know what you might find!

Educate yourself on potential majors.

It’s a good idea to talk to a friend or advisor about the major you’re interested in, so that you can get a better understanding of the potential courses and path you may want to pursue in your selected major. Doing research on your own is highly recommended, as well.

List 5-8 possibilities based on your interests and aptitudes.

Take courses that are steered towards potential majors you have chosen. Read the entire catalog sections, all the course descriptions, faculty bios, and any other information about these majors available on the Department websites.

“DON’Ts” for Choosing a Major:

Don’t let anyone else choose your major for you.

Your parents, friends, and siblings all have ideas about what you should major in, but it is very important to make your own individual choice. You are the student and you are making the decision that could affect the rest of your life.

Don’t assume that a college major will necessarily lead directly to a specific type of job.

The skills acquired from college are of a general nature that can be applied to many different professional settings. The workforce is full of people whose undergraduate majors bear only an indirect relationship to the positions they hold.

Don’t stick with a major when it is clear that you are performing poorly in the required courses.

If you notice your grades are low in your major, this is an indication that it is not appropriate for you. Consider other options in which you can be more successful!

**SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT**

To further your exploration of UMBC academic pathways, please check out our upcoming Major Event!

Helpful Links

Advising Contact List

“What can I do with my major?” via the Career Center

List of UMBC majors, minors, and certificates

UMBC Academic Pathways (sample four-year academic pathways for each major)

Name: Subha Mojumder

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Quark Security Inc.

Position Title: IT/Cybersecurity Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Information Systems

Current Class Level: Senior

Work Term: Summer 2019 

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I had the pleasure of working for Quark Security as a IT/Cybersecurity Intern for Summer 2019. My daily tasks varied according to the projects I was working on. For those who are interested in IT and Cybersecurity like me, some of the important tools and platforms I use on a daily basis included Jira, Confluence, VMware Fusion (for virtual testing) and other devOp related tools. Based on the tasks assigned to me, I would conduct research and complete each task on Scrum methodology basis for each project. Some of my projects included migration of the Atlassian platform, writing shell scripts for MacBook based on NIST’s 800 publication, and migration of phone log system and communication channels. This internship taught me a tremendous amount of techniques and approaches. This will be a great addition to my portfolio for future references in the professional environment.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I applied though UMBCWorks for the internship and submitted my resume as well. A week after applying for the position, a recruiter from the company reached out to me to set up a phone interview. After the phone interview, an in-person interview was scheduled. After two rounds of interviews, within a week, I heard back from the recruiter on an email with an offer letter containing all the details of my start date, duration, and pay rate for the internship. It was a very straightforward and effortless process.  

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

I have enjoyed learning more about a cybersecurity related environment. I had the opportunity to meet an amazing team of fun, dedicated, and punctual people that offered me all the help that I needed. 

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe that I have made my teams work much easier by helping them with migration, securing their data and by saving time. Since, Quark Security is a cybersecurity organization, they have many contracts with very well-known companies such as Lockheed Martin, Department of Defense, Boeing. They provide cross-domain solutions and Android support to these secured organizations. There are two main teams, the cross-domain solution team and the android solution team and I believe that my contribution to the projects has benefited the entire organization altogether.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

My advice to anyone would be to apply to as many places as possible. Apply to many internship opportunities that spike your interest. Go through as many interviews as possible but never lose hope! Don’t forget to explore and once you find a good company, know about the company as much as possible. Try to mingle with as many departments as possible to get to know what kind of work they do. Also, don't be scared to ask lots of questions! Good luck!

Also, the Career Center is amazing and they will provide you with all the help you need. I would highly recommend taking the practicum workshops offered by the Career Center because those are also very helpful!

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!