Dylan Elliott

Role at the UMBC Career Center: Career Peer Advisor

What are your major(s)/minor(s)?

I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of the Arts in History as well as a Minor in Legal Policy at UMBC.

How did you choose your major?

I chose history because I have had a deep and abiding interest in the past since at least the first grade. I knew very early on that I would be a history major in college. I am pursuing a minor in Legal Policy because it is my goal to attend law school and become an attorney.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Never stop. Always keep working harder, pushing farther. Life is never going to be easy, but hard work and persistence can get you where you want to go.

Finally, talk about the Career Center and what it has to offer? What has been most beneficial to you?

Students should visit the Career Center because the things they'll learn and do here will impact them for the rest of their lives. It might seem strange to consider, but the classes, jobs, and internships that they are involved with right now are laying the foundation for the rest of their lives.

What is your favorite aspect about UMBC?

My favorite aspect of UMBC is how open it is to opportunity. In a sense, UMBC is a microcosm of the "American Dream." If you believe in something or want to become involved in something there are ways for you to do that. It will not come and find you, but those seek out opportunities will find them.

What is one item on your bucket list?

To attend a Manchester United football match at Old Trafford, Manchester.

What is one aspect of the DC/Baltimore area that you often explore?

All of the history. We are uniquely positioned to take in so much of our nation's important history.

Have questions? Want to connect with the Career Center team? Call our office at 410-455-2216 or check out our page here: careers.umbc.edu/index

Make sure to follow the Career Center on Facebook, Twitter, and the myumbc group for career events and announcements!

Sue Plitt

Role at the UMBC Career Center: Connecting Employers to UMBC Students

 Q: Where have you earned your college degrees?

A: University of Maryland, University College - Adelphia, MD

Q: What program(s) did you study? How did you choose your major?

A: History for undergraduate followed by a Master of Business Administration. I chose to study History as I have always been a History buff and at the time I was pursuing the degree, my three children were in K-8 programs...a lot of my research projects included family trips to historical sites! The MBA program was chosen as it gave me the opportunity to become familiar with the mechanics involved in running an organization in both the private industry and government sectors.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

A: The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. 

Q: Why should students visit the Career Center?

A: Because believe it or not, we know what we are talking about AND work very hard to offer services, programs and events that will help lead you to a successful career!

Q: What is one item on your bucket list?

A: To sleep in a yurt at the side of a cliff in Big Sur, CA

Q: What is one aspect of the DC/Baltimore area that you often explore?

A: The many, many, many historical sites and museums that are in the area.

Want to connect with Sue or any of our great Career Center team? Call our office at 410-455-2216 or check out our contact us page here: http://careers.umbc.edu/aboutus/

Writing an Effective Email

Name: Andreas Seas

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: University of Nebraska Medical Center | Title of Your Position: Student Researcher

Major(s)/Minor(s): Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering Track

Expected Graduation Year: May, 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

This summer, I interned at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the department of Vascular Surgery. My main project was to design a program to analyze microscopic cross sections of arteries and determine certain characteristics of their elastic microstructure. I also had to see if any risk factors or demographics correlated with characteristics of this microstructure. The ultimate goal of this project was to allow doctors to use patient information to get an idea of the condition of their patients arteries. In order to retrieve more data for this project, I also spent a significant amount of my time dissecting human arteries and testing their mechanical properties. Another project of mine involved performing comparative genomic studies to isolate mutations responsible for causing abdominal aortic aneurysms. Finally, when time permitted, I was able to shadow surgeons in the operating room, and see what the real life of a surgeon is like!

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

Essentially, I searched Google for MD/PhD summer undergraduate research programs and found the University of Nebraska Medical Center's program among my results. Like most other internships, it involved an extensive process of filling out forms and writing essays.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

Google Search

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

Honestly, I enjoyed being a part of a lot of unique projects. It was extremely fulfilling to work with so many dedicated and interesting individuals, and to be able to make my own unique contribution to the scientific community.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

This summer, I was able to improve my ability to think creatively and come up with new ideas. My lab environment was extremely open and collaborative - all ideas were considered. Also, I gained significant experience dissecting human tissue, as well as a fair amount of knowledge of procedures in vascular surgery.

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

My advice would be to apply to as many places as possible, even if some of them seem like long-shots. First, you never know what will happen, maybe they are looking for somebody just like you. Second, the more practice the better - none of the experience filling out applications goes to waste when you eventually have to write grant proposals.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

I liked that I could have a good conversation with anybody in my department. It was also amazing to be able to contribute to scientific knowledge!