Name: Arnold Epanda

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Lockheed Martin

Position Title: Software Engineer Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s):Computer Science

Work Term:Summer 2017

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

As the fall semester was coming to an end, I received a phone call from Sikorsky Aircraft, before a United Technology company and now a Lockheed Martin company to help in building their perception and autonomy work. I passed the interview, was given an offer and stipend for travel relocation since the workplace was in Stratford CT, miles away from my hometown Maryland.

I was super excited to intern with this company for two reasons: First, I felt a sense of connection with my interviewers (three at the time) because it seemed like they heard about UMBC already, for they asked quite a few questions about the school and after I gave them my feedback about the school I am attending, they acknowledged at the end of the interview that it was a great college to go to. Their view of UMBC enhanced my confidence about the school and was a reason to further accept their offer. Second, it was my first time interning away from home, receiving travel stipends, and preparing to live in Connecticut sate. Therefore, it was the perfect opportunity to have a fun summer, working on fun projects, meeting new people and knowing that I would have to build software that could impact on millions of lives.

When it came to saying YES/NO for my offer, I went for a YES and my role was to write algorithms with a lot of performance emphasis that will be integrated into their perception system.

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

Of course, there are a lot of organizations out there willing to help students succeed.

I have never really thought of using these organizations in order to apply for internships until one of my friends, now a software engineer in Texas, recommended INROADS to me, a non-profit organization that aims to place minorities student in tech and big corporations.

I received coaching interviews throughout that program, resume reviews and was then called for an interview. Plus, INROADS send your resume to companies. Therefore, you do not need to worry about looking for these big corporations, for they come to you.

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

Curiosity. Not being afraid to ask questions and having great team partners that are willing to see you succeed.

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

By being my best-self, being genuine, and having fun with everyone.

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

Search for non-profit organizations that are willing to help - plenty of them exist. Have friends in your area of study, which I consider to be very important. Go out and meet people, do not wait for them to come to you. Make friends everywhere. Prep for interviews, get resume reviews, go to careers fairs, pray, and be patient.

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Name: Zain Abidin

Internship, Co-op or Research Site:Helping Hand for Relief and Development

Position Title: Management Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s):Biological Sciences

Work Term:Fall 2017

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

Helping Hand for Relief and Development is a global humanitarian relief and development organization responding to human sufferings in emergency and disaster situations around the world. In addition to their emergency relief efforts in natural or man-made disasters, they also work on long term relief and development programs. My internship was focused around the management aspect of the branch in Baltimore. My day-to-day responsibilities included coordinating volunteer sessions on a biweekly basis, managing incoming and outgoing shipment, maintaining an organized warehouse for the in-kind work and sending packaged material in containers to many countries including Pakistan, Syria and Rohingya. I also spoke at different events regarding the initiatives that this organization was taking.

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

I heard about this position through an alumni network last Summer. A few of my friends had also interned at this organization and I had also volunteered here as well. When I found out that there was an opening I applied for the position in September.

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

I enjoyed packing gifts for children in areas that have been affected by disasters. The idea that my work was able to bring some joy in the lives of children who have suffered through so much was very fulfilling. Furthermore, some of my colleagues went to some countries and distributed our gifts themselves. Knowing that gifts that were packed and organized by me actually got to the kids and seeing their videos just softened my heart so much and made me love my work even more.

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

I believe my work positively affected the lives thousands of people who have been affected by many disasters. As humans it is our responsibility to take care of other people, and I believe I was able to do that through my work.

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

Start looking for internships as soon as you can, and don't be shy. Most of the internships that I have had required me to step out of my comfort zone. Be brave and apply for anything that interests you. If you get rejected, it's okay. Try again. Rejection is not the same as failure, and you should never let it discourage you.

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A huge part of my job is reviewing students’ resumes, and often it will be the student’s first resume - or at least the first time they’ve had someone review it. A very common concern I hear is how the student doesn’t have any “relevant experience” or they haven’t done anything “worthwhile.” But, without fail, the same student will leave our session with more confidence, and with more skills included on their resume! What most students don’t realize is that ALL of their out-of-class experiences are valuable, and they have transferable skills. Let me demonstrate what I mean.

Let’s say you’ve been a cashier at a grocery store or a clothing store. Maybe you feel like this isn’t even worth putting on your resume at all, or you have it written down, but it looks like this:

Giant Food Store - Baltimore, MD

Cashier (May 2017 - January 2018)

• Manned cash register

• Opened and closed store

I promise that you can really beef this up, and you don’t even have to exaggerate! All you need to do is articulate the responsibilities that you assume nobody cares about, but are actually pretty significant. For instance, as a cashier, you provide customer service to a large number of patrons, sometimes during high-traffic times (showing the ability to work well under pressure). You can also mention how you organized inventory in the back room, or answered questions over the phone. Just the fact that you have experience handling money is a significant skill! So now your resume looks like this:

Giant Food Store - Baltimore, MD

Cashier (May 2017 - January 2018)

• Provided quality customer service at the cash register and over the phone during high-traffic times

• Accurately handled money transactions and applied discounts when necessary

• Organized inventory as well as opened and closed the store

See? Nothing written above is lying or exaggerating. The key is highlighting what’s important and wording it in a professional, detailed way. Need more tips and how to spice up your resume? Check out the Career Center’s Resume Writing Page or make an appointment on UMBCworks or on the phone at 410-455-2216. The Career Center has 15-minute drop-in resume reviews every Monday-Friday from 2pm-4pm, so come give us a visit!